Ron, Great response. One can still take this conversation several directions. What do you do if after a *year* the tuning is still essentially where you put it? I used to suggest two-year tunings are adequate in some instances, but respondents on this list disagreed with me. Something else to muddy the water-- On the facial expressions of some clients it appears that I actually lose credibility if I suggest tunings less often. After all, some of them know the official line is every six months; I even inform them of that, while also suggesting that annual tunings suit most clients, considering the way they use their pianos. Even with annual tunings, most of the change I make has to do with humidity variations; the whole piano is a little sharp or flat, by a cent or two. I surely do wish more of them would take humidity control more seriously. (To counterbalance this I should add that in some instances very frequent tunings are advisable.) I'll close with this -- Any time regular maintenance is called for, there is going to be some difference of opinion. My dentist wants to see me every six months; I think annual is perfectly acceptable. I change my car's oil every 3,000 miles, wondering if it's necessary when it still looks almost as clean as when it was put in, and this in a car that has run trouble-free for 110,000 miles. Regards, Clyde Ron Nossaman wrote: > Someone tells them "Tune twice a year, without fail". After years of this, > they (by any number of circumstances) happen to have me tune the piano and > ask why so frequent tunings are necessary when they think the piano sounds > fine. If I find the piano in decent tune, I'll agree with them and suggest > yearly tunings unless their ear tells them otherwise before then. This is > so unexpected and foreign to them that they immediately become suspicious > and I have their full attention from then on. If the piano sounds nasty, we > talk about the usual climate control issues and such. I try to get them the > most tuning (and service) mileage I can for their dollar, rather than try > to sell them the idea that they owe me two guaranteed tuning fees a year > and any other service I can manage to talk them into so I can make the most > money with the least work at their expense. I resent the fact that too many > other "professionals" are doing that to me on a daily basis and I try not > to abuse my people with that sort of thing.
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