<html> <body> Lance- Lest there be any doubt, I did not intend my comments to be critical of you.  Rather, they reflect a more generalized frustration.  I completely appreciate your position, have experienced the same, and have not tended to do any better navigating between the desire to help and protect the customer (and myself), and commercial expediencies. A while back, I had been called to tune a small Kawai grand, which had been purchased in a University-type sale.  I seem to recall that there was a grey-market component to this sale.  The piano turned out to have, what I felt to be, some significant negative bearing.  I encouraged the customer to pursue the issue, since the piano was still under a dealer warrantee.  They did, up until the dealer sent another technician who claimed there was no problem, and who, apparently, was successful in undermining my credibility. Bottom line...I think you (we) can provide a certain amount of guidance and support, but, ultimately, it's up to the individual customer to defend and protect their investment.  If your customer had believed you enough (not your fault), it would have been up to them to press their claim to dealer and manufacturer.  As much as you might wish to, you can't protect people from themselves.  As for whether the dealer's response was ethical, it seems that, more and more, the observance of what we would consider to be ethical behavior is determined by the economic bottom line. "It's what you might call...a guideline". Regards- David Skolnik At 05:46 PM 11/21/2004 -0600, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Good point David.  In the past I have openly named brands, but Im not sure its wise.  Constraint is not my usual style.  I am not afraid to loose service business (Im swamped and established) nor really of the dealers.  The manufacturers&. well I just dont want to look like I try to find this stuff ya know?   I just seem to always put my foot where Id rather not have it and this seemed like one of those times.  I caught a lot of grief from the dealer (who is a large one) and the local one too.  I am known in this area for finding problems in pianos and pointing them out to help/protect the buyer/customer.  I have made a lot of enemies I guess because of this.  I am now just starting in the retail business myself and just dont need any added drama   ; ) .  If it helps, the piano in question is neither a Mason, Yamaha, nor Steinway but a foreign lower quality (in my opinion) instrument.   Lance Lafargue, RPT LAFARGUE PIANOS New Orleans Chapter, PTG 985.72P.IANO <a href="mailto:llafargue@charter.net">llafargue@charter.net</a> <a href="http://www.lafarguepianos.com/" eudora="autourl">www.lafarguepianos.com</a>     -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [<a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org" eudora="autourl">mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of David Skolnik Sent: Friday, November 19, 2004 5:23 PM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] back duplex   Lance - While, to some degree, I understand and respect your reluctance to appear to be casting aspersion on a particular brand, it strikes me as somewhat bizarre that, as technicians, we seem to have no qualms about discussing our fee structures (recently on pianotech), but we're afraid to speak directly about our experiences, for fear of offending someone.  We live in fear, either of the customers who won't call back, or the dealers or manufacturers, whom, we seem convinced, are ready to destroy us, professionally, if we complain.   To be sure, you're not alone in this.  What would happen if you just said, "This was a ..."? David Skolnik At 08:28 AM 11/17/2004 -0600, you wrote: I was recently called out to a 7grand with a buzz.  Names and brand will be withheld to reduce my stress level.  It turned out to be the back duplex.  There was so little bearing at the aliquot that the strings could be moved back and fourth with a finger nail.  After much searching, I finally found, (and a local tech who works on these a lot suggested/confirmed) that when the humidity went up, the strings touching the aliquot were raised enough to buzz (at center of piano, around F3).  I called the factory and the tech said, sounds like a bearing problem, plate position problem, etc.  Send it back, well send another.  I did.  Then, when the 2nd piano came in, it had the same bearing problem, so I stopped, did not prep, just called the factory.  The dealer then called a second tech out who threaded a strip of felt through the back duplex to prevent any ringing at all.  What effect does this have on the sound, etc.  I figure, if it was designed to ring, it should.  Was this a good solution and an ethical handling of the customer, who paid around $28,000?  Thanks.    Lance Lafargue, RPT LAFARGUE PIANOS New Orleans Chapter, PTG 985.72P.IANO <a href="mailto:llafargue@charter.net">llafargue@charter.net</a> <a href="http://www.lafarguepianos.com/" eudora="autourl">www.lafarguepianos.com</a>    </blockquote></body> </html>