Tuning Prices

[pianoman]

----------
> From: A440A@aol.com
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re:  RE: Tuning Prices
> Date: Wednesday, August 27, 1997 1:39 PM
> 
> Prices?  
>       The FTC enforces the laws governing  restriction of trade,
monopolies,
> and price fixing.  As long as I don't encourage others to either lower or
> raise their prices, or enter into collusion to effect the same,  I am not
> guilty of any illegal activity.  From this standpoint, Big Brother can go
> take a hike!  I hope we are not so intimidated by our government that we
> cannot communicate the details of our business. 
>       In Nashville, the stores offer tunings that are around $55,  some
of
> the private technicians here are starving while they hope to attract
> customers with a $35 price, ( but I so often hear of them also telling
every
> customer that they get that "much more work is needed". )  I know of
three
> independants that charge $75 for tuning, and one that has recently moved
to
> $80.   
>      My tuning fees are 
> 1) recording studios that are regular customers   $88 ( even if I am in
every
> day)
> 2) private homes that are regular customers   $ 95
> 3) First time visits are usually 50% more, ( I like to tighten & clean
pianos
> before I tune them for the first time) 
> 4) Rough tuning for pitch raises are charged at $1.00 per minute ($ 60
per
> hour ) and usually take 20 minutes. 
> 5)  The school tuning, ( at Vanderbilt) is $65 each ( I only tune the
concert
> instruments now, and they are often tuned two or three times a week)
> 
> I was recently in a rural area, in the deep south, where there is really
only
> one tuner in the region,  he charges $90 for anything, grands or spinets,
and
> he is usually booked 3 weeks to a month in advance, doing four pianos a
day! 
> 
> I would be curious to hear from others as well.  
> Regards, 
> Ed Foote
> Precision Piano Works 
> Nashville, Tn
Dear list,
When I started out here in St. Louis in June of 1962 tuning prices charged
by Aeolian Co. of Mo. was $10.00 in the city and $12.00 in St. Louis
County.  I wonder what the current interpolation would be for the inflation
we have had since then.  I earned $1.25/hr in their piano shop starting out
and the established fellows were making $125.00 per week.  When I quit them
in 1972 I was making $3.60 /hr and left to rebuild pianos for a used piano
dealer for $5.00 /hr and thought I was really stepping out.  How times
change.
James Grebe
RPT from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com
> 
>