Clunker pianos - what do you do?

[Barbara Richmond]

Michelle,

Perhaps you could become a master of "quick & dirty" repairs--I mean that in a good way!   For example, the split bridge repair we saw recently with the rod replacing the bridge pins. 

When I was faced with school pianos that needed "so much,"  I decided on a plan of attack--not doing everything they needed at once, but taking care of issues gradually.  It's sort of hard sometimes to think and work with that system, but it can be done.

Barbara Richmond, RPT
near Peoria, IL
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michelle Smith 
  To: 'Pianotech List' 
  Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:09 AM
  Subject: RE: Clunker pianos - what do you do?


  Thanks to everyone who has responded to my e-mail.  You’re really helping me sort out my thoughts on this issue.

   

  As Paul stated, sometimes there is still life in these pianos but very often the owner is expecting a miracle.  I guess it comes from our society of instant gratification.  The piano tuner is supposed to make the piano work again just like the appliance repairman makes the dishwasher work again.  Instead I sometimes have to be the bearer of bad news.  Repairs are costly and many people here just can’t afford it.  I want people to be happy and instead we both get frustrated.

   

  Concerning passing these pianos off to less experienced techs….I’m it!   Ha Ha Ha!  The older gentleman who owns the local music shop and tunes pianos can’t see well enough to do the repairs so he’s passing ALL of his repair work to me.  Most Austin techs are unwilling to make the drive so if I don’t fix them they won’t get fixed.  Ironically, this is why I got into this business in the first place.  I saw a need in our community and I jumped in.  

   

  Thanks to everyone for listening to my mental wanderings.  

   

  Have a super Thursday!

   

  Michelle

   


  This is a perfect opportunity to involve less experienced technicians, associates, those who are just beginning, to take on some of these jobs in order to learn the craft. As well, in some instances, as we have here in Chicago, some of these pianos are marginally enough useful to pass on by donation to those who can't afford a piano. We started A Gift of PIanos about 9 years ago, and now the Chicago chapter of the PTG runs the program. 



  Paul

   
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