Hello List I was referred by a tech to a lady in northwest Houston, to tune her rather nice looking Story & Clark grand. I played a single note, and let out a moan. Then, thinking I shouldn't be so negative, I stripped up the piano, and proceeded to tune a note or three. The "A-440" was high, about three beats. From there things got very bad, indeed. Perhaps one in three pins WAS tight enough to hold a pitch, the others a lost cause, many notes being as far as a major sixth flat. I showed the lady how I pulled a note above pitch, got her to count the beats, then slowly released the hammer. Beats slowed down, then sped up again. The music desk on this piano was on backward, using a piano hinge on its "front edge" as its only support. The piano had been sprayed with lacquer and rosewood stain, the plate sprayed gold. This lady had answered an ad, and upon arrival at the man's place of "businesss" was told the original piano was not available, but he could let her have this one for $2500. He delivered it, then said he'd come back at a later time to tune it................... She's tried for a year to locate the guy, who, according to another local, does this kind of thing regularly, then changes location and phone number. I did suggest super-glue and driving pins might offer some hope for the short-term, but asked if she had a friend who was a lawyer. There still is room in my life for amazement at the depths to which some people will sink to steal a dollar from innocent people. les bartlett houston ___________________________________________________________________ Why pay more to get Web access? Try Juno for FREE -- then it's just $9.95/month if you act NOW! Get your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.
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