Thanks for all your comments! I find them TRULY helpful. And thanks, Bill, for the Chinese invocation "May you work on interesting pianos." But what about that saying, "Be careful what you ask for, you might get it?" The pianos I work on are PLENTY interesting. I will take all your advice(s?) and get to work! While also remembering the admonition from the sargeant on Hill Street Blues: Be Careful Out There. I should point out that I DO always attend to noises, playing problems, etc. the customer brings up as well as things I find to glaringly obvious to leave unattended. And I always point out to the customer what I did to improve the piano and why. But I see the benefit of taking it one ... or two ... steps farther. One being spending a few minutes on EVERY piano, just for my own education, and two being always pointing out to the customer what needs doing. I often point out flat hammers, etc., and what can be done about them, but on an 80 year old upright with loosening pins that hasn't ever been regulated, I also point out that it's only one step of a whole process, and that it would probably not be a wise investment in that particular piano. The only exception is where the customer expresses an attachment to the instrument such that they are willing to pay for ALL the work at some point. I have someone like this now who is saving her money for a restringing on a very average old upright. I guess what I'm saying is, I would feel it dishonest to ask someone to start pouring money into a piano like that. And also, there is a difference between a pianist and a person who has a piano in their house. Thanks again for all the encouragement! Barb Barasa Sycamore IL
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