Inventory Tags

[Ron Torrella]

Avery Todd wrote:

> List,
>
>    I'm just full of it today. Uh, questions, that is. :-)
>    I need to put some inventory tags on several new pianos we have. The
> instructions which came with them said "Tags should be placed on the front
> of equipment. .....alternate locations are the top right or right sides of
> the equipment. Do not place tags on the bottom or back of the equipment."

Depends on your orientation as to which is the "front" of the instrument.  From the
audience's viewpoint, the front might be the bent side.  From the conductor's perspective
(solo piano), it may be looking into the bend toward the pianist.

[snip]

> I'm considering placing them on the cheek blocks, just in front of the fallboard. What
> think you?

Uh...*toward* the player (ie., in full view, within reach of the fingernails of pianists
annoyed by something pasted to the top of the cheekblock)? Nope.  Not my first choice.

Didn't care for the plate location, either.  Same goes for the back edge of the music desk
on the treble side -- or *anywhere* on the music desk.  Even though they're not supposed
to fit other pianos, I'm finding swapped music desks a little more frequently than I care
to contemplate. (How *do* they do that?)  Music desks around here receive so much abuse,
that I fully expect them to start disappearing -- found floating in the allegedly
piano-shaped pond adjacent to the S.O.M.

No, my location of choice for inventory stickers is ...... well, stand in the bend of the
rim looking in the direction of the keyboard (I call this "south" since the tail, to me,
is "north" -- isn't that odd!), squat down and look dead ahead (N.B. Wait until there's no
pianist sitting there, or you may be staring down the barrel of a harrassment claim!).
There's a "log" of wood that the pedal lyre is sometimes attached to; hangs down about 1
1/2 - 2".  Perfect location.  The only folks who'd ever notice it would be the cleaning
staff and students who probably shouldn't have stayed up quite so late.  <knock on wood>
I've never come back to just the sticky stuff where the sticker *used* to be.  Then again,
we don't often get pianos refinished....

Ron Torrella, RPT
(strictly BMus-ed)