<!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 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> Hi Brett. A few comments interspersed below: Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them . I = seem to have slowed down . More so on the quality instruments . How long have you been servicing pianos? I've been at = it about ten years now, and yes, I have observed the exact same thing - = especially about five years ago. I the beginning, a nice Yamaha grand was the fastest to = tune because it was tunable. Now, because it is tunable, I tend to spent more = time with a piano like that, than with a hopeless spinet. Then as I got to the lower bass another noise the keybed was = knocking . Maybe the Dampp-Chaser system I installed last year made these things = show up. All I know is I ended up running about an hour behind . But I spend more time tuning for my tuning fee, not = fixing false beats and flanges, etc. Then this afternoon I ran into a KG-1 I tune every 3 months . New = DC system last fall ???? wild strings 5th 6th & 7th . I ended up = seating all the bridge pins & strings it was easier to dress all the strings = & then tune . Then a buzzing sound from the case. Had to tighten every = screw tell I finally happened to kick a small fan with a metal cage = setting under the piano . Fixed it ! This piano is used for Jazz gigs , Now everyone = will wounder why the pianist is sweating . I tossed the fan .Another hour = behind ! I seem to be spending more time on the grands I tune then before . = The spinets well I do my best . Even a nice U-3 or 1 will slow me down with = one thing or another . For me, if some repair is going to take more than five = minutes or so, I have a chat with the piano owner and charge for it if they want = it done. Am I just hearing better ? Has my experience gotten to the = point where I find more things that I would have missed before (most = likely). Yes, that is my observation.  I know that most of the pianist don't hear these things . = I'm also afraid that the ones that do feel that they got a poor tuning . = Especially false beats. That is one of my fears: = customer will think I did a crappy tuning because of all the false beats. If they seem = like a good player, or they have said something that suggests they are in some = way sensitive to the in-tune/out-of-tune concept (not many are), I will = sometimes point out the false beats - basically to tell them, "It's not my fault"! Before I got into tuning as a player I didn't hear 90 percent of = what I do now . And I'm sure that most people grow accustomed to what they are = play day in & out. Most likely. They must because when I'm done with every piano I play it . Most = of the spinets I hate . They think it sounds great . Even the little spinet I = played for years as a kid hurts to play now . Back then it was great ! = At what point do you decide to charge for these little = extras . Or should you cover your tunings by fixing the little things . IMHO, tuning fee is for tuning, plus maybe a = five-minute freebie. After five minutes or so, the hourly meter starts = running. For now thats where I'm at . It sure can make you run behind = though . Thanks for the input on reselling services . I'm sure now that = I'm not charging enough . That's the way it sounds! Terry Farrell</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black">From: <A title=bgpianoman@email.com = href="mailto:bgpianoman@email.com">BRETT GLASS</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Saturday, December 17, = 2005 2:25 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: Tuning time</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas to All , And to Ken I'm not missing the SNOW ! Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them . I seem = to have slowed down . More so on the quality instruments . Like today I = was tuning a customers Steinway L (1972)  for the second time . = I don't remember it taking as long last year .  This time the 5th & = 6th octives had so many false beats . I stoped to seat the strings & = bridge pins . Then I got annoyed by a clicking noise on G-6 that turned out = to be a loose hammer flange bushing . Then as I got to the lower bass another noise the keybed was = knocking . Maybe the Dampp-Chaser system I installed last year made these things = show up. All I know is I ended up running about an hour behind . Then this afternoon I ran into a KG-1 I tune every 3 months . New = DC system last fall ???? wild strings 5th 6th & 7th . I ended up seating all = the bridge pins & strings it was easier to dress all the strings & = then tune . Then a buzzing sound from the case. Had to tighten every screw tell I finally happened to kick a small fan with = a metal cage setting under the piano . Fixed it ! This piano is used for Jazz = gigs , Now everyone will wounder why the pianist is sweating . I tossed the = fan .Another hour behind ! I seem to be spending more time on the = grands I tune then before . The spinets well I do my best . Even a nice U-3 or = 1 will slow me down with one thing or another . Am I just hearing better ? Has my experience gotten to the = point where I find more things that I would have missed before (most likely). I = know that most of the pianist don't hear these things . I'm also afraid that the = ones that do feel that they got a poor tuning . Before I got into tuning as = a player I didn't hear 90 percent of what I do now . And I'm sure that = most people grow accustomed to what they are play day in & out. They = must because when I'm done with every piano I play it . Most of the spinets = I hate . They think it sounds great . Even the little spinet I played for = years as a kid hurts to play now . Back then it was great ! At what point do you decide to charge for these little extras = . Or should you cover your tunings by fixing the little things . For now = thats where I'm at . It sure can make you run behind though . Thanks for the input on reselling services . I'm sure now that I'm = not charging enough . Brett Glass A Sharp Piano Service Maui PS: I won't tell you how I fixed the loose bushing other = than to say I had none with me . And most likely that flange will need to be = replaced next time it needs to be rebushed . It was loose to the wood in the flange = . I know the quick fix police are going to pull me over for speeding to the = next job . Guess -- ___________________________________________________ Play 100s of = games for FREE! <A href="http://games.mail.com/" = target=_blank>http://games.mail.com/</A></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>=