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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Les, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I try to stay away from the old giants as well,
however, when I try to determine what the situation is with the person on the
phone it usually the case that the person can't faithfully describe what
condition the piano is in or even the maker of the instrument. More often than
not when I see the piano it is either a tunable piano of medium quality or
something exceptional (in the world of never ending uprights) that is unique in
case, construction and vintage that will yield good results especially if it has
been cared for during it's life on earth. I guess my main question I ask to
determine if it's worth the trip to their door is "how long have you owned it
and when was the last time it was tuned". The other side to that is the time
wasted when you enter to find the 3 castered door beater just waiting for string
breakage hour. An unfortunate waste of time and gas but I will have no problem
being the bearer of bad news and get out with a little extra time for errands
and a piano owner with a easier decision to make. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>David C. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=wimblees@aol.com href="mailto:wimblees@aol.com">Willem Blees</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net
href="mailto:l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net">l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net</A> ; <A
title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 24, 2008 7:15
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: am I getting too old?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Les</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>When you get to the point where you don't want to work on old clunkers,
and you don't need old pianos just to fix them up, you can pat yourself
on the back, and say, "I'm finally doing what I LIKE to do, and not what I
HAVE to do, to make a living". That is when the drudgery ends, and
the fun begins. You've not gotten old. You've just gotten
very good. Congratulations. <BR></DIV>
<DIV style="CLEAR: both">Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT<BR>Piano
Tuner/Technician<BR>Honolulu, HI<BR>Author of <BR>The Business of Piano
Tuning<BR>available from Potter
Press<BR>www.pianotuning.com</DIV><BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From:
Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net><BR>To:
pianotech@ptg.org<BR>Sent: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 3:56 pm<BR>Subject: am I getting
too old?<BR><BR>
<DIV id=AOLMsgPart_2_b374dae0-5145-4ef4-a9e5-43cc819e2529>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I got a call today from some guy who has an "old
K&C" piano with some broken strings and some broken hammers and needs a
tune up real bad…………… Do many come to the point where there is a
limit to "problems" one reaches and finally just decides s/he doesn't want to
work on such a relic? He says he'll call me back (I am afraid he
might) after I get done with a school district.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I also got a call from a man wanting to give away
a "concert baby grand piano". Free, no less! And insensitive me, I
declined the offer. I'm kind of serious about the question,
though. The guy says he has a whole bunch of hammers he bought from someone,
so is sure I could find ones that fit. He just doesn't know how to do the
fixin'. I hope I'm not becoming a snob, but I simply
can't bring myself to face things which seem to offer no hope of being better
after being "worked on"……</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>les bartlett</FONT> </DIV></DIV><!-- end of AOLMsgPart_2_b374dae0-5145-4ef4-a9e5-43cc819e2529 -->
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