<HTML>In a message dated 2/16/2002 2:12:53 PM Pacific Standard Time, tito@PhilBondi.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj: Re: voicing Date: 2/16/2002 2:12:53 PM Pacific Standard Time From:    tito@PhilBondi.com (Phil Bond) Sender:    owner-pianotech@ptg.org reply to: <A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> To:    pianotech@ptg.org . Phil wrote If someone reading this can tell me what their 'magic' method is for getting a piano from sounding like a bucket of broken glass to something resembling a piano, I'm listening. There's a few 'buckets' out here that could be better if they were 'properly maintained.'</BLOCKQUOTE>       >>>>>>>.  I have dealt with this in a variety of tactful and professional ways.  First explain about the possibility of broken strings. If they've already broken one and had it replaced and Haitian the ever out of tune sound consider your foot in the door. If not tell them the piano has much more musical potential than it's currently demonstrating. Offer to voice one or two notes and if they don't like it you'll restore it to the previous condition. It's also important to tell them the piano was never intended to sound like that and that it's in a mechanical state beyond its design parameters.      Also the piano will not stay tuned long with the hammers crashing about on the strings. That's why the piano is never in tune.    Frankly I've also persuaded many to replace the petrified felt hammers with legitimate hammers and then voiced it to speak. It is possible to have good hammers voiced to put out a lot of pretty sound and crisp ones without the shattering glass effect.  If after a time several tunings and attempts have clients unwilling to change the tone from the breaking glass syndrome I politely tell them that pianos this loud will damage my hearing and theirs and that perhaps they should contact someone else. There is only so much I'm going to put up with and maintaining mediocrity is not one of them.  In My experience the number ONE COMPLAINT of new piano owners is that the piano is too loud or bright. There the ones usually opening the door to this not me.  Most piano makers hammers are designed to get the piano onto the delivery truck and out the door but not to a stable well voiced musical sounding piano.       Does this help? >>>>>>>>Dale Erwin     <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"> AMEN, Phil </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>