[pianotech] tuning and the enviornment etc

[J Patrick Draine]

"A string broke." Were you there when the string broke? Or did it break
when some other person had been playing the piano?
If it broke when you were tuning you "own" part of the responsibility for
the situation. If not, you still need to give an estimate for the repair
that includes several follow up tunings of the string. Failing that, at
least mute out the new string until it is reasonably stable.
And of course the changes in temperature and relative humidity are
degrading the tunings.
It's a difficult situation, and having parties expecting you to work for
free is quite unpleasant.
Best,
Patrick Draine

On Friday, November 16, 2012, Marshall Gisondi wrote:

>  Hi Everyone,
> I've been tuning this Mason Hamlin BB that I mentioned in an earlier
> e-mail for about 2 years now.  I recently tuned it either later Sept or
> early October.  The piano is faily new.  A while back a string broke and
> while in the process to find another tech to give me a  hand my customer
> sort of got lost in the shuffle but they seemed OK with it.  Recently
> however they wanted it replaced and called, and I must admit I was slow in
> getting back with the music director.  They are wanting to go electronic
> shame shame lol. For some reason they are telling me that the piano
> interferes with the PA system.  So they wanted this string replaced and
> realized that it was under waranty and they were entitled to a free string
> replacement.
>
> So I tuned this piano back in Sept or earlh Oct.  I was told that the
> piano seemed out of tune in the middle octave as she called it. The
> replaced string was I believe the right of F#5 and left of G5..  Whether
> the piano seemed out of tune before or after the string was replaced is the
> big question.  So I went back this past Monday to tune it.  I spend extra
> time in that section working with unisons making certain they stayed in.
> She claims that the piano wasn't to the standard I normally tuned it by
> Tues night when they had worship practice.  So my questions are these, and
> I know it's hard to answer without seeing in person my tuning etc.
>
> I spoke with someone at Mason & Hamlin today and their feeling is that she
> just wants the dealer to buy back the piano and is trying to find a way to
> find fault with it.  The church sent me a letter and my invoice without
> payment dated Nov 14 I tuned on Monday the 12th.  Why all of sudden is
> there a problem with the tuning?  Does the new string play a factor in the
> over all tuning of one section?  Could the temprature drop have an affect?
> It was 65 on Monday and in the 40s on Tuesday.  Am I at falult here or the
> church, and how can I tell for sure who the guilty party is.  Thank and
> sorry for the long post. From my track record (what people' have told my
> wife when she called to set up repeat tunings"), people are thrilled with
> my work.  I know there's room for human error, but I have this gut feeling
> that they are trying to get out of paying me and using this as an excuse to
> pull the wool over the eyes of their original piano dealer.
> Marshall
> 215-510-9400
> http://www.phillytuner.com
>
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