<html> <body> Jim, At 07:51 AM 12/25/04, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Dave I wonder if there is a 'car' analogy that might be useful . . .  I have my oil changed regularly, nad ya know, I don't notice a darn bit of difference $100 later . . .??</blockquote> Wow! If you have to pay $100.00 to have your oil changed, I think we're ALL in the ] wrong business! :-) Avery <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">I have the same dilemma with many customers, and when I am listening to myself talk to the customer, I sometimes think I sound like an encyclopedia salesman . . .! Oh well, such are the thrills of the job . . . Hope you have a happy Christmas with your family, and know that all those 'tuned' pianos will be making your customers christmas's a little bit better . . .   ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Kinnear <a href="http://www.kinnearpiano.com">www.kinnearpiano.com</a> Collingwood, ON, Canada   The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress  -- Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French Philosopher A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort!               ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Nereson" <<a href="mailto:davner@kaosol.net">davner@kaosol.net</a>> To: <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Saturday, December 25, 2004 3:23 AM Subject: why sell maintenance the customer won't notice? > >     Tuned a medium-quality console that was 25 or 30 years old and had had > minimal use.  While tuning along, I noticed that it could use vacuuming and > a light hammer filing, but not terribly.  There was a bit too much lost > motion, but not enough to bother most players.  Several hammers weren't > quite aligned to the center of the unisons, but were still striking all > three strings.  I'm sure the keys weren't perfectly level, nor the dip > nicely uniform, and from its age and length of time without tuning, I'm sure > all the flange screws needed tightening, along with plate screws and all > other screws.  Oh, and there were a few strings in the treble that maybe > needed seating on the bridge or maybe their bridge pins tapped in (false > beats).  And I imagine that the let-off was a bit wide.  But it played > nicely and had a decent, acceptable tone and sustain. >     Nevertheless, I thought I should point out to the owner what work the > piano could use in addition to tuning to put it in top shape.  So I > explained all the above-mentioned items, that it was 30 years old and no > piano goes that long without needing at least some routine maintenance,  and > that it would cost a few hundred dollars to do a complete job. >     She replied, "What would I notice?" >     And you know, in all honesty, I had to reply, "Well, maybe not much." > The tone might be a LITTLE rounder after hammer filing, or it might be too > bright and need subsequent voicing down.  The tone was pretty nice as it > was.  She MIGHT notice that the action was a tiny bit more responsive (no > lost motion, closer let-off) IF she was a fairly advanced player, which she > was not.  But vacuuming, tightening plate and flange screws, seating strings > or bridge pins, de-traveling "wandering" shanks, regulating dip . . . I > doubt she or most average casual players would notice any change.  (I > already tuned it). >     Now, with much older pianos where the hammers are extremely worn and the > action is extremely out of regulation, or when the hammers badly need > voicing, often the difference after reconditioning is dramatic.  And > sometimes the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, that is, they > might not notice this or that item, but all together, the reconditioning > improves the sound and touch of the instrument.  But in this case, I had a > hard time selling the job to even myself. >     Whatta ya do in these cases?  Just leave it?  Wait until it's "pretty > bad" before you work on it?  Why should they spend $300 or more if the piano > will feel and sound about the same as it did before?  It doesn't increase > the value all that much.  It does prevent things from getting worse, I > guess, but in this case, I think the piano would be about the same, > regulation-wise, in 5 or even 10 years from now, with its very casual use, > since it's been "about the same"  for the LAST 5 or 10 years. >     --David Nereson, RPT > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"> https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</a> </blockquote></body> </html>