Etiquette and charm can win a world of hurt.  No matter how elequent the tech sells the job, if his skills don't make the grade, they're (the customer) stuck with what they get!  I've seen this many times out in Washington where a tooner claimed to be a certified examiner, won many a job when he wasn't even certified, nor in the Guild.  It is our responsibility to keep these folks "in line" with who is who.  I don't mention names, but some on the list will certainly know who I'm talking about.  They make the rest of us look bad, but, how do we "police" it? Many folks just lie with a smile on their face.   Every trade has these jokers and the consumer pays the price.  I know several used car dealers who are really good and honest, but their stereotype is fixed! Certainly, we must support faculty in decisions, but if they're uneducated, it is our job to educate them!  It's a hard row to hoe, but it must be done.  I realize that we are too late in this situation, but consistant reminders to said "persons who made the decision" need to be done.  How to reach these people is another tough row.... Going home now...The Husker Red Steinway is on the way...pics later...Have a great weekend, everyone (if you get one....I do this time!) Paul <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td width=40%>"Ed  Sutton" <ed440@mindspring.com> Sent by: caut-bounces@ptg.org 09/26/2008 04:53 PM <table border> <tr valign=top> <td bgcolor=white> <div align=center>Please respond to Ed  Sutton <ed440@mindspring.com>; Please respond to College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org></div></table> <td width=59%> <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>To</div> <td>"College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>cc</div> <td> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>Subject</div> <td>Re: [CAUT] Bass end "rattle" on S&S "D" Being prepped for        BrickmanConcert SOLVED! Question about Steinway Rebuilder</table> <table> <tr valign=top> <td> <td></table> </table> Mike-   Remember, in your dealings with the school, that someone there made the decision to have this guy rebuild the piano. When you criticize the piano, you are also questioning the judgement of the person who made the decision. Too heavy an attack on the rebuilder will be felt as an attack on the faculty who advocated for him.   Ed Sutton ----- Original Message ----- From: <a href=mailto:IFixPianos@yahoo.com>Michael Magness</a> To: <a href=mailto:pianotech@ptg.org>Pianotech List</a> ; <a href=mailto:caut@ptg.org>caut@ptg.org</a> Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 9:26 AM Subject: [CAUT] Bass end "rattle" on S&S "D" Being prepped for BrickmanConcert SOLVED! Question about Steinway Rebuilder Many thanks to all for your excellent and timely advice.  It turned out to be the very first suggestion from Ed Foote amplified by suggestions from Fred Sturm. I was still convinced it was a rib/soundboard problem so I used the palette knife test from underneath as Ed Sutton had described but could find no loose areas anywhere. That test will remain in my arsenal for the future however. I climbed out from underneath and probed with the long palatte knife under the bridge and there was that opening, I placed a wedge, played the notes and voila, no more rattle. I removed the wedge added a drop of Franklin's hide glue and replaced it and was done for the morning. I was scheduled to return at 3:30 to "touchup" the tuning after sound check. I arrived on time and sat for almost 3 hours waiting, Brickman didn't arrive until after 5 and then was unhappy with the tone of the piano through the tenor section. I had pre-tuned the piano Wed. afternoon using a concert tuning giving it plenty of stretch in the upper end which gave it a brighter sound in the treble and with the strong bass of the D made the tenor sound muffled by comparison. He was complaining about that throughout the sound check. His tech guy came over and told me he prefers Yamaha's and that was the real problem. There was some mention that it was a Hamburg D by the theatre manager, my Steinway knowledge isn't that strong, I wouldn't know how to tell.   I didn't tell him that I had told the people at the school that the piano was in very poor regulation, aftertouch of .060"+, hammers checking very low, repitition springs tight, 25+ swings on the few random hammerflanges I checked and more. While I was prepping the piano, prep being rough tuning, hunting for the rattle and fine tuning it on Wed., that was all they wanted/allowed me to do, there was a meeting at which it was decided I should only tune, not do any "tech" work. It was explained to me that the pianos had been rebuilt by their "Steinway rebuilder" who had given them a warranty and he would be called for the tech work.   The link below is an article about him and his rebuilding work for the school. If you google his name, some other articles and his website come up. He is not a PTG member, I don't believe he ever has been, note the self-taught quote. To my knowledge he has no contact with any techs, at least in this area, none in our chapter. With the exception of John Sheldach, who left his employ to work as a piano tech in the LaCrosse, WI area and was my predecessor at the school in question, before following his fiance to her new job in Madison, WI about 150 miles away <a href=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3652/is_200009/ai_n8910061>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3652/is_200009/ai_n8910061</a>   I would be very interested to know if anyone knows this Steinway rebuilder or of him outside our little area.   Mike - I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile. Walter Chrysler Michael Magness Magness Piano Service 608-786-4404 <a href=http://www.ifixpianos.com/ target=_blank>www.IFixPianos.com</a> email <a href=mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com target=_blank>mike@ifixpianos.com</a>