<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=windows-1250"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>I lowered pitch = 10+ cents today. It's been rainy and the rel. hum. in the church was 53%. Last = tuned 6 months ago. Can't blame the previous tuner, and wouldn't if I could. It = was me.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT = face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>Pianos can go = horrendously sharp. Knowing what to do in these situations requires a judgment = call ... this piano needed to be set up right for a revival so I put it at pitch. = On another occasion, I might have left it 10 cents sharp on a rainy, stormy = day after three days of rain--this on the assumption (always dangerous) that = it will fall a little as it dries out. On the other hand, maybe not; our = summers are pretty humid anyway. You have to kind of know the piano, where it = lives, and how it's treated.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT = face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>In this = particular case, I had installed a Dampp-Chaser system about 8 months ago to solve this = very problem. Today, I found no power at the outlet--turns out it only comes = on with the overhead lights, which I was not using. So, effectively, there has = been no DC system in the piano--hence the sharpness.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT = face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>Now what? They = need to change that plug so it has continuous power. BUT if we power up the DC = now, that piano will sound like screeching cats in about 4 weeks. Hmm. So I left = WRITTEN instructions to change the plug but NOT plug the system in until = September, then it will have gone all squirrelly--<EM>but at a more stable internal environment</EM>--and will be more than ready for its next scheduled = tuning in October--which very well may require a pitch raise.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT = face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>BTW, I tell = people that if I install a DC system and they maintain it faithfully (!) then I will = never charge them for pitch correction as I'm tuning.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT = face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>In today's = case, I charged them for the pitch correction.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>TUNING: It's an = art, a science, a craft. You need people skills, e.g., relationship building, = teaching, handling complaints, customer service, salesmanship and a bit of = psychology. It's a joy, a pain; satisfying sometimes, frustrating = others. Often you must make educated guesses, consult with voices of experience, experiment a little, check the wind direction, consult a Ouija = board, say a prayer and roll the bloody dice. Sometimes you get a pat on the = back, a referral, cookies, zucchinis and tomatoes, a cash tip, even dinner with = the family. Sometimes you sneak out the door and hope for the best--like = when the one-year-old has been screeching and screaming during your entire visit. = Sometimes you whistle all the way home. Sometimes you want to run like hell...</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=270505004-12042005><FONT face=Arial>...Ain't it grand.</FONT> </SPAN></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan R. = Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Salem, MO</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr = align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On = Behalf Of </B>Matthew Todd<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, April 11, 2005 11:30 = PM<BR><B>To:</B> Pianotech<BR><B>Subject:</B> Tuning<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px = solid"> <P>Hey Guys,</P> <P>I had a quick question.  I tuned someone's piano = today.  When I got to it, it was just a tad bit sharp.  Can pianos go sharp = when they go "out-of-tune", or is the previous tuner to blame?</P> <P>Also, I just got my first knick in my rosewood handle while I was = tuning.  I almost cried, but I held it together pretty = good.  They say the first scratch is the hardest.</P> <P>Thanks,</P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR>Matthew Todd<BR>Todd Piano Works<BR>Piano Tuner/Technician<BR>Tuning - Repairing - Regulating <P> <HR SIZE=1> Do you Yahoo!?<BR><A = href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/my/navbar/sethp/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs= ">Make Yahoo! your home page</A> <BR> <P><FONT size=2>--<BR>No virus found in this incoming = message.<BR>Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.<BR>Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.9.6 - = Release Date: 04/11/2005<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> <BR> <P><FONT SIZE=2>--<BR> No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.<BR> Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.9.6 - Release Date: = 04/11/2005<BR> </FONT> </P>