[pianotech] Tuning

Conrad Hoffsommer hoffsoco at luther.edu
Wed Dec 3 02:24:18 PST 2008


On 12/2/08, John Formsma <formsma at gmail.com> wrote:
> I tend to agree with Dean here ... at least from a financial standpoint. A
> Winter spinet is pretty easy to tune.  There are only about 20 bass strings,
> right?  And no matter how one tunes it, it will  still sound bad.  So just
> get in there, do the fastest and best you can do, and be done with it.  The
> easiest tuning in the world 'cause you don't hafta fuss over it.  :-)
> I'd work the service call into two service calls.  The first appointment
> raises the pitch to A440 in two rough tuning pitch raises.  The second
> service call does the fine tuning.  Should be around 1.75 hours total, and
> easily would get $200 or more.  I once worked one of these "unwanted" jobs
> as an exchange for some new musicians earplugs.  The audiologist and I
> simply swapped out. I was happy, and he was happy.  But that's another
> story.



Winter is what I call a "before and after" piano. You can't tell if
it's before or after you tune it...
-Make sure the customer sees/hears you working on it.  ;-}

Unless you've limited your practice to grand pianos 7' or larger, are
independently wealthy or otherwise assume an quasi-elitist position,
keep a game face, charge a reasonable amount for tuning and transit,
take the money and run!

Enjoy the drive home, cranking up whatever music you prefer to
"cleanse the palate" or stop along the way to take a picture of
nature. Cash the check ASAP. Buy some of your favorite potable and
enjoy some after you return home.

We're in a business which enables others to enjoy life a little better
and we should try to get some enjoyment out of it ourselves.


-- 
Conrad Hoffsommer, RPT
Luther College
Decorah, IA



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