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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well said Alan. If someone is doing =
this for other
than making money, he can come tune my piano here at home. A lot of =
piano
technicans just do not understand this is a business. With that said, =
they also
don't understand how to manage and operate as a business. Oh well, more =
fun to
them. I'm trying to keep it both fun and work... Rich</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tune4u@earthlink.net
href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">tune4u@earthlink.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 12, =
2003 10:10
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: DC</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<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=
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