Well said, Conrad. Paul Chick ----- Original Message ----- From: Conrad Hoffsommer <hoffsoco@martin.luther.edu> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2001 9:33 PM Subject: Re: Under an hour tuning (was labor rates) > Terry, > > At 19:39 08/04/2001 -0400, you wrote: > >"Concert pianos on stages and console pianos in living rooms are not the same > >kinds of instruments. I know, for example that when I am going to tune a > >Steinway grand in someone's home, the time I spend will be much more, maybe > >even double." > > > >Is that because a Steinway grand is harder to tune? Do you charge 50% for > >the console? I don't understand your policy here. Please clarify. If my > >auto mechanic did a significantly better tune-up on my neighbor's new > >Lexus than on my 18-year-old car, I would not be happy with him/her at > >all. Is this what is going on here? > > > >Terry Farrell > > > What we've got going here is an example of the law of diminishing returns. > > You can tune your favorite console or spinet over and over again, but there > comes a time when continued effort ceases to produce continued > improvement. {Flogging a dead horse quickly comes to mind with some...} > > Working on a good quality grand is both easier and harder. If you are an > aural tuner you know that what you need to hear is easier to hear, but this > also means that any inaccuracies which may creep in _also_ are easier to > hear. > > What to do... ? > > The best you can on the instrument in front of you, of course!!! That's > what they pay you to do. > > If your old car has worn valves and maybe uneven compression, your mechanic > can do the best job possible with timing, new sparkplugs, etc, but it's > still going to idle/run uNevEnly. Were you cheated because your 18yr old > car doesn't run as smoothly as that new Lexus? I don't think so... > > > Conrad Hoffsommer - Decorah, IA (563)-382-8525 > > Usually I try to take it one day at a time, but lately several have > attacked me at once... >
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