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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#215868'>Matthew:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#215868'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#215868'>If D-30 is the last plain string
it must be a Baldwin SF-10 or it could be a model R (I don’t have those
scales here in front of me). In my humble opinion it’s a scale
issue. The wire changes on the long bridge without any string length changes
can and frequently do have big tonal changes there. The string tension is
radically different between those notes. Some skilled voicing can
sometimes partially mask the disparity but nothing will make it go away without
rescaling. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#215868'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#215868'>dave<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#215868'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#215868'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#215868'>David M. Porritt, RPT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;
color:#215868'><a href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu"><span style='color:blue'>dporritt@smu.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#215868'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Matthew
Todd<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 04, 2008 5:51 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Pianotech List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Customer Satisfaction<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>So, I have returned from the dreaded appointment. It
actually went pretty fair. I tried several things on the note she was
complaining about, but I don't really think it did much. She actually
said it improved, but it really didn't. But hey, if she said it did, I
wasn't going to argue with her.<br>
<br>
The note in question is D-30. The piano is a Baldwin grand, and the D is
the note just before the copper wound strings. I did two things to the
note.<br>
<br>
I spent some time voicing, and then I made sure the knuckle and jack
relationship was where it is supposed to be. It was off some.<br>
<br>
If you were to play a D Major scale, by the time you hit D-30, it just doesn't
quite match the previous notes. It doesn't quite have the
"life" the others have. It is not bad. In fact, if she
didn't point it out to me (I wish she hadn't!) I wouldn't have noticed it when
I tuned it a month ago. There is just a little "thud" when you
play it. Or like the note is sounding with just a little less force and
volume than the rest. She demonstrated the way it sounds to her by playing
a Sonata she had been practicing. In the piece she is repeating the D,
and that is how she probably discovered it.<br>
<br>
I know this will be difficult to diagnose over the internet, and it is
definitely not something severe that calls for another tech, but it is a good
learning experience for me, and I did tell her I wasn't going to give up, or
call her "picky" or "crazy".<br>
<br>
Thanks!<br>
Matthew<br>
<br>
<b><i>Michael Kurta <mkurta@roadrunner.com></i></b> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
Matthew:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
First, get a clear explanation and demonstration from the customer as to their
complaint. Some folks have a hard time explaining so you'll need to help
them with this. You need all the information you can get to diagnose
accurately. Second try your best to remedy their problem. 95% of complaints
are real and noticeable to the player, though there are some which may not be
correctable, and others that are imagined. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
Failing your efforts to make them happy, call upon another, more experienced
tech to help, even if you have to pay for their time. Chalk it up to
training as we've all had to do this once in awhile. Sometimes a second
opinion will reinforce your solution, and the customer will be satisfied.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
My favorite motto is: "The customer isn't always right, but they're
always the customer." Good Luck and let us know how it all worked
out.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
Mike Kurta, RPT</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
Syracuse chapter </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
Moving to the Chicago chapter August 1.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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