SOJ

[Ron Nossaman]

Speaking Of Junk, ethics, misunderstandings, and general qualifications for
buying, owning, tuning, repairing, and rewhatevering pianos, I got another
dose today.

When the lady called (referral), she said she needed two pianos tuned, a
Hardman console and an old upright that had been "completely rebuilt".
After the usual phone frisking and disclaimers, she assured me that it had
indeed been completely rebuilt. With tongue firmly between teeth, I
scheduled her for late morning today.

Finally finding the place in an area the maps don't believe in, I decided
to look at the upright first. Beautiful thing, from across the room.
Clearing off the top and lifting the lid revealed exactly what I had
assumed I would find just like 95% of all the previous times I'd bitten the
bullet and gone out to look at "completely rebuilt" old uprights, so I said
"AHA"! "Is that a good, or bad AHA", she asked, so I showed her. New bridle
straps, filed hammers (worn to the moldings in the treble), new keytops
(not filed or notched to fit the key), and a refinished case. That's it for
the total rebuild. The rest of the piano was original, though the dust had
somehow gotten blown out before it could be sprayed over. Moved in an
uncovered truck, I expect. I pointed out the extremely dead bass, double
striking hammers, rattly action, and split out treble bridge. I explained
that this is why I tend to become argumentative over the phone with folks
who call in telling me that an old upright is in wonderful condition and
has just been "completely rebuilt". I declined to tune it, since what it
needed was rebuilt, very possibly completely rebuilt - only more so. She
understood, and even smiled at the dumb joke. 

The Hardman was, and probably still is, a late Aeolian product. It sounds
detectably less bad now than it did yesterday. In fact, I was relieved that
it went as well as it did. Some days, I feel lucky just to make it home.

Ron N