[pianotech] Striving for the "wow" factor, was Re: Exams discussion - Odd?

[David Love]

Thanks for the lecture on how I should approach tuning but what makes you think I don’t verify aurally?  I’ve stated pretty clearly where I think ETDs are strong and where they need to be watched.  If you have any doubt there’s a lengthy essay on my website which outlines my position with respect to aural versus ETD tuning.  Try reading it, you might learn something.  I’m under no illusion about “how good my ETD is”.  Really.  

 

My comments should not be read, as you imply, that I simply dismiss certain pianos and do a half assed job.  Rather, I’m realistic about the limits of certain pianos and how much I’m willing to pound my head against the wall trying to extract that last bit of perfection that can’t be found anyway.  That should not be read to mean that I don’t do the best job possible on every piano in the amount of time given.  However, experience has taught me that on some pianos one should weigh cost/benefit.  Yes, I could spend an extra hour on a Winter spinet experimenting and trying to find the best compromises for piss poor scaling and charge the customer double.  But I doubt the owners of these pianos would approve of that and also doubt that the difference would be noticeable.     

 

The truth be known, if I know it’s a Winter or Lester spinet or a host of other pianos I can think of that haven’t been tuned in 5-10 years, I probably refer it to someone else.   I figure I only have so many tunings in me in any given week and so I pick and choose where I want to put my energy.  There is an expression, I believe.  It has to do with making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.  

 

 

David Love

www.davidlovepianos.com

 

From: tnrwim at aol.com [mailto:tnrwim at aol.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 7:52 PM
To: davidlovepianos at comcast.net; pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Striving for the "wow" factor, was Re: Exams discussion - Odd?

 

There are two comments I want to make, David, about your remark.

First, perhaps the "wow" that you're thinking of isn't same I'm thinking of. No matter how good you think your ETD is, you should verify the tuning aurally. If you do, you might discover a slight variation between what the ETD told and what your ear tells. You can then say. "wow, I didn't know the piano could sound this much better".

 

The second comment is, if not a Winter spinet, then what piano deserves a "wow" tuning? Where do you draw the line in determining which piano needs extra care? That is why I tune every piano the same. Yes, there will be some that will have a lot of wild strings, etc. but I've got to give even that piano my best shot.





Wim


Sent from my iPhone


On May 14, 2012, at 8:46 AM, "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net> wrote:

I don't strive for the wow factor on winter spinets and I think I'm doing my job. There's a practical reality.

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
(sent from bb)

  _____  

From: tnrwim at aol.com 

Sender: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org 

Date: Mon, 14 May 2012 14:43:02 -0400 (EDT)

To: <pianotech at ptg.org>

ReplyTo: pianotech at ptg.org 

Subject: [pianotech] Striving for the "wow" factor, was Re: Exams discussion - Odd?

 

 

OK, enough with the "wow" factor. Where would you use such tunings ?
 
Symphonies, maybe, BUT, the piano is only one instrument in the rest of them.
 
For the average Joe like me, that tunes for home owners - who usually new to old 
beaters, and churches, who almost 
never, have solos anymore - they are in some sort of a praise band.
 
So, the "wow" factor must be for those "elite" customers - who really give a 
damn about how a piano sounds - Right ?
 
Which I would probably refuse to tune for them............
 
Just sayin'
 
-- 
Duaine Hechler

Duaine

 

If you're not striving for a "wow" factor when you tune even a Winter spinet or a beat up old upright, then you're not doing your job. As Will said, I tune pianos for my satisfaction. If it makes the customer happy, that's a side benefit. And hopefully she will recommend me to her friends and relatives, because that's how I built my customer base. But if the piano doesn't satisfy my ear, then I've not done a good job. And it's amazing how well even the Winter spinet can sound when it's in tune. 

 

Now, if you don't care about building a tuning clientele, and all you're interested in is repairing player pianos and pump organs, then that's your choice. But don't degrade those of us for whom tuning is an honored and respected profession, and who take pride in our work. 

 

Speaking of players and pump organs. I'm glad you're still interested in doing this kind of work, because there are fewer and fewer old player pianos left, and it is a dying profession. As much as the PTG would like to offer more classes and articles on those instruments, like any other product, if there is limited demand, it's not going to get featured. By the same token, while we respect your abilities to do your work, and don't question your reasons for doing it, please respect the work aural tuners do, and don't question, much less degrade, their work. 

Wim

 

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