To tune or not to tune?

[DGPEAKE@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 4/4/01 7:55:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
pryan2@the-beach.net writes:

<< This week (and it's only Thursday) I have been called out to tune three
 un-tunable (upright) pianos which the owners indicated on the phone  were
 tunable, even though they were 80 to 100 years old.  When I arrived at the
 homes, the pianos were wrecks with the expected rust, corrosion, and rot.
 To these owners, a tuning meant a rebuild.  In each case, I left without
 tuning.  How can I avoid this in the future?  Is there a number of years-old
 that you will not go out for a tuning?  How do I  weed out the tunable
 pianos from the un-tunable pianos on the phone?
 
 Phil Ryan
 Miami Beach, FL
  >>

I do now how much truth there is to it, but it seems to me that because of 
the years of experience as mentioned in my advertisement, I do not get calls 
for the crummy untunable pianos. Many of these customers will look for the 
cheapest price, and when I was the cheapest in my starting years, I would get 
some of these jobs. I even tuned a few and broke a lot of strings. Now after 
20 years, these calls rarely happen. Maybe my higher price (but competitive) 
scares them away.  

I do not necessarily go by how old the piano is.  As far as weeding them out 
over the phone, ask how long it has been since it has been tuned. If they do 
not know, ask them how long they have owned the piano. If it has be 40 years, 
you may advise them of your minumum price which is included in the tuning 
fee. Let them know you will inspect the piano thoroughly and should you find 
it is untunable, your minimum price will take effect.

Hope this helps.

Dave Peake, RPT
Portland Chapter
www.davespianoworks.locality.com