<HTML>In a message dated 3/18/01 6:45:54 PM Central Standard Time, crbrpt@bellatlantic.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">My most loyal customers are those who have tried to tune their own pianos. </BLOCKQUOTE> This is about how I feel. This whole discussion about pianist learning to tune their own piano should be looked on by professional piano tuners as a means to increase business, not take it away. I encourage people who call and ask for tuning hammers, tuning forks, advice on tuning the piano, etc. I get rewarded handsomely by the people with whom I spend a few minutes talking about how to tune a piano, or from whom I make a few dollars selling tuning instruments. Sooner or later they all realize there is much more to tuning a piano than turning the pin. And for the few who actually do learn to do it themselves, they become piano tuners, and join the ranks, and the PTG. So why discourage these people? If Mr. Widener can make a few bucks selling his ETD, and if the professor feels good about writing his dissertation on the web, more power to them. Bring it on. We can use the extra work. Willem </HTML>