At 07:55 AM 9/6/96 -0400, you wrote: >Hi, Avery, > I get asked to tune to 442 five to seven times a year. I charge an >extra $100 for doing so. I keep my prive concert hall piano at 440 all the >time, summer and winter. To raise it to 442 I have to tune it twice for 442 >and twice for 440 and since it is a special request the requester must pay. > I have found that if they have to pay extra for it they will often back >off and accept 440. > Newton > nhunt@rci.rutgers.edu > > Jees Newton, I haven't been called to tune anything less than three beats off of 440 for at least the last two hundred pianos! Maybe it just seems that way. <G> Seriously though, two cps is theoretically traumatic to tuning stability but I have had to change pitch on pianos over 15 cents on second tunings just before the performance (35-40 minutes) when, three hours ago and before the lights had been on, I had it dead-on and pretty. This is an odds-on sample of daily life in my world. It's tough to split hairs past what each individual defines for themselves as a practical limit. By all means, nail it to the fork when the situation allows it, but if the circumstances are somewhat less than optimal (What! Never!), survive. BTW, this isn't a personal attack. Yours was just the first one I jumped on. Barb said, >Is it really necessary to do 2 pitch lowerings/raisings and 2 tunings to >adjust for 2 cycles a second difference?? Since I have done pitch raises of >almost a half step (Ab to A) and had the A come out almost dead on 440 >(without a SAT --- but don't start on that again -- I'm convinced!! I'll get >one when I can afford it!), I find this hard to believe. I understand the >stability issue but still ... > >I can see using this "persuasive" method just to get the customer to agree >to stop messing with the piano and saving wear and tear on the pinblock, but >what I'm asking is, are these charges really for what you would have to do? > >Barb Barasa >Ashland, OR RIGHT! Especially when you're tuning five, or six, or seven a day. You get pretty good at hitting pitch from ANYWHERE in one pass if you have to do it every day. Yes, that's without a SAT. And yes, my hands are starting to really hurt! Hmmm, maybe Newton's right. Ron Nossaman
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