stability of pitch raises (Ron's question)

[Paul]

Ron
I do two passes...well...sort of, if the piano is at pitch; if a section
needs to be corrected,  this is done first. Then, one careful pass, then one
to follow correcting as req'd. That's my standard tuning drill. A pitch
correction is an entire pass before the tuning and costs extra, the amount
depending on the state of the piano-$20-40.00.

Paul Chick
----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Nossaman <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2001 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: stability of pitch raises (Ron's question)


> OK folks,
> I got a couple of good responses to the actual question early on, but this
> has once again wandered off into a series of answers not relating to the
> question asked. The question was, and still is:
>
> ************************************************************************
> If folks are habitually doing two pass tunings anyway, and since they're
> probably using an ETD that does pitch raises within a couple of cents of
> dead on in one pass (as we read repeatedly), why would they find it
> necessary to charge anything above the cost of a tuning for a pitch
> adjustment?
> ***********************************************************************
>
> I do, believe me, understand that it takes longer and is more work to do a
> two pass pitch raise and tuning than a one pass tuning. I also understand,
> believe me, that you can't do a substantial (no numbers, just somewhere
off
> pitch) pitch correction as accurately in one pass as in two. That's why I
> didn't ask that particular question - nor am I likely to. I am, in
> practice, an active tuner/technician, and live this stuff on a daily basis
> so I'm quite familiar with the reactions of pianos to pitch adjustments. I
> don't need the sales pitch, I'm merely asking for an explanation answering
> my question. If anyone is interesting in clearing this up for me, please
> read the question again and, if what you habitually do corresponds to the
> question in that you (1) habitually do two pass tunings, (2) tune with an
> ETD, and (3) charge extra for pitch adjustments, I'd like to hear your
> reasoning justifying the extra charge.
>
> I also asked another related question regarding how those who charge for
> pitch adjustments based on how far off pitch the piano is, determine how
> far off pitch the piano is. I still haven't gotten an answer on this one,
> which baffles me. This has gotten so much traffic through the years that I
> was sure I'd get a veritable avalanche of cogent and clever methods from
> those who habitually quote cents deviation in their posts about pitch
> adjustments. How can one compute charges on something they can't define?
>
> Maybe it's just me, but I find honest answers to these sort of simple
> fundamental questions to be far more valuable, as well as far more
> difficult to get, than information on how to get tape residue off of
keytops.
>
> Ron N
>