This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Bill, if they do go with another tech it will probably be with someone = who has no where near your knowledge. Then, when the situation doesn't = improve, you will be vindicated. Small consolation, and it would be = better to find a solution, but I really think that you've done = everything humanly possible (except being in a service, right next to = the pianist and shouting "Not so hard!!!!!!!!!!!") Kevin E. Ramsey ramsey@extremezone.com ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001 7:24 AM Subject: Re: Piano Firing Missiles at Church Congregation WOW!=20 Thanks for all the replies, folks. It's nice to know how willing = people are=20 to help with ideas and opinions. I know I may come off at times like = a "Mr.=20 know-it-all" but really, I only have superficial knowledge and = experience=20 with such things as manufacturing concerns, scale design, etc. = However, I=20 have been around for quite a while and have heard and seen a lot.=20 One thing I noticed early on in my career as a piano technician was = that you=20 can often expect contradictory opinions on virtually any subject. A = couple=20 of things that were new to me and which I had not considered were = counter=20 bearing angles and agraffe damage. Also, the use of the damper pedal = as a=20 factor in string breakage was something I had not really heard of = before.=20 It seems obvious to me that simply weaving some extra and tighter = string=20 braid would keep strings from flying out. Some of the suggestions = about=20 other ways to restrain the strings seemed a bit surprising. I had = always=20 thought of string braid as being principally a mute but I can see that = it=20 could also prevent shooting strings.=20 I agree that the story is comical, at least at first thought but if = someone=20 were to be injured, it could quickly turn to a grim scenario. Another = factor=20 that I did not bring up was that I tried the best I could to get this = church=20 *not* to buy a piano from the particular dealer in question. My = opinion of=20 Young Chang pianos completely aside, the reputation of the dealer as = being=20 the worst of the worst has a lot to do with whether buying any = instrument at=20 all from that source would be advisable.=20 When I visited the dealer I usually do work for, I told him of the = problem=20 just in case the church decides to trade the piano in. This problem = should=20 definitely be known. I can see that if the church does buy a new = piano, it=20 should be specially prepared in order to minimize the possibility of = the=20 problem occurring in a completely different instrument. Still, the = image of=20 a piano coming from *that* dealer now firing scuds at the congregation = is=20 really funny. They got their "good deal" and now they're paying the = price=20 for it.=20 I have not contacted Young Chang yet, I haven't been asked to do so. = The=20 young lady pianist says she wants to talk to the pastor and the = dealer. She=20 doesn't buy my explanation. She thinks I "tightened the strings too = much". =20 She said she saw me working once and it looked to her that I was = "tightening=20 everything really hard".=20 They also haven't paid the bill for the tuning that I did now 30 days = ago=20 even though they had always been prompt before, sometimes even paying = when I=20 completed the job that day. When I left the bill on the desk, I saw = my last=20 invoice sitting there marked, "Hold until next bill." Now, there is = also a=20 bill for replacing two more strings and another string is on order. =20 Yesterday having been Sunday, I can fully imagine that the other = string of=20 the unison that just broke will have broken too. I did tell the girl = that it=20 was likely. She asked why and I again explained to her that it is the = way=20 the piano is played and her reply was that she had a hard time = accepting that.=20 So, that is where it stands now. If they call someone else, I may not = be=20 troubled by the problem anymore but I can also see that I may be the = one whom=20 everyone blames for the problem. The dealer is certainly capable of = that. =20 That *unequal* temperament I tune caused the problem, he might say and = you=20 can be sure that it will be believed.=20 I'll let you all know what transpires.=20 Bill Bremmer RPT=20 Madison, Wisconsin=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/fe/cb/4e/d1/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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