[pianotech] Thoughts on a couple of topics

[Dale Erwin]

  Chuck
  I'd like to see a voicing promo. And a hammer replacement promo.  These are jobs that many specializing in field service work contract to do and boost income. It would be a good addendum to hammer filing/hammer care. IMO Hammer care/ replacement next to re-setting of blow distance/aftertouch in newer pianos id the most neglected part of service work.  The tonal improvements this work brings for & to the clients ears often make us look like miracle men and women. And it is a fantastic income booster.
 Next grand regulation.
  Ok enough for now. You are doing a great job.  It is so handy to be able to just click a button and send these promos to clients.  WOW!

 

 

Dale S. Erwin
www.Erwinspiano.com
Custom restoration
Ronsen Piano hammers
Join the Weickert felt Revolution
209-577-8397
209-985-0990



 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Behm <behmpiano at gmail.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Wed, Jan 5, 2011 5:35 am
Subject: [pianotech] Thoughts on a couple of topics


Some thoughts over a couple topics that I would like to share. First, on museum restorations. For a historic instrument, I would side with Anne and say to tread lightly, especially when they've gone largely untouched over the years. Putting velvet ropes around a true one-of-a-kind instrument seems fitting.

On more ordinary instruments though, fix them to be played, but as much as possible with the sound and touch as it would have been when the piano was in its prime. 

In the case of the museum piano I restored, there was no problem with the steps I proposed, since it had been worked over by someone previously with less than desirable results. The instrument had been in the farm home for as long as anyone could remember, and before it was turned into a museum, a technician had gone through and done some sloppy work on it. 

As any example, the original keytops had been removed and replaced (badly) with ivorine. I proposed removing the imitation ivory and replacing with original ivory. To do this, I found several old sets of keys with similar ivory  to remove enough keytops to come up with 52 sets of ivories which could be made to look as if they came from the same instrument.

The piano, when it was returned to the museum, became the showpiece of the first floor and was a common gathering point for the groups that toured the home. Period music was deliberated left out for people to play, and play the piano they did (until the university in its wisdom closed the museum for budgetary reasons). Now the piano sits idle again, and the nitwit director of museums is not even having it tuned! What a moron. Oh, well - budgets are what they are, I suppose. 

On a completely different topic, I've been reading with interests the posts pertaining to building one's business. The promos I'm writing and personalizing for technicians might be an answer to how to take your business to the next level. They are written (and illustrated) in a way to make your job in selling the services you provide much, much easier.

Five promos are now available:

     1.  Bridle strap replacement
     2.  Hammer filing
     3.  Ivory keyset restoration
     4.  Plastic elbow replacement
     5.  Vertical piano regulation

My original offer still stands. If you would like me to personalize any one of these promos for you to use in promoting your services, just email me at pianopromoproductions at gmail.com and I'll set one up for you for free. I'll send you the PDF with your personal contact information so that you can either print hard copies to distribute, send out the promo to appropriate customers, put in a notebook to carry with you on your rounds or post it on your website. It's yours, and you're welcome to put it to any good use you can think of.

 If you would like to subscribe, the personalized PDF's will be sent to you at a rate of one a month as they are produced at the very reasonable rate of $10 apiece. Just one extra job brought in a year would pay for the entire years subscription.

The feedback I've received so far from technicians is that they are finding these promos highly useful. All I need to make one for you to try out is whatever information you want to appear on the front and last page - I would suggest name, business name, address, phone number/s, email address, and website (if you have one). 

There is absolutely no obligation to purchase anything. So far, 75% of the people who check into this have ended up taking out a subscription, but whether you do or not, I'm delighted to be able to pass along at least one promo for you to use and profit from. 

Drop me a line at the above email address with your choice of promos, and your contact information, and you'll have your free sample within a couple days. See how it works for you.  

My highest regards to all of you - you guys are why I am at my computer working on my little writing projects at all hours of the night. You're in my thoughts and I hope the best for each one of you. If we don't look out for one another, who else is going to do it?  Chuck

 
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