Who needs piano technicians? Duffer?

[Barrie Heaton]

In article <3A61A7E5.CBB21825@grieg.uib.no>, Richard Brekne 
<Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no> writes
>>
>> We can pick the email to death but in the end it is down to personal
>> interpretation.
>
>THAT, Barrie... is exactly my point.
>
>> Kind Regards
>>
>> Barrie,
>>
>
>Hope all is well... btw... perhaps you could alliviate some head scratching I have
>been
>doing these past couple days... I am wondering how your recent comments about
>the "straw
>repair" of hammer shanks fits in with your apparent definition of a piano tech as
>anyone who
>advertises in the YP ?

Not a definition just a simplistic way of counting how many are 
advertising their service as a piano techs and who wish to belong to a 
body and who do not - it could  be said just because they do not 
advertise letters after there name  does not mean that they are not part 
of a body.  So the count is not an accurate one unless you have 
membership registers at hand.

As to straws  for a fix :-) I can not see the point on an upright piano 
given the fact that the correct way is not difficult,  over time 
consuming or materially expensive. However, I can see on grands when 
this type of repair could be useful for a _temp  fix_ when a suitable 
shank is not at hand, but there would be those  who would say no to this 
as well.  It is all down to the tech'a personal outlook.

25 years ago if you turned up at most workshops in the UK with an ETA 
you would have been sent packing and as for CPL that was a hanging 
offence  both are looked on differently today, ETA's are still frowned 
on in some quarters.  As for CPL the jury is still out on that one. 
Personally I prefer to re-centre (repin). I do use  CPL  on a particular 
type of Birdcage piano (spring and loop actions) not that I do many of 
them these days as most have been shipped to the US  as "antiques".

I do know were you are leading to and yes the above  is taking to quote 
myself " holy than thou attitude" however, this is across the board and 
is not just a swipe at none members nor is it saying if you  become a 
member you are a better tech, which is just not true, you have to want 
to learn and part of that is to go to classes.

True also, I could have worded my original  reply differently however, I 
have seen so much hard work done in the UK by ABPT, PTA and IMIT 
undimmed  by members coming out with statements along the lines of "if 
you and not a member then you will never make a good tech"  and I do 
know it happens in the US as well it just bugs me.



Take care

Regards

Barrie,







-- 
Barrie Heaton      PGP key on request           http://www.a440.co.uk/
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