Jeff, Joseph, Of course, we are the consultants *and* educators. But withholding services can backfire--the school or institution can always get a second opinion. I came by a very nice position because another technician was doing exactly that. (Sorry, no details, it's a long story and not appropriate for publication.) My point is if you've done all you can for an instrument, you've done all you can--and then nature can take its course. Barbara Richmond, RPT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Tanner" <jtanner@mozart.sc.edu> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 11:22 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Consultants, was CA for loose pins on a "D"? >I agree with Joseph here. There is no one -- not one person at your >university - who is serving as a piano inventory consultant unless it is >us. That should be a part of each of our job descriptions. Who are we >going to leave consultation up to if it is not to the experts? We are >indeed the "senior consultants". If we are not being viewed as such, there >is a serious problem in the system. > > Jeff T > > > > On Sunday, April 17, 2005, at 09:06 AM, Joseph D. Gotta, RPT wrote: > >> OK, I wasn't so much encouraging, 'forcing the hand of the school' as >> avoiding ENABLING them to continue ignoring a crippled failing concert >> instrument while they continue to allocate funds to million dollar >> landscaping projects. Yes CA glue will make the piano tunable but what >> about the loose bridge pins, cracked soundboard, excessive false beats, >> etc... As a university technician your job of course is 'to help an >> instrument hold the tune' but also to guide them in the direction of >> excellence. Patching and rigging a concert instrument for minimum >> adequacy runs the risk of underestimating the desire and ability of the >> school to achieve that high degree of excellence. The old saying >> 'necessity is the mother of invention' comes to mind. Numerous times >> I've seen institutions suddenly 'find' the means to do what needs to be >> done, or patrons step up to the challenge and fund new pianos or rebuild >> work. Yes communication is important, but sometimes standing back and >> allowing nature to take its course is one of the most effective tools we >> have. >> >> Joseph D. Gotta RPT >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of >> Barbara Richmond >> Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 10:41 AM >> To: College and University Technicians >> Subject: Re: [CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"? >> >> I agree on the need for a good instrument, but, I have a bit of a >> problem >> with trying to force the hand of the school. Did Cy say the school is >> awash >> in cash? Is there really harm in helping an instrument hold the tune? >> I >> believe as a university technician, my job was (was, because I moved >> away) >> to explain the choices available--especially when the choices involved a >> lot >> of money. >> >> My recommendation, Cy, is communicate! Explain the situation as best >> you >> can. Explain what you *can* or *might be able to accomplish* and >> include >> that what you can do is not the end all solution, they had better start >> raising the funds for the big fix or purchase--if that is the case. >> This >> type of approach sure has turned out to be the road to success for me. >> >> Barbara Richmond, RPT >> Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University >> >> PS I just used CA on a B for a financially strapped institution. They >> were >> extremely happy to have use of the instrument again. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Joseph D. Gotta, RPT >> To: 'College and University Technicians' >> Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 7:35 AM >> Subject: RE: [CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"? >> >> >> >> Having said all that, if the piano is in a more environmentally >> friendly home now, doing any sort of repair may be doing the college a >> disservice as well as shooting yourself in the foot at the same time. >> The >> fact of the matter is that the college students need a top of the line >> instrument such as this one has the potential to be, the faculty needs >> it, >> and the college is awash in cash to do the job if they decide to >> adequate >> the funds. Repairs may only deny the students and faculty a better >> instrument for an extended period of time. Sometimes allowing them to >> suffer >> a poorly performing piano is the right thing to do. It allows them to >> keep >> the incentive to do what they both need and can afford, rebuild. >> >> Joseph D. Gotta RPT >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Cy >> Shuster >> Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 10:20 PM >> To: CAUT >> Subject: [CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"? >> >> I've been studying piano technology for ten years, on and off (I've >> passed >> the RPT written exam), and have been tuning professionally for a year >> and a >> half. I've applied to North Bennet St. for this fall. >> >> I was just asked to take care of an S&S D for a local community college. >> It's 1917 vintage (played by Rachmaninoff at one time!), and rebuilt by >> Steinway about ten years ago. It's suffering from humidity damage: 8" >> crack >> in the soundboard behind and under the treble bridge and elsewhere, >> false >> beats in the low tenor (loose bridge pins?), and loose tuning pins in >> the >> bass. One or two are so loose I was tempted to mute them, for fear they >> wouldn't survive a concert. >> >> Of the needed repairs, the only one's I'm qualified to do are to CA the >> loose pins, which I've done successfully three times previously. I'll >> happily do this on someone's no-name, 100-year-old, 4'8" neonatal grand >> with >> rusty strings, but I want to ask for advice before doing anything >> irreversible to an instrument of this caliber. I can do the repair >> without >> side effects, I'm sure (I pull the action and use copious amounts of >> plastic >> tarps), but still... >> >> Is the right thing to do to simply write up a report and say that it >> needs a >> new pinblock, bridge cap, and at least epoxy in the soundboard cracks? >> Or >> let Steinway re-evaluate it? Is it better to pull the loose pins and >> shim >> with sandpaper or veneer rather than risking CA? Will Steinway scoff if >> they get a CA'd pinblock to replace? >> >> Side note: it has a disassembled DC system... sigh... >> >> --Cy Shuster-- >> Bluefield, WV >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> > Jeff Tanner, RPT > School Of Music > University of South Carolina > > _______________________________________________ > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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