Amateur Tech

[Farrell]

I think I would have done exactly what you did. I would certainly feel the
need to state that many procedures she may wish to do could have nasty
consequences if she does not go about it properly. I would also recommend
that she retain professional services to do these things. Then after all
that, I would sell her the bridle straps and whatever else she needs, wish
her luck, and be happy that I met a customer's needs.

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <Tvak@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 11:19 PM
Subject: No Subject


> I got a call from a lady this week.  She had a 1923 Wurlitzer player
piano.
> She informed me that the piano needed new bridle straps, and that many of
the
> hammer butt springs were not in place,but she wanted to do the work
herself
> and asked me if I would sell her some bridle straps, and if there was a
tool
> she could buy to get the butt springs back in place.  Also, there were
also
> several keys that she could not depress or play, and needed someone to fix
> them for her.  So I made an appointment to come out and fix the "frozen"
> keys.
> I found it unusual that a client would know the correct terminology for
> various parts of the action.  When I came to look at the piano, I found
she
> had a copy of the REBLITZ book on piano repair. She was absolutely correct
in
> that the piano needed new bridle straps and that several hammer butt
springs
> were not in place.  I repositioned the hammer butt springs for her.  The
> "frozen" keys were a result of the jacks being lodged under the hammer
butts
> (she had removed and then replaced the action with many broken bridle
straps,
> resulting in the jacks being lodged there) so I tripped them out into
their
> correct position, thereby "fixing" them.  I then quoted her a price on
> replacing the bridle straps, but she was very interested in doing the
bridle
> straps herself.  So I decided to sell her a set of bridle straps, and
showed
> her how to go about removing the old bridle straps and install a new set
of
> cork-tipped bridle straps.  I charged her for the work I had done and for
the
> set of bridle straps and went home.  (She had also, by the way, replaced
the
> old felt front key rail punchings with new felt purchased at a fabric
store,
> cutting them into circles and punching holes in them herself!  Quite the
> self-starter.)
>
> My question regards the ethics of this situation.  Having only been in the
> newsgroup about 3 months now, I have come to respect the opinions of so
many
> of you---what is your collective take on this situation?  Should I have
> refused to supply her with the bridle straps?  She could easily break a
> wippen flange, or a jack.  Then again, she'd call me to come fix it for
her.
> I don't know...I'm just curious as to what any of you might have done in
this
> situation.
>
> Tom S.
> Chicago Area
>