>>Of course this is not the case with the hand made instruments made there. A complete voicing takes two days, which is normal for these kind of instruments. In a good day of tuning I can make $300 to $400, sometimes more, doing work I love, being in several places, talking to several different customers, and making everyone happy. Who is going to spend $800 for me to voice their piano when I won't be able to guarantee they'll be happy with the results? While the idea of becoming a master voicing technician has certain appeal to me, I do have to feed my family. ;-) Maybe there is a clientele out there who will pay that, but not in my market. I have a hard time getting people to spend $400 for a regulation job. People like the sound they get used to. So if I go changing the voice on their piano to something I like and that I know sounds better, they may not like it. I am reminded of one family I sold a Steinway M to. The piano sounded pretty nice, but they didn't like it at first because they were used to playing a Wurlitzer console. The Steinway was too alive for them. I wonder if that is why some people insist on NY hammers on their NY Steinway with lacquer for voicing: it is what they are used to, and what they think a NY S&S should sound like. Not because it is "better" by other objective standards. Dean Dean May cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 Terre Haute IN 47802
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC