Should I feel bad (busted strings)?

[Jon Page]

Strings have already been broken in this piano. That is a warning sign a lot
of us overlook.
1/2 tone flat requires a few pitch raisings and a rough tuning. Followed by
a better tuning in a few weeks,
or months as the budget will allow. (notice I didn't say fine tuning, this
is reserved for customers only).
Of course if you have the wizardery of Chris Robinson, you could accomplish
the whole mess in under 20 minutes.  This is truely a sight and sound to
behold. It has been many years since I witnessed this feat,
and I am still held in awe of his keen perception.

To get back to broken strings, I have noticed that the majority of strings
that broke while I was turning the pin;
did so when I did not first let the tension down thereby breaking the
corrosion at the v-bar or agraffe.
Let the string down just enough to hear the ping, this doesn't take much;
just a few cps.

Make sure the rim bolts are screwed down. I've had uprights where I found
the bottom of the  plate
lifted 1/4".  Be careful for new Baldwin grands. They claim that they do not
need tightening. But if the 
bolts rattle loose (figuratively speaking), why not.   The double thread
should still need tightening.
Shouldn't it?  (Any replies to these last few sentences, please change
<subject> to: rim bolts).

But as far as strings go, you could fill a book with stories of :  When Bad
Things Happen To Good Tuners.

This is going to be a slow week on the list as busy schedules and the
Orlando convention peclude
posting.

But for all you lucky techs attending the seminar, you will get to see the
TautLine Regulation Guide
debut.  (shameless commercialism)

Plus, you new guys to the biz may want to take a look at > the becket tool
<.  This is a nice little device
which helps the first time or infrequent stringer to achieve even beckets on
a stringing job. It was
an internet project which developed a nice little tool. I can send a jpg &
specs to interested parties.

All for now,

Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
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At 04:30 PM 7/21/97 -0600, you wrote:
>
>I am still new (1year).  I started advertising and picking up private
>clients.  Perhaps it is too soon but I am advertising in a very small way
>so I am only exposed to a half dozen clients a month, give or take.  
>
>I was called to tune a Shuman spinet.  The owner inherited it and didn't
>think it was tuned for at least 15 years.  Came to find out it hadn't been
>tuned or serviced since 1975! 
>
>It was 100.6 cents flat.  I decided to pitch raise it to plus 20 cents.  I
>knew it needed to go higher but I didn't think it wise.  I broke three
>strings on the pitch raise and a fourth while changing one of the others. 
>All of the stings were past the last break on the top third of the piano. 
>The strings looked original and some had already been replaced (the ones I
>didn't break!).  I felt so bad that I split the cost of the 3 string
>replacement with the client and told him the 4th was on me.  
>
>My mentor told me (since it was 100 cents flat) that I should have first
>brought it up to pitch, then a pitch raise, then a fine tuning.  I
>exclaimed "but that's THREE tunings" to which he said YES.  It is hard
>enough to explain and sell a pitch raise let alone a third tuning!
>
>Did I mess up here?  I would have charged more for the total bill for three
>tunings with no broken strings anyway.  Should I have charged full price
>for the string replacements?  Should I not have charged for them?  One of
>the reasons I gave the client a break is because I failed to give the
>"possible string breakage speech" before starting the work.
>
>Thanks for any insight.
>
>Glenn.
>
>

Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
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