<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: DC</TITLE>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; =
charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT color=#0000ff =
size=2>Well I disagree
on a couple of points.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT color=#0000ff =
size=2>One: I just
installed a full system with bottom cover on my own 1920 Geo. Steck =
Grand. I
absolutely believe in the DC. I've seen untunable pianos given new life. =
I've
seen soundboard cracks—so wide you could watch the owner's dog =
playing under her
1906 Steinway S—completely close up. And I've installed one =
in a
Chickering quarter grand with a terrible pinblock that I had struggled =
to keep
in tune for 2 years, owner then sold it two months later with the DC
intact and it was hauled into the hills (literally), I got called =
to tune
by the new owner and the darn thing almost needed no tuning--amazingly =
in tune.
And that last piano had gone from a well-regulated climate in a =
manufactured
home to an old farmhouse using wood-stove heat and it was the dead of =
winter. I
honestly can't understand why any tech who works in an area of =
wide
temp/humidity swings and has installed a few systems would not be as
enthusiastic as I.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT color=#0000ff =
size=2>Two: You said
"...<FONT color=#000000>our primary reason for existance is not to =
make money."
To which I say, with respect, bullmuffins. The primary function of any =
business
is to make a profit. The primary purpose of any employment is to make =
money. Can
we do that with integrity and honesty? Absolutely. But I'm not in =
business to be
noble: it's my livelyhood. This is NOT a personal critisiscm of you =
or your
operating philosophy, but making money is a good thing. I've made quite =
a lot of
money on DC systems. And I've made my life simpler--when I tune
pianos with DC systems I sincerely believe (from experience) that =
they tune
more easily, require less pitch correction (if any), hold their =
tune
better, and are simply more stable. I would like to see a well
installed--plugged in and maintained--full DC system in every piano I'm =
asked to
tune.</FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT =
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT size=2>Nor do I "push" the =
DC systems
or act like the stereotypical life insurance salesman. For =
appropriate
situations, I explain how climate affects the piano, point out any =
specific
problems with their piano and environment, and give them a brochure =
and/or let
them watch the video. I quote my price and two-thirds of the time they =
say
"Gimme one."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT =
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT size=2>I know I'm not the =
only tech
who's enthused about the DC, but I will stand down from my soapbox =
now,
gotta go to work. I have 4 upright systems and 1 grand DC =
system
sitting in boxes in my living room. I will be installing them this week =
and
next.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT size=2>Alan
Barnard</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=811244415-12022003><FONT size=2>Salem,
MO</FONT> </SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT =
face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> =
pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of =
</B>Armond<BR><B>Sent:</B>
Wednesday, February 12, 2003 7:03 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
Pianotech<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: DC<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>on 2/12/03 =
2:54 AM,
KENNETH FINLAYSON at kennyfin@jetstream.net wrote:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>Hi
List:<BR></FONT></FONT><BR><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>Time =
and again I
have come across DC installed in a piano, and I feel the customer =
has thrown
his money away. What really was wrong was tight centre pins, or =
tight key
bushings. <BR></FONT></FONT><BR><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>As =
RPT's, our
primary reason for existance is not to make money: but to ensure =
quality
piano care within the musical community. I ran across another DC =
recently
installed in a brand-new Samick. In my opinion, it was a waste of =
money,
which gave satisfaction only to the piano store who made a profit by =
installing it. <BR></FONT></FONT><BR><FONT size=2><FONT =
face=Arial>I never
recommend DC. I don't believe in them. I might someday, but it would =
have to
be under very extenuating circumstances. =
<BR></FONT></FONT><BR><U>From David
Slolnik, Feb 10, Vol 156 Section 3</U> :- "In fact, Steinway's web =
site
makes absolutely no mention of <BR>DampChasers. They recommend =
maintaining the room environment at between <BR>45% and 65% by the =
use of
room humidification, dehumidification and <BR>air-conditioning. =
My
experience has been that Steinway has been extremely <BR>reticent in =
recommencing the use of DampChasers, as they have no control =
<BR>over the
quality of the installation, nor the dependability of the product
<BR>itself."<BR><BR><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial>Kenneth =
Finlayson,
RPT<BR><BR>the thing is, soundboards, or real ones anyway, create =
the proper
tone and curve at 42% humidity. the string tension against the =
board
when strings are tuned at 440cps., also is engineerd to the proper =
curve in
the soundboard. therefore, all soundboards should be kept at =
42%
relative humidty. granted the DC systems are not the best way =
to do
this, but by far the practical way to, and are necessary and there =
are no
different opions on the subject because piano engineering is =
mathematical
and physical
science.<BR><BR>Armond<BR></FONT></FONT><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></BLOCKQUOTE=
></BODY></HTML>