Lovely birdcage - what to do?

[pianotune05]

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Hi Terry,
I wasn't fromally instructed how to raise pitch, but what I did on the =
old piano was simply get a4 in the right pitch, yes I used f2 orcourse.  =
Then I proceded to tune it and get an idea where the thing was or what =
neighborhood it ws in as one customer of the thrift store said to me.  =
It kept falling in places, and I didn' t have time to finish it. I'ts =
one I'm practicing on and I the thank  you letters I get are going to =
make good references.  It has quite a few loose tuning pins, buzzing =
strings, just in bad shape. Th ey want $550.00 for it. It's some brand =
manufactured in New Jersey.
Marshall
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Farrell=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 6:56 PM
  Subject: Re: Lovely birdcage - what to do?


  "..... the guy..... "tuned the piano to itself."  I asked her why did =
he leave it flat?  She siad she didn't know."

  I'm really not sure why that is so common, but my best guess is that =
two prime factors are involved (maybe more?).=20

  I believe many of the "old timers" - piano technicians who were =
trained many years ago - were commonly instructed to not raise pitch. =
Why? I have no idea, but I have been told that was common to teach a new =
technician many years ago.

  My guess is that also there are techs out there who have had minimal =
training or improper training and simply don't know how to raise the =
pitch of the piano. I think also there are some techs who either have =
not been trained on how to replace a string or choose to not invest in =
the tools and supplies to replace a string - so they are afraid to raise =
pitch becuase of the potential for strings breaking.

  Terry Farrell

    ----- Original Message -----=20

    I was thinking of what you said earlier about leaving a piano flat.  =
I just returned from my eye doctor who own an old upright.  I'm not =
certain of the brandd, but she claims that it's from the 1800s. I won't =
dispute her of course because I haven't seen the piano, but she told me =
that the guy, a seasons pro like most of you guys, "tuned the piano to =
itself."  I asked her why did he leave it flat?  She siad she didn't =
know.  She asked about strings etc.  She said that it's flat because her =
obo when played with it shows that the piano is off.  Are there cases to =
leave a piano flat, or did this guy tune the piano to a different a =
fork?  I've heard that old pianos are tuned to a lower A. =20
    Marshall
    ps. I never tune a4 tof3.  I like f2 because I can hear the beats =
better. =20

      -------------- Original message --------------=20
      From: "Geoff Sykes" <thetuner@ivories52.com>=20

      > The techs I refer to shall remain anonymous for my protection. =
And they are=20
      > definitely NOT "tooner's." Just techs with a different opinion =
and different=20
      > experiences than you. And that's OK. I've learned from them and =
now I've=20
      > learned from you. Whats wonderful about this is that now I get =
to take=20
      > several different viewpoints and make an "educated" opinion of =
what to do=20
      > next. Thanks to all.=20
      >=20
      > The customer definitely does not want to sell her piano. I was =
just curious.=20
      > She just wants to be able to play it again. I'm glad that I now =
have lots of=20
      > encouraging information to share with her about how to proceed =
with making=20
      > this wonderful piano whole again.=20
      >=20
      > -- Geoff Sykes=20
      >! -- Assoc. Los Angeles=20
      >=20
      >=20
      >=20
      > -----Original Message-----=20
      > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org =
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf=20
      > Of Farrell=20
      > Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 4:48 AM=20
      > To: Pianotech=20
      > Subject: Re: Lovely birdcage - what to do?=20
      >=20
      >=20
      > Who the heck are these "techs" (or rather, "tooners") that =
suggest to leave=20
      > the pitch where it is. I run across so many pianos that are a =
semi tone flat=20
      >=20
      > and the owner is shocked when I suggest that we raise to =
standard pitch=20
      > because all the other tooners said it could not be done.=20
      >=20
      > Pitch raise the darn thing to A440 and be done with it. You =
might want to=20
      > yank a few treble and bass strings up there first just to be =
sure, but I=20
      > pitch raise 100 year old uprights to standard pitch all the =
time. Haven't=20
      > had one explode on me yet. If this were one of those scantily b! =
uilt=20
      > 150-year-old English minimum-plate birdcages, I think there =
might be some=20
      > justification for concern (I'd likely warn the customer that the =
piano might=20
      >=20
      > fold up in half), but I'd still be willing to try it if the =
owner wanted to=20
      > try to get it up to standard pitch. However, this is a monster =
heavily built=20
      >=20
      > German piano from the 20th Century. IMHO if they want it at A440 =
(and that=20
      > would be my recommendation to the owner), put it there for them. =

      >=20
      > And everything looks original to me also. REAL CLEAN - you bet, =
but all=20
      > original. Very pretty piano.=20
      >=20
      > What's it worth? Its value is the case and the amazing fact that =
there=20
      > really is a piano within. Someone will be willing to pay =
something for that.=20
      >=20
      > Hard to say for sure what one could get for it - because the =
buyer will be=20
      > that person that takes one look at it and falls in love with it! =
- but I=20
      > would guess that the owner could get somewhere between $1K and =
$2K - maybe=20
      > more if the right person were to see it.=20
      >=20
      > Terry Farrell=20
      >=20
      > ----- Original Message -----=20
      > > You think this piano could be brought up to 440, perhaps in =
stages,=20
      > > without=20
      > > any problems? I was so afraid to do a pitch raise on this =
thing because of=20
      > > what other local techs have advised that I never even thought =
that perhaps=20
      > > the added tension would improve the pin tightness. Worth a =
try.>=20
      > > -- Geoff Sykes=20
      > > -- Assoc. Los Angeles=20
      >=20
      >=20
      > _______________________________________________=20
      > pianotech list info: =
https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives=20
      >=20
      > _______________________________________________=20
      > pianotech list info: =
https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives 
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