<!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 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>There is another aspect to this debate worth = mentioning.  I spent the first 20+ years  as a strictly aural tuner.  A few years ago I decided to buy an Accutuner mostly for use in = institutional work where I needed to tune as many pianos as possible quickly and = stress free.  More recently I purchased a Verituner.  During the = period when I was tuning aurally I think I was a very competent tuner, did lots of = concert work, and wasn't slow by any means.  Since going to ETD's I have = found that on average, I can tune more quickly and more accurately.  Under the = right circumstances, good piano, good concentration (beginning of the day) I = could probably rival the speed and accuracy of my ETD tuning.  But = overall, through the entire day, different kinds of pianos, different levels of concentration, I can without a doubt deliver more consistent and faster = tunings with an ETD.   I'm not sure (if people are being honest) how = it could be otherwise.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Since my fees are based on time, and I can complete = the task more quickly, I am, in effect, earning more money.  The 5th tuning = I do in a day is more likely to be of the same high quality as the 1st tuning of = the day and the stress I feel from that kind of schedule is greatly = diminished.  Moreover, as far as the customer is concerned, I can actually complete a = few additional tasks within the same time period that I generally took for = an aural tuning (which is, in fact, what I do).  Thus, the customer benefits = because I can include a few items in a regular service that were more = difficult before because the average time spent tuning prohibited that without = either an extra charge or loss revenue.   I benefit from having = done a more thorough job on the piano, the customer loves me and refers me to all = their friends, and after tuning five pianos in a day, I can still come home = and have a coherent conversation with my wife.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>It's not only difficult to give up these benefits, = the bigger question might be is it really fair to the customer to insist on tuning = aurally when you could deliver just as good (perhaps better) of a tuning and = more in the same amount of time and, presumably then, for the same = price?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>For me, the answer seems obvious.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>David Love</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=HazenBannister@cs.com href="mailto:HazenBannister@cs.com">HazenBannister@cs.com</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> October 24, 2002 5:10 = AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: ears vs. = eyes..kinda long-winded</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a = message dated 10/24/2002 3:08:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time, <A href="mailto:bigda@gte.net">bigda@gte.net</A> writes: <BR><BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" TYPE="CITE">and I've followed up on some really good EDT users, some = <BR>famous, at least regionally so. <BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 = face=Arial color=#000000 size=3 = FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR>Hi, = <BR>I have no doubt,that you are probably an extremely talented aural tuner.But,as = you have said above,I also have followed aural tuners in my region,with a = notable reputation,that really need to borrow my Accutuner for a few days. = <BR>Best, <BR>Hazen Bannister</FONT> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>