Is Duaine "hecklering" again?! Joy! Elwood Rev. Elwood Doss, Jr., M. Mus. Ed., RPT Piano Technician/Technical Director Department of Music 355 Clement Hall University of Tennessee at Martin Martin, TN 38237 Office: 731/881-1852 Fax: 731/881-7415 Cell: 731/479-4043 -----Original Message----- From: Duaine Hechler [mailto:dahechler at att.net] Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2012 1:38 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] for Duaine was Re: Was high and outside now silent pitch lowering Damn it, Wim, How many ways and how long are you going to try and compare the Hawaii market to the St. Louis market ????? IT JUST CAN'T BE DONE !!!!! If - YOU - have not tried using Cybertuner for a major pitch raise - then - keep your big mouth shut because you, obviously, don't know what you are talking about. 'nough said, Duaine On 10/31/2012 11:37 PM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote: > You must have forgotten how many techs are in St. Louis !!!!! > > I'm sure there are at least 10 or more techs in the area that have > come on board since you left !!!!! > > And again, the techs have been established for more than 10, 20 or 30 years. > > As always, you just don't frickin' get it. > > Please keep your biased comments about me to yourself. > Last but not least, no wonder why every one that ever knew you in St. > Louis, hates and talks bad about you !!!!! > > Duaine > > > > Duaine > I'm sorry you have such a hard time getting established in St. Louis. > But when I started tuning in St. Louis in 1977, there were probably as > many tuners to compete with as there are now. But within 3 years I was > making a comfortable living, and gaining new customers all the time. > But then I didn't limit myself to old player pianos. Oh, and by the > way, I joined the PTG 6 months after I first hung up my shingle, and after 2 years, I had already attended 4 seminars and 2 conventions, where I learned more than I could ever imagine. Do you think that maybe my success had something to do with that? > If you're interested, I would like to invite you to the chapter > meeting on Tuesday, Dec, 11 at the Steinway Gallery on Dorsett Road, > where I will be the featured speaker. Contrary to what you think, or what you might have heard from few people, I'm not saying all the St. Louis area tuners will be there, but I think there will be a nice gathering. > Now, regardless of what you think of me, you haven't said a word about > the real subject of the message. Do you understand that one pass with > a RCT on a 100 cent pitch raise will not leave a piano in tune? That is what's important here. Not what you think of me. > Wim > -----Original Message----- > From: Duaine Hechler <dahechler at att.net> > To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org> > Sent: Wed, Oct 31, 2012 6:02 pm > Subject: Re: [pianotech] for Duaine was Re: Was high and outside now > silent pitch lowering > > Wim, > > Why am I not surprised you, of all people, have responded to my email. > > I am tired of getting into "religious" (piano) wars with you !!!!! > > You must have forgotten how many techs are in St. Louis !!!!! > > I'm sure there are at least 10 or more techs in the area that have > come on board since you left !!!!! > > And again, the techs have been established for more than 10, 20 or 30 years. > > As always, you just don't frickin' get it. > > Please keep your biased comments about me to yourself. > > Last but not least, no wonder why every one that ever knew you in St. > Louis, hates and talks bad about you !!!!! > > Duaine > > On 10/31/2012 10:37 PM,tnrwim at aol.com <mailto:tnrwim at aol.com> wrote: > > > > Every pitch raise, major or minor, I tell the customer that I > > need to come > back > > within a month for another tuning. They > > just at me like I'm some kind of alien - even though, I explain > > that it is > in > > pretty good shape now, however it is going > > to go out between now and then. > > > > And, yes, Cybertuner does make a major pitch raise for a decent > > tuning in > one > > pass. Even though, after each tuning, I go > > back and check octaves and unisons - usually with only a few > > minor > adjustments. > > > > Duaine. > > As good as the RCT is, one pass on a 100 cent pitch raise just isn't enough. > The piano doesn't know what kind of ETD > > you use. It has a mind of it's own, and it will drop in pitch, > > and/or go out > of tune, almost immediately after you've > > tuned it. Just checking octaves and unisons isn't enough to check to > > see if > the piano is in tune, especially for > > someone who doesn't understand, or hear, beats, as you claim you > > don't. Maybe > that's why your customers are not > > calling you back. Maybe you don't hear the difference, but they do. > > Or maybe > they have a friend who plays, who tells > > the customer that the piano is not in tune. All the customer knows > > is that > they paid you to tune the piano, and it's > > not in tune after a few days. > > I would highly recommend that after a 100 cent pitch raise, or even > > a 20 cent > raise, that you tune the piano > > again. And instead of saying you want to tune the piano in one > > month, tell > them that it will drift out of tune over > > the next couple of months, and that you need to tune the piano again > > in 6 > months. To them it doesn't make sense to > > have the piano tuned again in 1 month. They might not say it, but > > they will > wonder why the piano needs to be tuned > > again in 1 month, when they've just had it tuned. > > Duaine, I've been in Hawaii for only 5 years, and I've already got a > > steady > clientele of over 400 customers, and I've > > got over 1000 customers in my data base. And that's in a state where > > new > clients come mostly from word of mouth. The > > word on the street is that I know what I'm doing, I'm honest, and > > don't over > charge for my services. > > Because you're having so much trouble getting and keeping customers, > > since you > don't want to go to a convention to > > learn how to become a better technician, maybe you need to go the > > Chicago next > summer to take some classes on how > > to attract more customers. > > Wim > > From: Duaine Hechler <dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net>> > > To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>> > > Sent: Wed, Oct 31, 2012 2:35 pm > > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Was high and outside now silent pitch > > lowering > > > > Paul, > > > > First, it is all about the kind of area and customer base. > > > > Every pitch raise, major or minor, I tell the customer that I need > > to come > back > > within a month for another tuning. They just at me like I'm some > > kind of alien - even though, I explain that it is in pretty good > > shape now, however it is going to go out between now and then. > > > > And, yes, Cybertuner does make a major pitch raise for a decent > > tuning in one pass. Even though, after each tuning, I go back and > > check octaves and unisons - usually with only a few minor > adjustments. > > > > I do not know about the others, but I started and am sold on > > Cybertuner - > which > > is the one my mentor has used for a long time. > > > > As far as repeat customers, my gut tells me that my clientele is - > > not - the kind that keep their pianos up. Especially, when I get > > told, usually, that "I can't remember that last time it was tuned", > > "it has been a long time ago - maybe 5 (to 25) years ago (since it > > was tuned last)", "it has never been tuned" or "it just sounds God > > awful, so I guess it's time for a tuning". I even try to sell them > > on a "yearly" tuning. 99% of the time, they will say "I don't know > > but check back with me anyway". > > > > And, at least around me, more and more churches are "into" Praise > > Bands and "keyboards". > > > > Even - *my* - church has a keyboard (for the sanctuary) - and - a > > piano (Brambach, Baby Grand, S/N: 70951 (1929)) that, I service, and > > it's sitting in the "Grand Hall" only used for "Special" > > occasions. (For it's age, it's great shape, new hammers, new > > keytops, holds a tune very well, fully regulated, cabinet in descent > > shape) Supposedly, the "praise band" > > director is waiting to get money for a piano truck before moving and > > using it > in > > the sanctuary. (I've already had to fix a broken leg on it because > > somebody did not know how to move the piano) > > > > And, for the rest of the people, they already have the rest of the > "established" > > tuners busy with will established > > clientele (some for more than 25+ years) > > > > So, bottom line, I would venture to say that I'm getting the last of > > the food chain <ugh> > > > > Oh, on a final note, about 2 years ago, I did a 1000+ "intro and prices" > mailing > > to all churches, schools, etc around my area with only about 5-10 > > responses. (That in itself tells me a lot about the potential of > > this area) > > > > Regards, Duaine > > > > On 10/31/2012 05:33 PM, Paul Williams wrote: > > > Go check your work in a month. ETD or not. Just pulling up to > > > pitch will not last at all. (OKŠSteinway 1098's are excused.)Ha! > > > > > > Do you mean you don't over pull at all? Do you get repeat customers? > > > Just asking. > > > > > > Do you do this even when the piano is 100 cents flat? We need to > > > know your secret.I would love to know the one time pass technique > > > on one that flat! Please do tell. > > > > > > Paul > > > > > > > > > On 10/31/12 5:12 PM, "Duaine Hechler" <dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net> > <mailto:dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net?>>> wrote: > > > > > >> On 10/31/2012 10:11 AM, paul bruesch wrote: > > >>> Thanks Joe, > > >>> > > >>> <snip> > > >>> > > >>> I've never attempted a blind overpull, and don't plan to any > > >>> time in the foreseeable future. Even after (only) 8 years at > > >>> this I don't feel comfortable enough to try it. > > >>> > > >>> Paul Bruesch > > >>> Stillwater, MN > > >> Speaking of "blind overpull", I, for the life of me, don't > > >> understand how aural tuners come up with an overpull factor. > > >> Especially, considering how much is constantly moving. > > >> > > >> It just can't be "practice" and "repetition". > > >> > > >> The only thing that makes sense to me, is that, that is why you > > >> HAVE to do multiple passes and constantly tweak. > > >> > > >> Whereas, ETDs, like Cybertuner (that I have), calculate and > > >> adjust the amount on the fly to come out with an acceptable > > >> tuning on the first pass. > > >> > > >> Duaine > > >> > > >> -- > > >> Duaine Hechler > > >> Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding > > >> (314) 838-5587 /dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net> <mailto:dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net?>> > /www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com <http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com> <http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com> > > >> Home & Business user of Linux - 12 years > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Duaine Hechler > > Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding > > (314) 838-5587 /dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net> <mailto:dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net?>> > /www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com <http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com> <http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com> > > Home & Business user of Linux - 12 years > > > > > -- > Duaine Hechler > Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding > (314) 838-5587 /dahechler at att.net <mailto:dahechler at att.net> > /www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com <http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com> > Home & Business user of Linux - 12 years > -- Duaine Hechler Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding (314) 838-5587 / dahechler at att.net / www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com Home & Business user of Linux - 12 years
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC