<STYLE></STYLE><font face="arial" size="2">At least you confirmed my numbers were in line.  I told her 3000 for the stringing and hammers and associated pitch raise.  I told her there would likely be more charges at that point aftere we found out what regulation and voicing needed to be accomplished.  I also told her at that point she would have a piano worth $400 (at best) and could buy a brand new comparable piano for around $2500.00.   So at least we agree on the numbers.  I was amazed that she wanted to do the work.  <br /><br />I must report that she said she "thought" she wanted to have it fixed, but was going to sleep on it before making a decision.   She hasn't called back so far...<br /><br /></font><font face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif" size="2"> <hr align="center" width="100%" size="2" /> <b>From</b>: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com><br /><b>Sent</b>: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 7:06 AM<br /><b>To</b>: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org><br /><b>Subject</b>: Re: Just needs a little tuning!</font><br /><br /> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">I've also been reading this thread with some wonder. Just a quick tally of proposed fees for the minimum this piano would need - complete restringing, new hammers, damper felt and action & damper regulation, I come up with $2,800, which doesn't include running back and forth to this guy's house, etc.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">I gotta admit, I'm very curious what the "just high enough" bid was and what the proposed tasks were. I'm also curious what the suggested new and used comparable piano prices given were. I mean, you can't even buy a piano that bad anymore - can you? They don't make GRAND pianos anymore - do they? A new comparable piano - if there were such a beast - might be $2K (just thinking that you can pick up some trashy little thing today for about $2.5K)? And used - wholesale - zero; private retail - $200 - $600; dealer retail - $1K - $1,300?</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Only once have I refused to work on a piano when the owner really wanted to do the/some work. Almost always I can educate the owner toward some better options. Of course, when there is significant sentimental value to the piano, all common sense goes out the window - I know that and I can work with that. But that is reportedly not the case here. </font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">If a reputable piano tech can't make the owner see the light in a situation like this, then........</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">$2,800 just to end up with a crappy little piano? No, I would walk from this one - I would fear my reputation suffering. For $2,800 the person could go to a dealer and buy an excellent condition Yamaha P-22. With some legwork, they could find a decent U-1 or U-3 in a private sale. For less than that cost they could find a later model good condition American studio piano. When pianos like the aforementioned are available at a similar or less cost, it makes NO sense whatsoever to sink that kind of money into a low-end spinet.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Even if all the work needed cost $500 - even if it were $200, I would still try to talk the owner into replacement.....</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Just my rant worth.....</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Terry Farrell</font></div> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><span class="988395507"><font face="Arial">Jeez, on an Aeolian spinet, I would think the money would be better spent toward a better piano.</font></span></div> <div><span class="988395507">    <font face="Arial">--David Nereson, RPT</font> </span></div> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <div class="OutlookMessageHeader" dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Tahoma" size="2">-----Original Message-----<br /></font><font size="2"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">"Mamma said there be days like this."</span></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221"></span></font> </div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">This morning I woke up to a terrible rain storm.  My first piano of the day was a new customer only 10 miles away who told me she had an upright piano that just needed a "tuning".</span></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221"></span></font> </div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">I arrived to find a 1975 Henry F. Miller Spinet.  It didn't look too bad from the outside.  Then I opened it up.  the felt on every single hammer is seperating from the hammers.  I counted 24 bass strings broken, and 26 treble strings.</span></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221"></span></font> </div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">I showed her what it looked like on the inside and she asked me if it was worth fixing.  I told her that she was the only one who could decide that.  I gave her a price for re-stringing, and replacing all the hammers and a good cleaning.  I explained to her what a comperable piano would cost her to purchase new and used.  I bid the job high enough (but fair for the amount of work that needs to be done) and figured that no sane person would want to put that kind of money into this piano.  She wants it fixed!   </span></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221"></span></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">I usually just lurk here and glean all the knowlege I can from you fine folks, but my new year's resolution is to participate more in the list.  I thought this gem of a piano was worth sharing.  I'm just glad all it needed was a good tuning!  I don't think I could stand it if it needed some serious work done!</span></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221"></span></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">Joey</span></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">On Key Piano</span></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff"><span class="703550221">Plains, GA</span></font></div><a href="http://www.livingwaters.com/learn/" target="_blank"></a></div></blockquote></blockquote></font><br />