JIV-jumping into voicing

[Barbara Richmond]

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Re: JIV-jumping into voicingDale, David,

I'll add to the rant.

Man, if I could tell you all how many times I've heard, "Why didn't the =
other piano tuner tell me about and/or do that?"  And it just doesn't =
have to be big grand pianos, either.  After explaining what needed to be =
done to a little 20 year old Yamaha M-450, the customer bought the job =
repair & regulation job (I voiced too, but I voice with every tuning).  =
His comments after I was done, "I can't believe the difference.  That =
was the best $$$ I've ever spent."  (And this guy is no virtuoso.)

Personally, I like pushing myself too eek every bit of performance I can =
out of any piano--that's how I learn more.  I taught a class many years =
ago about selling full service.  A participant posed the question (he =
wasn't convinced of my idea, I think):  "So, what do you do when you =
walk in and find a ___ brand of piano, the tuning is good, the voicing =
is good and the regulation is good?"  The answer, "Raise your =
standards."

Well, I could go on...  ;-)

Barbara Richmond, RPT


  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: David Andersen=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2005 11:38 AM
  Subject: Re: JIV-jumping into voicing


     That said the goal is for an improved tone even if , in your own =
ears, it's not perfect. People/clients who really have ears to hear will =
except any improvement as a pleasure in the right direction. Truth be =
told there are sooo many lousy sounding pianos in the field because no =
one is asking the questions you are or at least not bothering to stab a =
few needles etc to risk for something possibly great!
     How I wish the bad habit of tune & run to the next tuning could be =
remedied.
     It's not real customer service IMHO.
      I think I just changed the topic. Oh My!
      Dale Erwin



  Great words.  In 25 years of working on pianos in LA, with the last 10 =
or so years mostly dedicated to good and expensive grand pianos, the =
number of pianos that had been maintained in any realm beyond tuning =
before I came on them was, and is, miniscule....1 or 2 percent, =
literally.  What a joke.
  And a tragedy, really, for our profession.  All this talk, endless =
talk, about pianos, and service, and how to do this and that with =
pianos, and then the harsh reality:  almost nobody's actually doing it =
in good grand pianos in LA. Why?  Because "tune & run"  is the easy =
money. A no-brainer.  The average guy here charges $100-120.  Do six =
tune-and-runs a day, and you're living large.  Do it five days a week, =
and it's 3 grand a week, and baby's got a new pair o' shoes.=20

  On the other hand, just shoot me now if that's what I have to look =
forward to: average clients, piano after piano in bad mechanical and =
tonal shape, and propagating the paradigm of "I don't give a rat's ass, =
so why should my clients?  Why should I educate them about tone and =
touch when it'll just slow me down, make me work and acquire new skills, =
work new muscles, and (the final nail in the coffin:)
  'anyway, none of my clients care or can hear or feel the difference.'"

  What a crock of s**t.  Everybody can hear and feel the difference, =
including, first and foremost, YOU.

  Don't be a sellout.  Learn how t work on pianos past the tuning, and =
quit telling your self destuctive things, like nobody can hear or feel =
the difference....quit being so dang negative.

  End of rant.  Thank you.

  David Andersen 
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