Pat, I agree with Willem on this one. I find many a piano that has been tuned by a "tooner" that just "played" with the tuning pins as the customer has said they weren't there very long OR it didn't sound a whole lot better when they finished. My philosophy if I have been called to service a piano is -- after checking bridges and overall condition of back and sound board to ribs, bridges to soundboard is to leave the piano at A-440 if the piano is structurally sound. Anything else promotes bad ear training. Anyone calling me for the first time without being referred by a previous customer, gets a long spiel about time it will take for me to complete the service. There are many instruments that I service that may be in serious need of hammer shaping, but if it is a starting student and the parents are not prepared for the extra expense, I will at least make the piano playable, i.e. decent regulation, action free and at A-440! Ken Gerler
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