Stupefying Pitch Volatility

[Robert Wilson]

I agree with your decision, It must be better to tune
with the piano rather than against it!  The pitch will
come down again with the seasonal change.  The only
exception would be if the piano is to be used with
other instruments or if a particular pitch has been
specified.

Bob.


--- Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> What does your post have to do with charging extra
> for a pitch change? If I change the pitch (more than
> 5 or 10 cents) I charge for it. If I don't change
> the pitch, I don't charge extra for it. I tuned a
> pukey Aeolian Mason & Hamlin console today. Last
> tune was at A440, today before tuning it was at
> about A442.5. I tuned it at A442.5. I indicated that
> tuning pitch on the receipt. The client was not
> there when I tuned the piano, but if she were, I
> would have let her know that I recommended leaving
> the pitch a bit sharp, knowing that the piano will
> only come down in pitch eventually.
> 
> I think whether one says anything about floating the
> pitch depends on who you are tuning for. If you are
> tuning dear old Mrs. Applesmith's Acrosonic spinet
> that she only plays by herself - mum's the word. If,
> like in my case today, you are tuning the piano in a
> church choir rehearsal room, I believe it is our
> responsibility to inform the client of our
> recommendation. In my case where the client was not
> available, I took my best guess and went with it!
> 
> Terry Farrell  
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM 
>   To: pianotech@ptg.org 
>   Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 1:55 PM
>   Subject: Stupefying Pitch Volatility
> 
> 
>   List, 
> 
>   For those who may think that a few cents change in
> pitch should be charged extra for because it may
> take 2 passes to get a stable tuning, today, I tuned
> an 1897 open face pinblock Hinze upright which had
> last been tuned in February, 2001 at 440.  Today, A4
> spun the lights up to +55 cents. 
> 
>   I did this job for the local dealer I regularly to
> contract work for.  I remember the piano from past
> years, finding it ridiculously flat, all flanges
> rattling and hammers needing alignment during a
> winter tuning appointment. 
> 
>   This dealer keeps a ongoing computer record which
> I read and noted that another tech had also
> tightened all flanges in winter, 1999.  A year ago,
> September 2000, the pitch had been lowered 53 cents
> to 440. 
> 
>   Today, I "floated" the pitch, as they say, at +50
> cents.  The customer remarked when I finished at how
> nice it sounded.  I collected the fee but said
> nothing else at all about anything. 
> 
>   Why bother? 
> 
>   Bill Bremmer RPT 
>   Madison, Wisconsin 
> 


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