Charging for Pitch Raises

[William R. Monroe]

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Mike and List,

If one properly pitch raises an instrument, and finishes with a solid =
fine tuning, is there validity saying that the instrument will not hold =
this tuning as well as if it were tuned regularly?  I was under the =
impression that in this scenario, the instrument would hold tune well, =
perhaps only slightly less well than a regularly serviced instrument on =
which PR are not needed or performed.

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Mike Kurta=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 5:59 AM
  Subject: Re: Charging for Pitch Raises


      I never charge for a pitch raise, however I don't discount if one =
isn't needed either.  I used to charge for mileage too,  but don't any =
more.  One price for all is my rule now.  I might be a bit higher than =
the norm for this area, but I find it all averages out in the end.  I =
like consistency.  If a pitch raise is needed, I explain to the customer =
what I'm doing, and that the finished tuning will be up to pitch and =
sound great, but it won't stay in tune quite as long this first time.  =
(Assuming its been 3-5 years since the last tuning, which is often the =
case).  I then encourage them to begin an annual tuning schedule which =
after 2-3 years will bring their piano back to a stable situation.  I =
prefer using this method rather than either (1) raising the pitch in =
increments, thus leaving the piano at less than A440, or (2) =
recommending another tuning be done in 1-3 months, and again raising =
pitch in steps.  Not every owner follows this recommendation, but I =
hesitate to appear as though I'm pushing more tunings as well as leaving =
the piano out of tune.  If I do return in a year, usually follow-up =
pitch raises are not necessary, and I feel the slight additional charge =
for all tunings covers the occasional pitch raises that are needed.    =
Mike Kurta
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Dave Nereson=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 6:45 AM
    Subject: Re: Charging for Pitch Raises



      ----- Original Message -----=20
      From: William R. Monroe=20
      To: Pianotech=20
      Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 6:26 PM
      Subject: Charging for Pitch Raises


      I was reading an old essay (PTJ August '90) by Rick Baldassin =
regarding Piano Tuning Stability.  Within that article, Rick writes =
about tuning for a concert and remarks that after a rehearsal, the =
treble was really out.  'Why?  The treble notes were too far out of tune =
to create a stable tuning in one pass on the tuning.'  He stated that =
when he tuned the instrument prior to the rehearsal, the 6th and 7th =
octaves were flat, 'maybe as much as four cents.'

      So, in a nutshell, if your piano is four cents flat, your tuning =
will not be stable (for a concert level tuning). =20

      My questions:
       1.) Really?  Is four cents flat too much to get a stable concert =
tuning?

      2.) For our regular clients, when do we begin charging for a pitch =
raise, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents?  I realize that neither all clients, =
nor their instruments will require this level tuning, but where do we =
draw the line and say we must raise pitch to get a stable tuning?

      I am very interested to hear as many opinions on this one as =
possible.

      Thank you,

      William R. Monroe
      PTG Associate
      Salt Lake City, UT

          Yes, 4 cents flat is probably too flat to get a stable concert =
tuning in one pass.  Back when people referred to beats per second (at A =
49) more often than cents, someone at a seminar said that anything more =
than 2 beats per second flat would require a pitch raise to be stable in =
one pass.  I find (in the home, not concert tunings) that that's about =
right most of the time. =20
          For clients, whether regular or not, I suppose you should =
charge extra for any tuning that requires more passes to stabilize than =
one on a piano that's already at pitch.  I don't think I've ever done a =
"one-pass tuning".  It's always once through to do the initial tuning, =
then another time through to re-tune the ones that slipped, then I take =
out the ear plugs and go through again for a final touch-up.  The second =
two "passes" are very quick and are considered part of the tuning.  =20
          If I had even a nickel for every free pitch raise I've done, I =
could probably buy a new couch or something.  Sometimes I just don't =
want to go drag the customer away from what they're doing to tell them =
there's going to be an extra charge.  Sometimes I charge and sometimes I =
don't -- I know, that's inconsistent, but since the pitch raise takes =
only 10 or 15 minutes, I usually just quickly bang it out rather than go =
get them to give 'em the lecture about tension, humidity, dryness, =
string stretching, tuning every 6 months, etc.  Even if I do, it doesn't =
do any good.  They still wait 2 to10 years before they get it tuned =
again, even if I leave literature about it.  I've almost given up on =
explaining about and charging for pitch raises.  Almost all pianos I =
tune need one, except those that get tuned every year (schools, piano =
teachers), and even some of those need a "quickie raise or lower" in the =
middle, depending what season it was when they were last tuned. =20
            I dunno, for me it's easier to have the charge for a pitch =
raise figured in to the "regular" base fee, and if it doesn't need a =
p.r., give them a $10 or $15 discount.      --David Nereson, RPT, Denver

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