I think an emergency service call to a new account would necessitate extra charges...you have travel time for one job. Then to come upon a piano that is clearly not maintained and be expected to make it right...I have no problems charging plenty for this work. Ed, your recording studio work is a completely different situation. You're coming in as the regular tech, you know what will be there and often as not your touching up unisons? When I did studio work, it was not unusual to come in everyday on a major session and touchup the piano. Certainly once a week is nothing unusual... Now if I really thought I was going to get the account, I might give them a little break...;-] David I. ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: David Love <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 07:43:28 -0700 Subject: Re: Recording Studio Tuning >I don't see anything wrong. I'm not sure how 1.5 x 75 comes to 172.5, but >charging a premium rate for recording studio or concert work is pretty >normal. These tunings require a bit more due diligence to insure that the >tuning is spot on and stable. I usually add a bit to those tunings. >Whereas a tuning is usually taking 1 hour, or 1.25 with a pitch raise. I >will spend a good 1.5 hours on a concert level tuning and charge >accordingly. I usually spend some time at least touching up the voicing in >that time as well (through the string). If I have to pull the action, the >meter starts running. >David Love >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> >To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: October 22, 2002 6:42 AM >Subject: Re: Recording Studio Tuning >One guy says I'm giving my services away and the other says I'm charging too >much. I guess the answer to that is to never make any reference to charges >for service. E-gads! >> Why was a "touch-up" pass needed after the tuning? >My normal method of tuning a piano that is within a couple cents of target >is to make one tuning pass where I do the best I can without dwelling on any >particular string. After finishing, I replay each note to listen to unisons >and I will touch up any that might need it - or can use it. On good >instruments that were real close to start with, this may only be one or two >strings. On poor instruments with false beats and also had a pitch raise, it >may be quite a few strings that I re-examine, or touch up. Then I'll play >octaves, etc. and touch up anything else I need to - not usually much work >there though. >So in this case, I did a small pitch raise pass. There was only one or two >strings that I didn't adjust during this pass. It took me 30 minutes. Then I >tuned it in about 55 minutes. And then I spent a few minutes doing touch-up >on a couple of hopeless strings in the tenor that had bad false beats. Total >1.5 hours. >I do not claim to be an accomplished tuner. I don't know that I will ever >be. I do try hard. That is part of the reason of my strong interest in >shop/belly work. I struggle and do what I need to do to make a tuning sound >good - and I think I usually get there - eventually. I have had many >compliments of my tunings from people that should know. I know I am not even >half as fast as some tuners. And it may take me two slow passes to get where >a more accomplished tuner could get with one fast pass. I just do what I >need to do to get where I need to get. If it is not right the first time, I >do it again. I try to keep learning. >> And what was the >> rationale for charging 1.5 times the price of a pitch raise and tuning? I >> must be missing something here. >This was an "emergency" tuning. I was eating my lunch, having taken a break >from drilling dowel holes through an upright pinblock in my shop - was going >back out to the shop to epoxy in dowels, when a call came in at noon from >the recording guy saying that a couple keys on their piano had gone "bad" >and some big shots were scheduled to start recording at 2 pm. He told me >right up front "name your price if you can come out here now". I said for >short notice requests like this I charge 1.5 times my normal fees. He said >OK. So I wolfed down my lunch, changed clothes, and tuned his piano. I was >done just as the musicians were setting up. >When I first got to the piano, I checked the tuning (looking for the two >keys that were off). Every octave I struck had fast irregular beats. Some >unisons were out in the 5 to 10 cent off range. Clearly this piano was WAY >out of tune for a recording session. The piano sounded real good when I was >done. I think the guy got what he wanted, and I got what I wanted. If both >parties are happy, is that not a good thing? Do you think I did something >unethical or unprofessional here? >Terry Farrell >Why are you guys beating me up! I'm just trying to do good things! ;-) >----- Original Message ----- >From: <A440A@aol.com> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 9:03 AM >Subject: Re: Recording Studio Tuning >> Terry writes: >> >> > >I did a pitch raise/adjust pass (mostly in the 2 to 6 cents range), a >> >> > tuning pass, and a touch-up pass. Charged him a bundle (1.5 times my >> >> > regular rate, which I detailed out to him). >> >> The original post made it appear that the piano had been tuned three times >> for 1.5 times the regular rate, (which many of us would have thought >referred >> to the regular tuning rate). >> Why was a "touch-up" pass needed after the tuning? And what was the >> rationale for charging 1.5 times the price of a pitch raise and tuning? I >> must be missing something here. >> >> Terry writes to Don, >> >That came out to $172.50 for 1.5 hours of work. I can live with that. I >> >would hardly call that "3 tunings for the price of 1.5" on very many rate >> >sheets. >> >Are you suggesting that you would have charged the guy $337.50 to tune a >> piano that was 5 cents off? >> >> I never saw a piano that was 5 cents off to need three tunings. For >> critical work, a 15 minute pass will have the piano within 1 cent of >pitch, >> and then a 1 hour tuning will be all that is needed. >> The true test will be if they call you back for future tunings. If you >can >> command this rate, more power to you. >> Regards, >> Ed Foote RPT >> _______________________________________________ >> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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