<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000>Well, no one was able to tell me = a price for a music desk, so I'll share what I charged. The original one was in good = condition (except for the broken ends - grain ran parallel to case sides = - weak design) and had been recently refinished in lacquer with a = red-mahogany partially-grain-filled non-rubbed-out finish. I cut off the old ends on = the band saw, fabricated new end pieces out of solid mahogany (grain running = parallel with long axis of desk), bonded them (epoxy man, epoxy!) to the two = long pieces (which I stripped down), and stained and sprayed a bunch of = coats of lacquer, sanding a couple times between coats. Delivered it last = night. Color match was perfect. The fit was perfect (not too loose, and just = shy of snug). Lady just about did back flips - "It looks just like new!" = and happily wrote me a check for my invoice of $300 and gave me a $20 tip.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000>So I guess that is the price of = a rebuilt music desk - at least $300.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000>Maybe I should have charged = more.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000>Terry Farrell</FONT></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"><B>From:</B> <A title=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 21, 2003 = 8:14 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Music Desk Price</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Dear Esteemed List Contributors,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I'm looking for some opinions on what would be = a fair price for a custom-built music desk. It is for a 1920s Baldwin grand. = It is a duplicate of the original in mahogany (as was the original) and = finished to match the previously refinished (reddish stain, clear lacquer) piano.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Is there a source for any type of complete = music desk? Can one buy a music desk from a manufacturer for a current model = piano (a Steinway, a Yamaha or whatever)? I'm thinking a fair price might be = the price of a new Yamaha desk plus some percentage (like maybe 50%?) for the = custom fit and finish.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Any opinions?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Background - for those interested in the = sordid details - go for it:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I have chosen not to charge for my time. I = will not do that. This has been the project from he%%, and I brought it on myself. = Someone leaned on the end of the music desk and broke the wood at the = end-slot. It started out that I would try and glue it back together. After getting = it back to my shop and looking more closely I realized that the break would = not fit together very well and any glue joint would be obvious - it really = needed an epoxy job, but that would get even more ugly looking. I noticed that = the other end was cracked also. The wood grain of the original runs parallel = with the ends (new ones go parallel with the long axis of = the desk). She said she wanted it to look nice - the piano has a nice = finish in very good condition. So I suggested that we just replace the ends = and refinish to match the original. She agreed, but we did not talk fees = (yes, yes, yes, I know, please spare me the lecture!!!). I feel very = comfortable charging something beyond the price of a new Yamaha desk (my guess is = maybe in the $200 - $300 range - but that's just a wild guess), but I am no = cabinet maker, and this project has taken me umpteen unmentionable hours - I = can't charge for my time - I feel that if there was a mistake made here, it = was my mistake in not knowing how long it would take for me to do this kind = of work.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I have no hesitation charging full fees for a well-defined set of services - I do that all the time. I just charged = a guy $2K for applying 472 band-aids to an old worn out square grand (only = new parts that went on it was a set of damper felts). Was the work musically = worth that price? No way. But I accurately and fully described exactly what I = would be doing, and what the results would be (and the results were as poor as = I predicted). He agreed, and I charged him (and he paid with a smile!). = My music desk project lacks that kind of clarity - so that is why I feel the = need to pursue a different fee-determination method.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry = Farrell</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>