<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><SPAN class=010262514-08022003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>I agree w/you Otto.  I got calls 3 weeks ago from frantic people = (when it was VERY cold, RH %30's) and now it has warmed up a bit (RH 50%) and the = pianos are only 2-4 cents flat and the customers say it improved a lot over the 3 weeks.  I have several customers with Dampp-Chaser dehumidifiers = (w/o the humidifiers) and the pianos only go way out if it gets very cold/dry(way = below 42%), which is rare here.  I have been tuning pianos about 4 cts = flat here if already flat because of our high RH most of the year.  I think = the consensus has been to hover them around 440 anticipating the = swing.  16cts flat is a lot, though, so either way, the piano will probably be out in = the spring.  </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=010262514-08022003> <P><FONT size=2>Lance Lafargue, RPT<BR>Mandeville, LA<BR>New Orleans = Chapter, PTG<BR>lancelafargue@bellsouth.net<BR>985.72P.IANO</FONT> = </P></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=010262514-08022003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Otto = Keyes<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 05, 2003 9:13 AM<BR><B>To:</B> College and = University Technicians<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: pitch raise<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bob,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Not to open a can of worms on this = list again, but the weather you have recently had has been unusual for your neck = of the woods.  Which is to say that it will probably revert to normal soon.  If you measure the average pitch across the piano, you = will probably find it is much closer than -16 cents.  Particularly in = the practice rooms, and under the abnormal conditions you've been = experiencing, I'd let the pitch float just a bit.  Otherwise, 2-4 weeks down = the road when "normal" temp/humidity levels return, you'll be in the same boat = on the other side of the scale.  Everybody will be howling for tunings, = no budget will be left, the admin. will not be happy, & you may end = up being the fall guy.  Studio & concert instruments are another = story.  I'd talk to the dean, piano faculty, whoever seems to be most = level-headed of the powers that be, explain the situation & make them part of the decision.  If they own the decision, they'll be much more = likely to live with it in contentment, or at least not take it out on = you.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Otto Keyes</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>piano tech - U of Idaho</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=hullfam5@yahoo.com = href="mailto:hullfam5@yahoo.com">Caroline Hull</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 04, = 2003 10:44 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> pitch raise</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <P>At the university where I provide service for fee work, I have = just started my round of tunings for the upcoming second semester.  = I am finding the pitch has dropped an unusual amount since the last = tuning.  For all but the recital hall pianos, the school asks me to tune once = at the beginning of the first semester and again at the beginning of the second.   The pitch on many of them so far has been close = to -16 cents.  (I think the real cold weather we had recently may be = the culprit, with heating units running more and drying things out = more.)</P> <P>Of course this requires at least two full passes and will need a = follow up tuning (which may not be in the budget and therefore may not happen).  I always do two passes anyway even for just a few = cents pitch change but this seems more extreme.   How do other service = for fee techs handle the charges on pitch raise situations like this.  = For my private customers I charge an extra amount for pitch raises of this nature. </P> <P>Bob Hull, RPT</P> <P>Technician for Union University</P> <P>Jackson, TN </P> <P><BR> <HR SIZE=1> Do you Yahoo!?<BR><A = href="http://rd.yahoo.com/mail/mailsig/*http://mailplus.yahoo.com">Yaho= o! 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