Charging for Pitch Raises

[David Love]

It takes me about 20 -25 minutes to do a pitch raise.  I don't spend any
time on trying to get stability, but I try and get it pretty close.  The
fine tuning pass, then goes much quicker than normal as many of the notes
are almost right on.  Overall, when the two passes are combined the net
difference is about 10 minutes more than a standard single pass tuning.  I
don't see any reason for rushing through the pitch raise trying to set a
record.  But neither should you labor over getting it too clean.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: April 20, 2002 7:32 AM
Subject: Re: Charging for Pitch Raises


> Ron Nossaman wrote:
>
> >
> > A piano can't be tuned well unless it's already in tune. A piano that's
> > more than four cents flat needs a pitch raise. Pitch raises are done in
> > fifteen minutes or less. The pitch raise isn't a tuning, it's just
intended
> > to get the tensions up close to where they need to be.
> >
> > So five cents flat isn't close enough but a ten or fifteen minute
> > non-critical rough-in from thirty, or even fifteen cents away will be. I
> > don't know about you, but I would love to see someone do, say, a 20 cent
> > pitch raise in under 15 minutes leaving the entire piano with no string
> > more than 3 cents off pitch. That would impress me.
>
> I kind of have to believe there are at least a few fellows / gals out
there who
> can thus impress, but wonder I do, sorely if there aren't also significant
> numbers of folk out there pushing unduly the limits of what they are
capable
> of, rooted in some perception of these acts of demonic speed as virtuous
goals
> in themselves.
>
> I  think no one need feel that their skills are somehow found in wont for
lack
> of ability to raise pitch acurately in 15 minutes... or even in 30. Nor do
I
> feel such derogorous self assesment need be precipatated over the time it
takes
> to tune a piano at all.
>
> If one leaves the piano only after your work is accomplished
satisfactorilly,
> then what matter really the time it takes ??
>
> >
> > This isn't the only thing bothering me about the discussion, but it will
do
> > for the moment. I'll get to the rest eventually.
>
> grin... I cant wait for the rest.
>
> >
> >
> > Ron N
>
> "That, is why you fail"  Yoda,  Star Wars,  The Empire Strikes Back
>
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
> http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
>
>
>