In-Piano Records Revisited

[David ilvedson]

Years ago when I bought my new IBM Wheelwriter 
typewriter...state of the art you know...I would have it 
serviced by IBM techs who used a little paper service record 
that they left in the typewriter.  The next guy was invaribly a 
different tech and he would always check the piece paper and add 
his scratch.  Thats what pianos need instead of the "graffiti", 
a written log in the piano not on piano parts.  It wouldn't 
likely get lost if attached inside of the piano.

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA



> Date:          Sun, 05 Jul 1998 07:31:56 -0400
> From:          Carl Root <rootfamily@erols.com>
> To:            pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject:       Re: In-Piano Records Revisited
> Reply-to:      pianotech@ptg.org

> Ron Nossaman wrote:
> > 
> > Respectfully disagree. Anything you find in a piano that constitutes service
> > history is potentially helpful.
> 
> Good morning, Ron.
> 
> I think a lot of technicians mistakenly believe that the piano owner
> will use this information.  If not, why leave the card?  Even with RH
> data, pitch level, and date,  you still don't know how accurately the
> piano was tuned, which is just as likely to be the reason the piano
> needs to be corrected as typical (or atypical?) humidity changes.
> 
> I like having records I can refer to.  That's why I bring a printout of
> their recent service history with me.  It's more detailed and more
> portable than anything I could scrawl on the keys.  The few times I've
> seen extensive service history inside the piano, it was too long ago to
> be of any use.  They called me and we're starting over.    
> 
> Fourteen cards!?  Now there's a puzzler.  The standard joke around here
> is that we use the card stock to shim key slips, grand actions, etc. 
> :-)
> 
> 
> "Kilroy was here . . . . . "      
> 
> 
> Carl
> 
> 
> 
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net