<!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 size=2>Went to tune a piano a few months back = for a new client. Two youngsters taking piano lessons. Old worn-out upright. = Talked her into junking the piano and buying a newer one. Gave her some = guidance for shopping. Told her I do pre-purchase piano inspections. I told her phone = calls are free.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You know where this is going, don't you?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Got a call from her and the kid's piano = teacher a few weeks ago. They were looking at a little console that was for sale = by a local piano mover. They described it and I said what they described = sounded OK, but that I would need to inspect it to offer a firm opinion. She calls a = week or so ago, says she bought the piano, and we scheduled a = tuning.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I went there yesterday. Kincade = (Kimball) console. Open lid. Pinblock split away from all five vertical back posts. About a = quarter-inch separation. Piano is 75 to 125 cents flat.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I recommended she try to get her = money back. She said she signed an AS-IS purchase agreement. She paid $800 for this = piece of $#@&!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I recommended against tuning it. I = suggested there was a better-than even chance the tuning will not hold for long (hour? = day? week? month?) and that there is also the chance that raising the pitch = would accelerate the pinblock/frame migration, and even possibly put the = integrity of the plate at risk. I ultimately said that I was not comfortable raising = the pitch to A440.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyone want to offer an opinion on my recommendations? Just curious what YOU would have done.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I also told her that it could be = repaired, etc.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Oh, and I also suggested that she call = me next time for an inspection BEFORE she buys another piano.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry = Farrell</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>