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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jeffrey,, I would have probably =
done the
same. After you work on one of these for two or three days, you =
still
don't have anything to show for your efforts, and you're afraid to =
charge what
your time is worth.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Nice touch with =
giving them a
copy of "How to buy a good used piano" though.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kevin </FONT></DIV>
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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=schlaybach@earthlink.net
href="mailto:schlaybach@earthlink.net">Jeffrey Schlaybach</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 30, =
2003 9:42
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Another old player
condemned</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Out of curiousity, I'd like some opinions related to =
the advice
I gave<BR>yesterday to a family with an old player (gutted) made by =
York Piano
Company<BR>(serial # 66413).<BR><BR><BR>I was asked to come a tune the =
piano
and told there were a few keys not<BR>working. There are 2 children =
who play
it and one has started at a local<BR>piano institute.<BR><BR>I moved =
the beast
away from the wall and the entire piano fell slightly<BR>backward. =
There was a
block of wood on the back right corner to support the<BR>missing
wheel.<BR><BR>Upon further inspection: the pinblock was cracked at =
numerous
places, tuning<BR>pins were loose as a result and had been doped by =
someone in
the past.<BR>Hammer was broken off on one key, strings were broken, =
pitch was
high at<BR>some sections and low at others (this seemed odd to me that =
some
would be<BR>sharp), treble and bass bridges were very cracked up, =
cabinet
finsihed was<BR>poor and veneer was pulled off at places. Jack springs =
were
missing, I<BR>noticed a broken Whippen, and if I had continue to look =
I'm sure
I'd have<BR>found other things.<BR><BR>After seeing the cracked =
bridges I
asked the owner about its senitmental<BR>value - they indicated there =
was not
much. I then sugeested that in my<BR>opinion the piano was not worth =
the money
required to repair and make it<BR>playable, espcially with one child =
taking
lessons at an institute. She<BR>seemed relieved to hear this and told =
me her
husband was shocked that she<BR>wanted to spend anything to even tune =
it. She
also said they had a keyboad<BR>that the kids would use till they =
found
something else.<BR><BR>I did not feel I should charge her anything but =
when
pressed suggested $20.<BR>She indicated taht she thought this was not =
enough
for my time and gas but I<BR>made the bill out for $20 anyway. When I =
got home
I noticed she wrote the<BR>check out for $30!<BR><BR>I plan to send =
her the a
copy of , :How to buy a good used piano" as a<BR>"thankyou".<BR><BR>I =
also
mentioned that I'd be happy to check out any piano she might =
be<BR>inclined to
buy in the future and hoped to be able to conitnue to =
provide<BR>tuning and
repair business.<BR><BR>Did I condemn a piano that might have been =
given a few
more years?!<BR><BR>Jeff Schlaybach - Robesonia,
PA<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>pianotech =
list
info: <A
=
href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org=
/mailman/listinfo/pianotech</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>