<HTML>In a message dated 2/9/02 7:40:39 PM !!!First Boot!!!, mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Why is it so hard to throw out a junk piano? Why is it they stay around soooo long? </BLOCKQUOTE> Because there are too many tooners out there who think they can fix anything, and tune all pianos. Because not enough of us are telling customers they have a piece of junk. You don't have to tell them exactly that, but at least tell them the piano has outlived it's usefulness, and can no longer be tuned. The other problem is that as long as "sound" comes from the piano when a key is depressed, they think it "works." The best thing we can do is make it stop playing. When they are not looking, remove the action and throw it away. Last week my wife was asked to tune birdcage action. It was 3 steps low, and not enough hammers were working. She couldn't do it. The problem is, these people have two girls that want to take lessons from her. He's a plastic surgeon and his wife's a chiropractor. I told him the piano was no longer in playing condition, and that he should get another one. He said a blind tuner who tuned it three years ago said it played fine. I told him to get that tuner back, and make sure to have the piano raised up to A440. On Thursday the blind tuner is coming to do that, after which my wife will teach the lessons. I'll let you know what happens. Wim </HTML>