Tuners who don't play

[JIMRPT@aol.com]

William;
 You have addresed a seeming paradox here........
"they will express wonderment that their last tuner (or
one they have heard of) did not play the piano, and ask how one can tune and
not play."
 One might well ask also how one can build an airplane,or help build, and not
be able to fly it. Would you have the person who worked on the flight control
surfaces fly you on your next overseas flight? While it is not necessary that
the person know how to fly, it is necessary that the person know what their
job entails and that they do it well.
   Perhaps the telling part of your question is where you state
"Invariably, they will express wonderment that their last tuner".  This would
seem to indicate that they were not really secure with a tech that did not
play. In the customers mind performing and tuning are not that different from
other musical instruments and therefore the perception is that tuners should
also be players.  After all, with virtually every other instrument the person
who plays it is the person who tunes it.
 The seeming paradox being that while tuners should play,players need not
tune. Would we allow a player to perform on the Cello without tuning it ?, or
the Clarinet ?, or Piccollo ?
  When a tech, who plays, tunes and regulates who are they tuning and
regulating for ? (The tech or their customer?)  Who should the work be for?
Does the tuning,regulating and voicing of a tech who plays jazz primarily,
match the tuning, regulating and voicing of a tech that plays Chopin
primarily ?
  Do I play ? No I don't play the piano.  I do, or did, play the guitar. Do I
find it a hinderance in working as a tech. Not at all, as far as I know. But
it is possible that I have lost customers because I told them that I did not
play.
   An interesting post William I hope you get some more responses.
Jim Bryant (FL)