[pianotech] rock solid for how long?

[Gerald Groot]

Pianos change tuning, period.  Some can change within hours if played long
and hard enough.  That is why we are frequently on standby for touchup
tunings in between concerts.  How frequently do they normally change?  Well,
some change much sooner than others do depending on many factors including
the player themselves, open windows, doors, humidity changes and much, much
more.  I've tuned 8 + concert tunings in 2 days on many, many different
occasions tuning for both the rehearsals and again just prior to the
concerts themselves.  My tuning fee remained the same for each tuning.  It
takes my time and talent either way not to mention that I have to get there.
I also charge for my standby time waiting in between tunings. 

I have clients that I service bi-month and monthly.  For that, I also charge
my same rate.  Again, it takes my time and my talent and my same appointment
time slot which I will not give away for anything less.  

We cannot be held responsible for what happens to the piano itself once we
leave the premises.  Many factors must be taken into account including
humidity flucuations.  

Jer 



-----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 



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