[pianotech] rock solid for how long?

[David Ilvedson]

Voicing will always help...is the piano too bright?   Warm it up...open up the shoulders

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "William Truitt" <surfdog at metrocast.net>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Received: 1/7/2010 3:08:30 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] rock solid for how long?


>Hi David:

>When we do concert tuning, we are paid our normal rate to retune the piano,
>even if it has only been 24 hours, a week, or whatever, yes?  

>You answered your own question.  No, she cannot tolerate slight out of
>tuneness.  

>I would suggest to her that she get on a monthly schedule for tuning.  I
>have had serious players on such schedules.  What percentage of your normal
>tuning fee you want to charge her for is up to you.  You may want to do
>little touch ups on regulation or voicing on those occasions when you are
>only dusting off a few unisons, so as to give her value for your time there.

>It wouldn't hurt to explain to her that she is only seeing 15 minutes of
>your time for the touch up, but that your total time investment is
>considerably more when travel is added in, you are driving x number of miles
>to get there and go home or to the next tuning, cost of gas and wear and
>tear on the car, etc.  

>If you charge her too little, it can leave the unintended impression that
>you are charging so little because you are coming back to redo your bad
>work, when in fact that is the farthest thing from the truth.  

>Will Truitt

>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>Of David Nereson
>Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 2:01 AM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: [pianotech] rock solid for how long?

>    Is "rock solid" really possible?   And for how long?  I have 
>a client who calls me every time a unison develops a slow roll. 
>She must have a super-sensitive ear.  She does pay me to come 
>over and touch-up a few notes, but jeez, to get up, load up, 
>drive over, touch up notes, pack up, & drive back oughta be 
>worth at least $50.  I hate to charge that much each time, and 
>feel guilty that my tuning didn't stay perfectly solid. 
>Sometimes it's only been a few weeks.  But even a former PTG 
>brochure about tuning admitted that no piano holds a tuning 
>perfectly for more than 24 hours. Can't people tolerate some 
>slight out-of-tuneness for a few months?  I can.  It has to be 
>quite bad before I refuse to play it.
>    To me, it should be sorta like mowing the lawn.  If it looks 
>good when you're done, great.  No need to make sure each blade 
>of grass is to the nearest millimeter (like tuning to the 
>nearest 10th of a cent), and if a few blades grow faster than 
>others in between mowings, so what?  The lawn still looks good 
>as a whole.  Just accept the longer blades of grass as a little 
>"flavor," variety, or "spice," and live with it until the next 
>mowing.
>      If you're a Horowitz, that's different.
>    --David Nereson, RPT