Marks inside pianos

[Gittinger, Delbert M.]

> << It is completely irrelevant if the piano was tuned every six months
for
>  ten years way back when they lived in wherever.
>  The problem at hand is: what condition is it in now. >>
>
> Thats not completely true - I would much rather see the piano
> that was tuned every six months for the first ten years of
> its life.
>
> Mark Ritchie RPT
> Cols OH

I, too, like to know some of the history behind a piano I'm approaching for
the first time.

I no longer put my name on the tuning/service dates (because it seems to
offend some other tuners) but I believe the dates are helpful.  Many times
I've arrived to tune a piano the customer believes was tuned last year but
the previous tuner's most recent date is 4 years ago.  That date helps me
sell the pitch raise that the piano obviously needs.

I should mention that I only put my dates in vertical pianos.  On grand
pianos I either put no date (because clients & their guests may see them)
or put them on the back of a business card tucked under the music desk out
of sight.

Jon seems really upset about what he calls graffiti.  I've noticed, as
others have noted, that the client is often interested in the "history" of
the piano, especially if they bought it used or it was passed down through
the family.

Del Gittinger,  RPT
Registered Piano Technician
of the Piano Technicians Guild
delgit@acc-net.com
Marion, OH