pitch raise

[Vanderhoofven]

Hi Bob,

I can sympathize with you.  I really have no answers but would also like to 
hear what other technicians have to say.  I have been tuning all pianos at 
A-438 this semester, and left the pitch at A-442 last fall.  It seems to 
help with the drastic pitch changes a bit.  But when some of the practice 
room pianos have been 40-50 cents flat, it is still a large pitch-raise to 
tune them at A-438.

One answer is Dampp-Chaser systems.  But, it doesn't help one bit if the 
system is not plugged in and if the humidifier is constantly bone dry.  The 
custodial staff is supposed to be keeping the systems filled with water, 
but I have yet to see anyone other than myself (and the piano professor) 
add water.  I don't get paid enough to tune the pianos as it is, and there 
is no budget for repairs or any type of maintenance other than tuning.  I 
have no job description, my reports about damage to the pianos have been 
ignored and about 1/3 of the pianos have tuning pin torque in the range of 
10 inch-pounds right now.

I also charge for pitch corrections with my private clients, but have been 
eating the cost of doing pitch raises at the college for 5 or 6 
years.  Piano tuning is supposed to be a stress-free job.  Hah!  I have 
pin-pointed the source of my stress, and it is doing work for the 
college.  Too much work, for too little pay, plus I have to wait for my 
money.  I have been seriously considering  dropping the college as a client 
but can't quite bring myself to cut the strings.

I will write to the list also but I really don't have an answer for you.

Best wishes,

David A. Vanderhoofven
Joplin, MO

At 12:44 AM 2/5/03, you wrote:

>At the university where I provide service for fee work, I have just 
>started my round of tunings for the upcoming second semester.  I am 
>finding the pitch has dropped an unusual amount since the last 
>tuning.  For all but the recital hall pianos, the school asks me to tune 
>once at the beginning of the first semester and again at the beginning of 
>the second.   The pitch on many of them so far has been close to -16 
>cents.  (I think the real cold weather we had recently may be the culprit, 
>with heating units running more and drying things out more.)
>
>Of course this requires at least two full passes and will need a follow up 
>tuning (which may not be in the budget and therefore may not happen).  I 
>always do two passes anyway even for just a few cents pitch change but 
>this seems more extreme.   How do other service for fee techs handle the 
>charges on pitch raise situations like this.  For my private customers I 
>charge an extra amount for pitch raises of this nature.
>
>Bob Hull, RPT
>
>Technician for Union University
>
>Jackson, TN
>
>
>
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