Another old player condemned

[Farrell]

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THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for getting the junker out of =
circulation (you don't think they will give it away to someone, do =
you?). It's time was up. Last gasp was decades ago.

Terry Farrell
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Kevin E. Ramsey=20
  To: Jeffrey Schlaybach ; Pianotech=20
  Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 9:00 AM
  Subject: Re: Another old player condemned


  Jeffrey,,  I would have probably done the same.  After you work on one =
of these for two or three days, you still don't have anything to show =
for your efforts, and you're afraid to charge what your time is worth.

      Nice touch with giving them a copy of "How to buy a good used =
piano" though.

  Kevin=20
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Jeffrey Schlaybach=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 9:42 AM
    Subject: Another old player condemned


    Out of curiousity, I'd like some opinions related to the advice I =
gave
    yesterday to a family with an old player (gutted) made by York Piano =
Company
    (serial # 66413).


    I was asked to come a tune the piano and told there were a few keys =
not
    working. There are 2 children who play it and one has started at a =
local
    piano institute.

    I moved the beast away from the wall and the entire piano fell =
slightly
    backward. There was a block of wood on the back right corner to =
support the
    missing wheel.

    Upon further inspection: the pinblock was cracked at numerous =
places, tuning
    pins were loose as a result and had been doped by someone in the =
past.
    Hammer was broken off on one key, strings were broken, pitch was =
high at
    some sections and low at others (this seemed odd to me that some =
would be
    sharp), treble and bass bridges were very cracked up, cabinet =
finsihed was
    poor and veneer was pulled off at places. Jack springs were missing, =
I
    noticed a broken Whippen, and if I had continue to look I'm sure I'd =
have
    found other things.

    After seeing the cracked bridges I asked the owner about its =
senitmental
    value - they indicated there was not much. I then sugeested that in =
my
    opinion the piano was not worth the money required to repair and =
make it
    playable, espcially with one child taking lessons at an institute. =
She
    seemed relieved to hear this and told me her husband was shocked =
that she
    wanted to spend anything to even tune it. She also said they had a =
keyboad
    that the kids would use till they found something else.

    I did not feel I should charge her anything but when pressed =
suggested $20.
    She indicated taht she thought this was not enough for my time and =
gas but I
    made the bill out for $20 anyway. When I got home I noticed she =
wrote the
    check out for $30!

    I plan to send her the a copy of , :How to buy a good used piano" as =
a
    "thankyou".

    I also mentioned that I'd be happy to check out any piano she might =
be
    inclined to buy in the future and hoped to be able to conitnue to =
provide
    tuning and repair business.

    Did I condemn a piano that might have been given a few more years?!

    Jeff Schlaybach - Robesonia, PA

    _______________________________________________
    pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives

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