I looked with a good loop and was not able to see any of the plating disrupted. So who knows? Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul McCloud" <pmc303@ricochet.com> To: "'Pianotech'" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 10:33 AM Subject: RE: Flat-tery was RE: lessons learned > Terry: > A few years ago, I was talking with Mark Burgett (co-owner of > Pianodisc) who used to live here in San Diego. He was doing a lot of > installs out of his garage, and had run into this problem with Young > Changs. It was discovered that the felt was contaminated or had not > been washed properly. The centers would swing freely under normal > playing, but after installing the player system and running it for a > while, they would freeze up. > Aside from this, did the center pins look like the plating was > flaking off? You'll need a good magnifier. > Paul McCloud > San Diego > > -----Original Message----- > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On > Behalf Of Alan > Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 2:50 PM > To: 'Pianotech' > Subject: Flat-tery was RE: lessons learned > > After explanations and pre-agreement with the client, I generally always > tune the piano to pitch and charge for any pitch correction. I use this > opportunity, also, to try and get them on a regular tuning schedule > (most at 6 mos, some annual). > > If the piano is a little sharp in summer or flat in winter, but > otherwise fairly in tune with itself, I will often tune it where it > sits. But I will also educate, explain, and get agreement from the > owner. > > But if it were 11 cents flat in January and you didn't see the piano > until the following January, you might have to deal with a piano that is > 16+ flat. Then what? Sooner or later the piper must be paid and I think > we all agree that a piano almost always sounds its best at pitch. > > As for me, anyway, I like to get 'em in tune and on pitch, keep 'em > tuned and on pitch, service the whole piano, educate, involve customers > in decisions on tuning & repairs (giving real options when possible), > make friends, and build repeat business. > > About building the business and making money: > > When I bring a piano to pitch and charge them for it, I also tell them > that if I tune that piano every six months, at least, I will keep it at > pitch (slight seasonal swings notwithstanding) and not charge them if it > needs extra work to do it. Incentive! > > As to people with limited resources ... yes, there are cases. I'm > remembering a charming little girl who's piano teacher told her she must > get her piano tuned or the teacher could not keep teaching her. The > beast was about 150 cents flat, on average, and all over the board--some > unisons made fairly decent triads! I don't know how much money they had > but it was obvious that the parents didn't like spending it on piano > tuning. So I PR'd and tuned it twice for the price of one tuning ... for > the kid's sake, period. Three years now and they haven't had me back > despite reminders. > > BUT I've been around a few years in this business and many years in > others. It is astonishing how many people will cry poor over a few bucks > while blowing scads of money on booze, tobacco, snazzy cars, pick-ups > with 36" wheels, eight shotguns, a new bass boat, and ... well, you get > the idea. > > I think it's a BIG mistake to work cheap. Charity is one thing; being > walked all over is quite another. Been there, done that, got the > souvenir T-shirt. > > Alan R. Barnard > Salem, MO > > -----Original Message----- > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On > Behalf Of Clyde Hollinger > Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 3:58 PM > To: Pianotech > Subject: Re: lessons learned > > Scott, > > This is a good reminder. When examining a "flat" piano for the first > time, one of the questions I ask is whether or not it will be played > with anything else. Of course I recommend the piano be raised to pitch > before tuning unless it looks like > an old beater where caution is in order, but I still give the client the > option of just tuning it at a lower pitch to save a few bucks. > > No doubt some of us will see that as too compromising, but it's their > piano and their money, and for some of them the money is in short > supply. (Hope I didn't open a can of worms here.) > > Incidentally, today I tuned for a first-time customer who said the piano > was tuned a year or two ago, and it really looked like she was right! > Not the ordinary occurrence. > > Regards, > Clyde > > Scott Jackson wrote: > > > Watch out for people using playalong disks. This is more common now, > as publishers such as 'Alfreds' have CDs to go with their beginners > courses. Even 'little Debbie' will know the pitch of the piano is wrong > as she tries to play with the CD. > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > --- > Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.495 / Virus Database: 294 - Release Date: 6/30/2003 > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.495 / Virus Database: 294 - Release Date: 6/30/2003 > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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