This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Thanks for responding Wim. It helps us with less experience to get an = idea what we can shoot for, with regard to time spent on tasks. I have a = few comments below. I have been tuning for just over 3 years, and = rebuilding part time for 2. Time & practice, that's all it takes, time = & practice! =20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Wimblees@AOL.COM=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 8:58 AM Subject: Re: recommendations for piano buyer In a message dated 7/18/01 5:15:59 AM Central Daylight Time,=20 mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com writes:=20 All by yourself? Or do you have employees, or sub out most of the = work?=20 Please help me. I'm getting overwhelmed by a feeling of inadequacy = right=20 about now.=20 Terry Farrell =20 It depends on what you call "all by your self." Tunings I do all by my = self.=20 My wife does tune, but at the most 3 pianos a week. Most weeks she = only tunes=20 one, and she'll go 2 or 3 weeks without a tuning. Now that I don't = have a=20 store any more, I set my own appointments (my business phone is = forwarded to=20 my cell phone during the day, so I have very few calls to make at home = in the=20 evening.). In the evening I do my own paper work.=20 I guess it is the rebuilding that gets you.=20 - Yes. I don't do my own refinishing. I=20 contract that out. I don't make my own bass strings, or bore my own = hammers.=20 But the rest I do myself.=20 I schedule three or four days a week for tunings, then the other days = in the=20 shop. (sometimes I do a combination of shop and tunings, it just = depends on=20 who wants their piano tuned on what day). I do work 10 hour days, and = most=20 Saturdays. Now that I don't' have a store any more, I only work 2 = Saturdays a=20 month.=20 - That still only leaves you 10 to 15 days to rebuild a piano. = That's moving! I tend to spend my first day just staring at the hulk = wondering where to start. Then I need to shop and buy a major tool that = I need. Then I need to build a table or major jig to do the job, etc., = etc. It will be nice some day when I have most of my stuff together and = operational. I am known to be a very fast worker. My employees, (when I had them) = and=20 colleagues in the business, are amazed at how much I get done in a = day. It=20 generally takes me about 45 minutes to tune a piano. - Ouch, that hurts. Takes me 75 to 90 minutes to do a good two-pass = tuning on a decent piano. Sometimes more on junk. I usually schedule a = tuning every two hours when I do not anticipate the need for pitch = raises. I can string a piano in=20 about 6-8 hours. I'm blazing through a piano in about 20 hours. That's with the pin block in, and everything ready to go.=20 But it does include tightening the coils, tapping the hitch pins and = bridges,=20 and one chip tuning. If I have time, and I'm up to it physically, I = can even=20 hang a set of dampers and give the piano a tuning before I quit for = the day.=20 - Jeesh! I hope I didn't overwhelm you, - You do, but that is OK. but, yes, it is possible to bring in the kind=20 of money I mentioned. But you have to work very hard to be able to do = that.=20 The other thing is, I love my job. - Ditto. Occasionally, as I am tuning a lousy=20 spinet, I think about doing something else. But then when I get done, = and the=20 customer thanks me for making here piano sound beautiful, I get over = that=20 feeling, and happily go on to my next appointment.=20 - Sounds like you got it made dude!!! :-) Wim=20 Thanks for the chat. Terry Farrell ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/4e/01/6b/95/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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