The Voice of Inexperience

[Mike Kurta]

    Hi Clyde:
    There are many answers to your question, and just as many of us who will
endorse whatever route is taken.  It is hard to discern which are right and
which are wrong.  The solution is easy,  let the customer make the choice.
My suggestion would be to research the question of loose pins as thoroughly
as possible, look into past archives, talk to others, and lay out the
various options to the customer.  Be sure to also indicate the pros and cons
of each.  In a perfect world, it would be ideal to do everything to the
piano that was needed regardless of cost.  But there are various
considerations the owner must think about, and some of which we have no
idea.
    When I was in the auto repair game, we lived by two axioms:  1.  Be
thorough, honest and truthful when dealing with a customer and proposed
repairs.  Anything less will come back to haunt both of you.  2.  The
customer is not always right, but he's (she's) always the customer.  Clyde,
this is only another step in gaining knowledge of our craft and how to deal
with particular situations.
    Mike Kurta
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 7:13 AM
Subject: Re: The Voice of Inexperience


> I've been thinking about this situation, and I have a question I haven't
seen
> addressed.  Sometime in the past I think I read that some pinblock
restorers
> actually cause the pinblock to disintegrate over time, and the end result
is no
> better, or worse, than the first.
>
> Is this true?  Or what if the plies of the pinblock are separating or has
a
> crack?  Will larger pins solve the problem?  Even if the customer agreed
to
> all-new wound strings, if I were the technician I would want some
assurance that
> I don't end up with beautiful new strings and a rotten pinblock.
>
> I believe it was Ed Foote who suggested that if you're going to do the
job, you
> may as well do it right, and encouraged plugs.  But we've already been
told that
> the piano is worn out.  Wouldn't "doing the job right" involve a lot more
work
> to the *whole* piano than replacing the bass strings and plugging or
repinning
> that section?  (I know some extra work has already been done.)  If the
customer
> won't hear of discarding the piano, shouldn't it receive a complete
> remanufacturing?
>
> I find these "in-between" situations difficult to deal with. Even the
> not-so-in-between situations drive me buggy.  I've got a dozen or more
Baldwin
> pianos around here that are in otherwise good shape but need Ecsaine
> replacement, but the customers leave the problem go indefinitely because
of the
> cost.  Same thing with Yamaha corded flanges of the "deficient" era.
>
> Regards,
> Clyde Hollinger, RPT
>
> Bill Ballard wrote:
>
> > At 6:14 PM -0500 4/9/03, <tune4u@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > >Given all the facts above: How would you proceed? What would you do?
4/0
> > >pins? Are shims a better option when it's been doped? Open to all ideas
...
> >
> > Oversized pins. That's what they're made for. The pinblock would have
> > to be real good to allow you to swap bass strings without o'sized
> > tuning pins. I'd pull the sandpaper shims out while you're at it.
> > After the paper falls apart under the pressure, what you're left with
> > is a lapping compound of the coarsest grade. 100 grit granules being
> > ground into the pin hole walls by steel pins is not the ticket for a
> > long life.
> >
> > I hope you get to put in the new pins under the extreme dry
> > conditions you described. It's nice to know how your choice of tuning
> > pins is going to work in the worst case conditions.
> >
> > Bill Ballard RPT
> > NH Chapter, P.T.G.
> >
> > "I gotta go ta woik...."
> >      ...........Ian Shoales, Duck's Breath Mystery Theater
> > +++++++++++++++++++++
> > _______________________________________________
> > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
> _______________________________________________
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