<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=Windows-1252"> <META content=Word.Document name=ProgId> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR> <META content="Microsoft Word 10" name=Originator><LINK href="cid:filelist.xml@01C33428.A3A6CE20" = rel=File-List><o:SmartTagType name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US style="tab-interval: .5in" vLink=purple = link=blue bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black">From: <A title=tune4u@earthlink.net = href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">Alan</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 = 5:01 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: Bottom This!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV class=Section1> I’d say “Top This” = but it’s not really a <st1:City><st1:place>high point</st1:place></st1:City> or an achievement.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Tuning a not-so-bad = little Wurly spinet (Thayer Action) for an older lady in a retirement community apartment.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Refrigerator humming = along at about 15 db<o:p></o:p> Ceiling fan with bad = bearings whizzing around at about 20 db<o:p></o:p> Window air conditioner = whooshing out white noise at about 40 db<o:p></o:p> Barry Manilow kind of = music coming from the apartment next door, softly but = annoying<o:p></o:p> Daughter and Grandkids = (ages 2 and 4) show up, conversation 20 db, 50 db laughter and squealing, with = gusts up to 90<o:p></o:p> TV comes on, the Cartoon = Network at maybe 25 db<o:p></o:p> Maintenance man shows up = on humongous lawn tractor, back and forth, back and forth, roaring under = the window. Don’t know the db level but HE is wearing ear defenders!<o:p></o:p> His helper arrives with = the gas Weed-Eater = BzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZzzzzzzzzzWzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzwzzz!<o:p></o:p></= FONT> <o:p> </o:p> Whipped out my = PocketPC-Tunelab and DID IT. Everyone said it sounded great when I finished: But what = do THEY know!<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> Alan = R. Barnard<o:p></o:p> <st1:place><st1:City>Salem</st1:City>, <st1:State>MO</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> P.S. = I’ve tuned while rock bands practiced in the next room and dealt with every kind = of clock, etc. But I’m convinced that the high pitched squeals of small = children are the hardest sounds to tune = through.<o:p></o:p></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">Even if I had my magnetic = pickup for the ETD along, I'd have quit, and said, "I'll come back another day when = it's quieter", forfeiting the fee, but retaining my sanity and = self-respect.  I mean, if they can't "shut up" for 90 minutes, then they don't = deserve a decent tuning.  --Dave Nereson, RPT </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>