As others have posted, it really isn't your problem. You sound like me. I
know I get to emotionally involved. I would hate to get an unexpected bill
for several hundred dollars. So I want to try to mitigate it to the
customer. But then I remind myself I have children to feed.
They are stuck. Their $10k piano won't play and it is getting worse. You
are there to help them, not take advantage of them. The trick is to not let
the situation take advantage of you in the process. You have to quote the
price and be willing to walk away. I've had to walk away from an action
bracket job only once. But unless you have the resolve to walk away it is
somehow communicated to the customer and you won't be able to get your
price. I don't know how, but it is. It is one of the key secrets to selling:
BE WILLING TO WALK AWAY. IT ISN'T YOUR PROBLEM.
The other key is to be confident of your professionalism and honesty: what
you are quoting is not out of line, it is consistent with the industry and
your level of expertise, and that you really are being totally honest and up
front. This list has helped my tremendously on this point. On it I find out
that other techs encounter the same problems and slog through them
substantially like I do, that there isn't a magic voodoo tech out there that
can change these brackets, regulate and put the piano like new for only
$49.95. Through this list you are now armed with the information that it is
standard industry protocol (because of its necessity) that a very thorough
regulation (6-10 hours) is required in replacing these brackets. There are
no short cuts.
Dean
Dean W May (812) 235-5272
PianoRebuilders.com (888) DEAN-MAY
Terre Haute IN 47802
_____
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Matthew Todd
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:48 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] YC brackets
Hi Dean,
How in the heck do you get a customer to pay for a complete regulation in
this situation? Young Chang pays you $200, but that is pocket change
compared to a complete regulation/repairs, etc.
TODD PIANO WORKS
Matthew Todd, Piano Technician
(979) 248-9578
<http://www.toddpianoworks.com/> http://www.toddpianoworks.com
--- On Fri, 4/23/10, Dean May <deanmay at pianorebuilders.com> wrote:
From: Dean May <deanmay at pianorebuilders.com>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] YC brackets
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Date: Friday, April 23, 2010, 12:32 AM
Contact person at Young Chang: John Chang, and can be reached at
866-798-6979, ext. 144 Jchang at ycapiano.com
All action brackets are dimensionally the same except for the foot length of
the middle brackets. The outside brackets are all the same. So measure your
middle brackets and count how many you need (some are 2, some are 3).
End bracket: a little over 8 inches (205 mm)
Long middle bracket: 6 5/8 inches (170 mm)
Short middle bracket: 5 3/4 inches (140 mm)
Count on doing a completely complete regulation.
Young Chang North America
19060 S Dominguez Hills Dr
Rancho Dominguez CA 90220
866-798-6979
Dean
Dean W May (812) 235-5272
PianoRebuilders.com (888) DEAN-MAY
Terre Haute IN 47802
_____
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of pmc033 at earthlink.net
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:06 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] YC brackets
Hi, Les:
I've done a bunch of these. Be careful getting the action out, since
the hammers may be up too high to clear the pinblock. If the drop screws
bury into the pinblock, you may have to break/cut the brackets. Usually the
glide bolts are set to raise the frame quite a bit, so you may be able to
raise the bolts if necessary to release the action. The replacement
procedure is pretty easy, but you'll have to set the spread using calipers
or whatever. The newer model YC's spread is 113.5mm, but I can't recall
which serial #'s those are. You can call the service dept. and ask for
their advice. Check your resource guide for their number, as I don't have
it handy. You should be able to get the brackets for free, and they will
offer some compensation, but it's not much. You'll have to charge the
customer for re-regulating the piano, especially if you had to move the
glide bolts to get the action out. You'll need some longer screws to mount
the stack, since the new bracket feet will be taller than the old ones.
Just plug and redrill. Often, a previous technician has adjusted the letoff
buttons to compensate for blocking hammers. Most likely you'll be screwing
all the letoff dowels back up quite a ways to get the action to work again.
It's not hard. If you can regulate an action, it's a piece of cake.
Good luck and have fun.
Paul McCloud
San Diego
----- Original Message -----
From:
<http://us.mc838.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net>
Leslie Bartlett
To: <http://us.mc838.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=pianotech@ptg.org>
pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: 04/22/2010 6:09:50 AM
Subject: [pianotech] YC brackets
I would appreciate hearing from someone with a good bit of experience with
YC bracket replacement. I did ONE several years ago, with only modest
success. Its been a very long time since I have seen this piano, and am
not even sure the action will come out. Im in need of sage advice.
Thanks,
Les Bartlett
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