Treble tuning for elderly clients

[Thomas Cole]

Since this is one of those situations that happens at least once every 
25 years, I thought I'd better speak up about it. :^)

One time I brushed the strike point of the hammers of a Yamaha P2 to 
take the harshness out of the low treble. It's a quick but temporary way 
to give the customer an idea of how voicing can improve the piano's 
tone. However, no one was home when I finished up and my demonstration 
was for naught, especially in this case when I heard from the owner in 
harsh tones that she liked the sound of the piano before I tuned it. 
It's been 15 years and she still hasn't had me back.

It made me realize that beauty of tone is in the ear of the beholder, 
influenced by the beholder's past experiences, and that any 
"improvements" I want to make should be by mutual agreement.

Nowadays, my approach is with words similar to: "How do you like the 
tone of your piano?" "It really sounds great!" "Okay. See you next year."

Tom Cole

Ric Brekne wrote:

>A typical chest beater post to be sure, and Alans reply is at least one 
>exception to the rule as these threads go.  Lets face it folks... its 
>not about customers being right or wrong, or about tuners not getting it 
>right or the rest of it... in fact its not a big deal at all.  It just 
>boils down to... you cant win em all.
>
>Now some of ya'll can get up on your haunches and try and tell the 
>customer you know the one and only real truth, and that if they (the 
>customers) would only listen to you and forget about all the other 
>jokels they've been through before who only were their to rip off their 
>money anyways then all will be ok regardless of whether the customer 
>turns out happy or not... and you may even convince yourself you are 
>doing a service to someone (or thing) or another.... but me thinks you 
>are kidding yourself if you do.
>
>Just do your best... your very best to tune well and treat with the 
>customer well, and dont worry about it.  Most often you'll have no 
>problems... and those times you do are.... well ... unavoidable.  Let 
>the next guy try and please those you cant, and just keep on improving.  
>In the end its not the <<customer>> who is a cause for worry.... its not 
>even those other <<techs>> playing piano politics in all its variants.  
>The only person you have to worry about is yourself.  Take care of your 
>learning curve and stay a nice person.  You will succeed if you do.
>
>Cheers
>RicB
>
>
>
>AB writes:
>
>One word of caution: I worked very hard to clean up a really lousy, 
>noisy treble on a Baldwin console. The lady called me back, unsatisfied. 
>(Pleased to say it's a very rare event.) I went back and it sounded aok 
>to me. She claims I killed the tone of her piano and ruined the sound. 
>Hasn't had me back, either.
>
>Some times, we can be too smart by half. Maybe we shouldn't be afraid to 
>interview the clients more thoroughly as to their preferences, what they 
>hear, what bugs them, etc., rather than just tuning the piano the way we 
>like it.
>
>Alan Barnard
>Thinking out loud in Salem, MO
>
>
>
>Salem, Missouri
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