Broadwood tuning

[Diane Hofstetter]

Les,

In a 13,000 sq.ft. house you might run into everything--or nothing--that's 
BIG!

Seriously though, you might run into everything--or nothing with the 
Broadwood.  Did she tell you why she didn't have "the last guy" back?  
Everything you say suggests that she will not be an easy customer to deal 
with. The local company screwed it up--she needed to bring in a "Broadwood 
expert"?   Are you the next "local guy" who will be responsible for all her 
woes in regard to her paino?

Nor does it sound like an easy piano, for that matter.  Any piano that has 
"been rebuilt" and is not being tuned by the guy who rebuilt it, is a red 
flag for me.  A piano that "has been rebuilt twice" is even more suspect.

Some of the worst customers I ever worked for had "beautiful antique pianos" 
in expensive homes.  After our earthquake, one lady went after her insurance 
company for the century-old soundboard cracks in her rosewood Knabe from the 
early 1800's.

Another had us in to appraise her antique piano for re-refinishing.  The 
"other guy" did such a "dreadful job".  We looked it over pretty carefully, 
all the while listening to her tale of woe about his refinishing and how she 
was going to sue him, when all of a sudden I noticed a red piece of felt 
glued on top of one of the plate struts near where the lid prop went down.  
I pulled it off and --- -lo and behold!--- a nice large crack in the strut!  
Had we bid on the refinishing job and moved it to our shop, guess who would 
have been sued for that?!

So--if it were me, I would tread very carefully.
Diane


Diane Hofstetter


----Original Message Follows----
From: "Leslie Bartlett" <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net>
Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 11:30:25 -0500

A lady called today saying she has an 1860's Broadwood which she wants
tuned. Says the last guy who tuned it did so to "military pitch".....
What's that pray, tell?    If I do this thing, would tuning it at A=430 be a
safe thing to do?  I don't know enough about these old things to even
venture a safe guess. She said it was rebuilt twice, as the first "local
piano company" screwed it up and she had to get a "Broadwood expert" to redo
the whole thing. About $20K with no casework.  It is kept presently in a
house which is only sporadically air conditioned.  It isn't her "regular
home" of course.  They can't afford to keep it cooled since it is a "second
home" long time in the family............  13,000 square feet.    So, I
dread to think what I might run into.

Info would be appreciated, and info on tuning a harmonium as well.
Thanks
les bartlett
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