World's Worst Tuner

[Randy Potter]

Someone said:
>That certainly beats the guy who used to be around here,
>he had a hearing aid in each ear.

I don't wear aids, but someday I might need them.
But just because someone wears hearing aids doesn't mean they can't hear
well. They may not be able to hear well without their aids, but as long
as they can hear well with them, that is what counts.
To say that would be like saying someone can't see because they wear
glasses. Many people, myself included, wear glasses to drive. A number of
very talented concert artists need to wear specs to perform, because they
can't see their hands well enough, but they perform very well with them.
In fact, while George Defebaugh tuned aurally his whole life, Betty
bought him an Accu-Tuner, and he used it, for about the last six years of
his life. In one of his classes in later life he said something like "you
will either get one of these things, or you will die young". He was
referring to the fact that he had learned that "even the best" lose their
hearing if they live long enough.

Now, for the "best" World's Worst Tuner story I know:

I arrived at a house to tune a piano for a lady.
She had bought her old upright (dog) from Denny's Music Store, and Denny
gave it "the lifetime tune" before he sold it.
Even so, she realized after a few months that something was "wrong" with
it, because it needed tuning again!
She called, he came, he "tuned", he left.
She thought it was still out of tune, called me and asked me to come tune
it, and I arrived three weeks later.
She told me the story, and figured something must be "wrong" with the
piano, and wanted me to find out what and fix it, because Denny had given
it "the lifetime tune" and it should not need tuning again - so figured
there must be something wrong with the piano.
I opened it up, set up, inserted my muting felt strip and she said "what
is that?".
I explained.
Then I picked up my tuning hammer. "What is that?" she asked.
I explained.
Then I started tuning. "What are you doing now?" she asked.
I explained. And demonstrated.
"Oooooooohhhhhhh", she understandingly said.
"Tell me what he did", I asked.
She explained that he came in, opened up the piano, set an old brown Conn
(tube-type) Strobo-Tuner on the top, plugged it in and swung open the
front. The dial started gyrating, he played a few notes, and said he
would take that cup of coffee she offered now. Then he sat with her in
the kitchen and talked for about 20 minutes. Then he went back out into
the living room, played a few notes and chords, looked at the tuner dial
gyrate around for aminute or two as he did, and pronounced "its done".
He had given it "the lifetime tune".
He then put away his tuner (he did not have to put away any tools,
because he did not get any out), closed up the piano and left.
I have heard a lot of "Worst Tuner" stories over the years, but none that
beat that one!
Yet! It seems there is always someone who can find a way to do it worse.
Unfortunately. So I will keep watching these posts.

Randy Potter, R.P.T.


Randy Potter, R.P.T.
Randy Potter School of Piano Technology
"Training Competent Piano Technicians Into the 21st Century"
Celebrating 10 Years, with students & graduates in over 55 countries!
See our web page at www.tuningschool.com
We are accepting registrations for our 1997 Hands-on Training Seminar
July 6-13, 1997 @ Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN.