When it's probably shot

[Alan R. Barnard]

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Kinda reminds me of all the U-Haul trucks you see broken down on the =
highway. They all have "An Adventure in Moving" written on them.

I like a challenge, too, and in one case I ended up making some big =
bucks completely rebuilding/restoring a 1906 Hamilton Upright for a Bed =
& Breakfast setting. The customer refinished it, I got her decals from =
"Decals Unlimited" and the whole project turned out wonderfully.

On the other hand, the piano you quoted my comments on was a fictional =
overdamper sitting in an unheated/uncooled garage in New Orleans for 40 =
years. I might, in such a case, tell the caller that I would charge a =
service call fee if we didn't end up tuning/repairing it. I actually had =
a customer who had stored a piano in New Orleans as I described but it =
was an old Gulbransen spinet. ALL of the flanges and whippen elbows were =
made of that old plastic that crumbles to dust. Oddly, because it was =
"Mom's Piano" they paid me to replace all the flanges and elbows and I =
now tune it every six months--even though the piano certainly did not =
have enough resale value to justify the expense.

I think it does make sense to see questionable pianos (with the "service =
call fee" speech) because you never know, as these two stories tell. =
Also, they may get a better piano and you get a new customer later, etc. =
Or a referral.

It pays to be honest. But sometimes you can be too honest, I think. =
Specifically: I've had a couple of occasions when I pointed out =
deficiencies in pianos that the customer obviously did not want to hear! =
People have all kinds of ways they assign "value" to their pianos, so I =
guess we have to feel that out before we recommend, as I once did, that =
they push the piano into their pond for fish-breeding cover. I can still =
see the shocked, pained look on that lady's face ... all of her kids had =
practiced on that piano as they grew up, you see ...

----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Clyde Hollinger=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 6:44 AM
  Subject: When it's probably shot


  Friends,=20
  Do any of you condemn a piano without ever seeing it?  There are times =
when I feel like I probably should, but the client is looking for some =
professional input and hopefully a miracle.=20

  I got a call.  A large family (eight kids) has a piano that was given =
to them four years ago.   It sounds tinny, some of the keys don't work, =
and the former owner told them it can't be tuned to standard pitch.  The =
kids are taking lessons.  Money may very well be tight; I didn't ask.  =
Such service calls can be an adventure, to say the least!  Thoughts?=20

  Regards, Clyde=20

  "Alan R. Barnard" wrote:=20

    Someone buys it for $100 (silly sap) calls you to come and tune it.

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