stability of pitch raises (Ron's question)

[David Love]

Ron:

I would not say the ETD eliminates the work of a pitch raise.  Rather, it
helps to calculate the overpull so that when you are done it is within a few
cents and the fine tuning requires little further change in pitch, though
not less work to fine tune.  The extra charge is for the extra time involved
in the pitch raise itself, it is not a punitive charge.

Everyone talks about how fast they can do a tuning/pitch raise.  I can do it
very fast too if I have to, but I don't feel the need to break my arm to
prove it to anyone just so that I can charge them less.  My fee is based, to
some degree, on what time frame the job should be completed in at a
reasonable pace.  If I work a little faster or slower I don't adjust the fee
accordingly.  Flat rating, I believe is the term.  For tuning I think it is
a fair way to operate.  Other more complex procedures may have different
requirements.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: September 02, 2001 8:32 PM
Subject: Re: stability of pitch raises (Ron's question)


> >    OK, Ron. I'll try this again.
> >
> > 1).   I habitually do two pass tunings, ( usually because the piano is
off
> >more than 3 or 4 cents from concert pitch.) But! I don't always find it
> >necessary to do so, nor do I charge extra for two passes on pianos on
which
> >the customer is really interested in maintaining.
> >
> >2). Yes, I use an ETD for almost all pitch raises, but I will do some
> >aurally, kind of as a test, just to keep my ears sharp. When the fancy
> >strikes me.
> >
> >3).On the other hand, I will not hesitate to charge extra for serious
> >neglect. Otherwise I am encouraging the future neglect of the instrument,
> >and doing extra work without compensation. After all, why should I charge
> >the same on an instrument which hasn't been tuned in ten years, as one I
see
> >regularly.
>
> That's more like what I was after with my question. With so many ETD users
> citing the effortless and supremely accurate pitch raise as a benefit for
> using an ETD, and at the same time saying they habitually did two pass
> tunings, while charging extra for pitch corrections, I was looking for
some
> sort of rational justification for the extra charge when it didn't seem,
by
> the users' reports, to involve substantially more work. A punitive charge
> for neglect is what it seems to render down to, which adequately answers
my
> question.
>
> Thanks for the response,
>
> Ron N