David Since you've worked for this dealer before, and since they are conscientious about providing good service, I would think that the dealer would trust your evaluation of the piano. Since you're already recommended that they replace the piano, perhaps you should tell your customer what you've found, and encourage them to contact the dealer, and then let them deal with the store. Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician Mililani, Oahu, HI 808-349-2943 Author of: The Business of Piano Tuning available from Potter Press www.pianotuning.com -----Original Message----- From: David Trasoff <david at davidtrasoff.com> To: pianotech at ptg.org Sent: Sun, Jun 14, 2009 12:35 pm Subject: Re: [pianotech] New Asian piano that will not hold a tuning Just to clarify, the piano is in a completely normal environment in a high-end condo in Brentwood. I'm sure the piano was tuned before it went to the customer because the dealer is quite conscientious about that. I've been doing work for them for years. And, after having tuned, prepped and serviced dozens of new Japanese, Korean and Chinese pianos I haven't seen another piano behave this way even when taken straight out of the shipping crate and sent to the home. Even if they arrive badly off pitch they are pretty well stabilized in my experience after the initial pre and post delivery tunings. They don't keep slipping. DT From: "pmc033 at earthlink.net" <pmc033 at earthlink.net> Date: June 14, 2009 2:53:11 PM PDT To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject : Re: [pianotech] New Asian piano that will not hold a tuning Reply-To: pmc033 at earthlink.net, pianotech at ptg.org Hi, David: You didn't mention what the environment of the piano is. Is this an institution, or a home? Heating duct under the piano? Damage? Direct sunlight? Somebody secretly using it for tuning practice? Here in San Diego, basically the same climate as LA, most folks tune once a year. Even in a year, such changes would be unusual. As far as structural changes, I'd look and see how the plate flange and block are fitted. Is there a large gap in there that indicates that the pinblock isn't tight against the flange? 80-90 cents flat in the treble is an awful lot in six months, as well as the other percentages you mentioned. I would expect some slippage, but this is a lot overall. I've tuned Samicks, which we used to sell in the 80's and 90's, that didn't have this much trouble. Three pitch raises in less than a year ! Puzzling.. Paul McCloud San Diego [Original Message] From: David Trasoff <david at davidtrasoff.com> To: <pianotech at ptg.org> Date: 06/14/2009 2:31:52 PM Subject: [pianotech] New Asian piano that will not hold a tuning I am wondering what ideas or experience people have concerning the possible reasons a new Korean-made piano seems to be incapable of holding pitch. It's a 5'3" Samick-made grand. It was tuned prior to delivery in early September 08 (I assume it was; I didn't do it). When I gave it its post-delivery service in September it had slipped 30-40¢. I pitch-raised and tuned it. By December the customer was complaining; I made another service call and found the piano again 30-40¢ flat. I again double tuned it (using the RCT pitch raise function) and left it on pitch. I tuned the piano again in the beginning of June and found the bass about 25¢ flat, the midrange from 10-15¢ flat to on pitch, and the high treble 80¢ or more flat! It seems pretty obvious that something is moving around in there, a bad glue joint in the frame? an improperly secured plate? I don't have the luxury of going back and making measurements or poking around (I'm not being paid to do that), but I'm interested in what other technicians think may be going on with this piano. I've recommended to the store that sold the piano that it be replaced, but I'd like to have some possible technical points regarding the apparent failure in the structure of this piano to discuss. Thanks, David Trasoff --- David Trasoff Professional Piano Service 4130 Verdugo View Drive Los Angeles, CA 90065 Tel: 323-255-7783 Fax: 323-313-1519 david at professionalpianoservice.com From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu> Date: June 14, 2009 3:17:23 PM PDT To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] New Asian piano that will not hold a tuning Reply-To: pianotech at ptg.org It sounds to me like a piano that wasn't tuned very many times before leaving the factory, nor tuned well in the store. New strings go out of tune quite quickly when new. David Trasoff <david at davidtrasoff.com> Sent by: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org 06/14/2009 04:32 PM Please respond to pianotech at ptg.org To pianotech at ptg.org cc Subject [pianotech] New Asian piano that will not hold a tuning = -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20090614/285696e6/attachment-0001.htm>
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