<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=windows-1252"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2745.2800" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT size=2>Dave</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I wonder if there is a 'car' analogy that might be = useful . . .  I have my oil changed regularly, nad ya know, I don't notice a = darn bit of difference $100 later . . .??</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I have the same dilemma with many customers, and = when I am listening to myself talk to the customer, I sometimes think I sound like = an encyclopedia salesman . . .!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Oh well, such are the thrills of the job . . = .</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Hope you have a happy Christmas with your family, = and know that all those 'tuned' pianos will be making your customers christmas's = a little bit better . . .</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>----------------------------------------------------------------= ---------<BR>Jim Kinnear<BR></FONT><A href="http://www.kinnearpiano.com"><FONT size=2>www.kinnearpiano.com</FONT></A><BR><FONT size=2>Collingwood, = ON, Canada</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1>The aim of an argument or discussion should not be = victory, but progress<BR> -- Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French = Philosopher<BR>A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=1>but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the = effort!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT> <DIV><FONT size=2>From: "Dave Nereson" <</FONT><A href="mailto:davner@kaosol.net"><FONT = size=2>davner@kaosol.net</FONT></A><FONT size=2>></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>To: <</FONT><A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><FONT size=2>pianotech@ptg.org</FONT></A><FONT size=2>></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2004 3:23 = AM</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Subject: why sell maintenance the customer won't notice?</FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT size=2>> <BR>> =     Tuned a medium-quality console that was 25 or 30 years old and had had = <BR>> minimal use.  While tuning along, I noticed that it could use = vacuuming and <BR>> a light hammer filing, but not terribly.  There was a bit = too much lost <BR>> motion, but not enough to bother most players.  = Several hammers weren't <BR>> quite aligned to the center of the unisons, but = were still striking all <BR>> three strings.  I'm sure the keys = weren't perfectly level, nor the dip <BR>> nicely uniform, and from its age = and length of time without tuning, I'm sure <BR>> all the flange screws = needed tightening, along with plate screws and all <BR>> other screws.  = Oh, and there were a few strings in the treble that maybe <BR>> needed = seating on the bridge or maybe their bridge pins tapped in (false <BR>> = beats).  And I imagine that the let-off was a bit wide.  But it played <BR>> = nicely and had a decent, acceptable tone and sustain.<BR>>     Nevertheless, I thought I should point out to the owner what work the = <BR>> piano could use in addition to tuning to put it in top shape.  So I = <BR>> explained all the above-mentioned items, that it was 30 years = old and no <BR>> piano goes that long without needing at least some routine maintenance,  and <BR>> that it would cost a few hundred dollars = to do a complete job.<BR>>     She replied, "What would I notice?"<BR>>     And you know, in all honesty, I had = to reply, "Well, maybe not much." <BR>> The tone might be a LITTLE = rounder after hammer filing, or it might be too <BR>> bright and need subsequent = voicing down.  The tone was pretty nice as it <BR>> was.  She MIGHT = notice that the action was a tiny bit more responsive (no <BR>> lost motion, = closer let-off) IF she was a fairly advanced player, which she <BR>> was = not.  But vacuuming, tightening plate and flange screws, seating strings = <BR>> or bridge pins, de-traveling "wandering" shanks, regulating dip . . . I = <BR>> doubt she or most average casual players would notice any change.  = (I <BR>> already tuned it).<BR>>     Now, with much = older pianos where the hammers are extremely worn and the <BR>> action is = extremely out of regulation, or when the hammers badly need <BR>> voicing, = often the difference after reconditioning is dramatic.  And <BR>> = sometimes the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, that is, they <BR>> might = not notice this or that item, but all together, the reconditioning <BR>> = improves the sound and touch of the instrument.  But in this case, I had a = <BR>> hard time selling the job to even myself.<BR>>     = Whatta ya do in these cases?  Just leave it?  Wait until it's "pretty = <BR>> bad" before you work on it?  Why should they spend $300 or more if = the piano <BR>> will feel and sound about the same as it did = before?  It doesn't increase <BR>> the value all that much.  It does prevent = things from getting worse, I <BR>> guess, but in this case, I think the = piano would be about the same, <BR>> regulation-wise, in 5 or even 10 years from = now, with its very casual use, <BR>> since it's been "about the = same"  for the LAST 5 or 10 years.<BR>>     --David Nereson, = RPT<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> pianotech list = info: </FONT><A href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"><FONT size=2>https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</FONT></A></BODY><= /HTML>