Clunker pianos - what do you do?

[Ed Sutton]

Michelle-

If this is your market, you might as well become an expert in all aspects of it.

This is the opposite of consumerism and instant gratification. You're preserving history and keeping family heirlooms intact. In this world, that's amazing work.

Some of those old uprights were very well designed and built(New Haven Mathusheks, for instance).
Some have positive quirks that make them easy to repair (Old Kimballs with butt plates make repinning faster).
New repair techniques have appeared that make the impossible affordable. (Bill Bremmer's bass string restoration technique in the Jan 08 Journal, steam to refresh old dampers, new techniques to improve soundboard performance).
New finish restoration products are available.
I'll bet within 5 years we'll see generic, adjustable composite action replacement parts, maybe even offering repetition springs for vertical actions.

Take photos to document your work, and you can write articles about your discoveries.

Ed Sutton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michelle Smith 
  To: 'Pianotech List' 
  Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:09 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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