[pianotech] Restoration: Free for Fame?

[Ron Nossaman]

Don Mannino wrote:
> What an interesting story.
>  
> At some point the producer will perhaps realize that technicians are all 
> very small businesses (i.e., 1 person!) which cannot afford to do 
> multiple weeks worth of work without pay.

That would be nice to believe, but it seems unlikely, somehow. 
Salaried people to a remarkable degree don't understand that 
if the customer isn't paying for the independent's time, he 
doesn't otherwise have a paycheck. It doesn't seem to be that 
tough a concept, but it's amazing to me how seldom it's 
understood.


> Also, who wants national exposure?  So if you get a rush of 20 requests 
> for rebuilds from all over the country, it would be a huge headache.  
> Most shops couldn't accomodate them, and then come all the hassles of 
> servicing out of town rebuilds.

That should be mostly self leveling. Presuming that a couple 
of week's worth of "rebuild" time and materials actually 
generates that response volume, 17 of them will be horrified 
that the price is over a couple of hundred dollars (after all, 
they don't need a "concert quality" instrument), two of them 
will sort of understand, and will get back with you REAL SOON, 
and one will be a doctor from Nigeria who will be thrilled to 
spend any amount if you'll just front him $10k until his 
cashier's check clears. Servicing out of town-state-country 
rebuilds isn't likely to be a real big concern, considering. 
Given that the program was conceived and produced as a means 
for THEM to make money, this doesn't strike me as all that 
unexpected.


> Maybe they will find one of the more production oriented rebuilding 
> shops that could handle doing it.

But if they're making it already, they don't need to play. And 
if they aren't, they can't afford to either.

That's how I read 'em.
Ron N