<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><BR>"But, today's ETDs will definitely give a more than acceptable tuning. So, nearly everyone will be happy."</SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>Except the tuner, who's trying to see himself/herself as an artisan, a craftsperson, and knows that he/she just phoned it in.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>If you died today, how does this sound?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>"He was a tuner that did more than acceptable tunings, and gave 70 or 80% all the time."</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Now: I've heard beautiful, soaring tunings by strictly aural tuners, and by tuners who were using an ETD as a helpful tool. The tunings I've heard that were strictly by looking at the wheel or the dial or whatever---to me---suck. Average. Brittle-sounding. If average is where you want to be, by all means coast through your four or five tunings a day, make your 100 grand a year, but don't call yourself an artisan. An artisan is passionate, engaged, and doing his/her best when working.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>To them, it's not a job; it's a love and a calling. And I know so many fantastic artisans in this work; I was just with a lot of them at the California PTG Convention, and it's an honor to be with artisans and revel in their dedication. It's FUN to give something your all.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I think a lot of people use ETDs because they're not confident in their ears' ability to get the job done. This is just speculation, but I think there's some truth there.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Whattaya think?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Best,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>David Andersen</DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>