Crap...I will charge whatever the heck I want to tune a square piano or a birdcage. All they have to do is call someone...hopefully. Don't you dare say that is somehow unethical... Wim, you are working whenever and on whatever you can because of necessity. Where do you get off saying it is not OK to charge more than the normal rate because you don't want to work on it? David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: wimblees at aol.com To: Pianotech at PTG.org Received: 9/9/2009 11:32:45 AM Subject: [pianotech] Mental trauma, was Bluthner birdcage >A pain in the tushy. I charge by the hour (an elevated hourly rate that compensates >me for the pain and suffering as well as the mental trauma associated with this type >of work). Same thing for square grands.? >? >Terry Farrell? >All of the suggestions tuning the "over dampers" are great. But I have a problem >with what Terry just said. >Why charge an elevated hourly rate because of?"pain and suffering" and "mental >trauma"?? Where do you draw the line between what causes?"pain and suffering" >and normal and usual work".??Define "mental trauma", as related to working on >pianos. I'm sorry, but we are piano technicians, supposedly capable of working on >any type of piano. This would include uprights, spinets, squares, and "birdcages". >It's one thing to tell a customer "I can't work on this instrument".?but it is not OK >to?charge more than the normal rate because you don't' want to work on it.?Yes, it >is going to take longer to tune?an overdamper and a square, and you are entitled to >charge?for the extra time it takes. But we shouldn't charge more than your regular >hourly rate, just because?it causes "mental trauma". Hell. I hate working on spinet >dampers.?It's literally a?pain in the back, and I'm ready to tear my hair out. But >that's my problem. The customer should not be punished for it. >Wim >-----Original Message----- >From: Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com> >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Sent: Tue, Sep 8, 2009 11:07 pm >Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bluthner birdcage >Thanks for the pics Rob. I've tuned a few English birdcages - never a Bluthner. On >the English birdcages I loosen the top anchor bolts for the action (or however the >action top is attached to the plate). Then I simply (or not, as the case often is) tip >the action forward to move my mutes, push the action back, tune the string, tip >action forward, move mute, push action back, tune string, etc.? >? >A pain in the tushy. I charge by the hour (an elevated hourly rate that compensates >me for the pain and suffering as well as the mental trauma associated with this type >of work). Same thing for square grands.? >? >Terry Farrell? >? >On Sep 9, 2009, at 4:03 AM, Rob McCall wrote:? >? >> Greetings,? >>? >> I just wanted to share a first for me. I've heard many on the list > talk of birdcage >actions, overdampers, etc. but I've never > experienced one... that is, until >tonight.? >>? >> I had an evening appointment with a very important client. She's > very >connected with the local music community and a recommendation > from her can go >a long way towards enhancing my career. So, I > already felt a slight modicum of >pressure.? >>? >> Anyway, I walk in and I find a beautiful black upright. It's away > from the >windows and not under any vents. It looks well taken care > of. We chat and I find >out this piano used to belong to a famous > opera singer from Germany. It was >purchased by her grandmother and > eventually shipped from Germany over to the >US and finally ends up > where I find it... So, I open the top lid, check the serial >number > (75256) and find out it was built in 1908.? >>? >> When I removed the front panel, I'm sure I was screaming > internally. I'd just >laid eyes on what I knew had to be the > notorious birdcage. It looked like prison >bars to me. :-) I won't > go into too many details, but the piano tuned beautifully, >other > than a few loose tuning pins that are just barely holding on at the > >moment. We agreed to address these later... When I started tuning, > it was less >than 3 cents off and it hadn't been tuned in about a year.? >>? >> I have a question... How the heck do you guys mute this thing? > Other than >what I ended up doing which was to use a single mute and > work my way up (from >the tenor break), and then down (below the > break). It seems like it was designed >to make it as hard as possible > to reach anything other than the tuning pin. Any >tips or techniques > will be welcomed with open arms.? >>? >> Well, the end result was that she ended up happy, the piano sounded > beautiful, >and I needed a drink. :-)? >>? >> Here's a couple of photos of the Bluthner. It was really in > excellent condition. >Ivory keys were all intact, too.? >>? >> Regards,? >>? >> Rob McCall? >> Murrieta, CA? >>? >> <Bluthner.jpg>? >>? >> <Bluthner 2.jpg>? >?
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