Time to level pins, dress coils...?

[Diane Hofstetter]

Dear Newton,

   I for one am happy you raised the question.  If we want to learn what is 
true about something, we need to explore everything about it we can.

   I originally went to the customer's house the day before Thanksgiving and 
on the way in her mother-in-law was leaving so we were introduced.  She told 
her mother-in-law that I had come to tune the piano for their party so that 
when she was there tomorrow, it would sound much better.  I erroneously 
believed that therefore the party was on Thanksgiving day.

   When I saw the mess that the pins and coils were in, I figured that I had 
no choice but to try to tune it so that it would sound as good as possible.  
I started out with a pitch raise which I perservered through inspite of the 
gardeners and their leafblower outside the window where the piano was, 
figuring they had to do their job getting ready for the big event too.

   I had been taught that it was necessary to have the pins about 3/16" 
above the plate and the windings of the coils snugged up against each other 
so the piano would stay in tune and I was worrying the whole time whether it 
would stay in tune for the party, but thinking, like you that if it was that 
way since 1973, then maybe it wouldn't be a problem.  Other things I noticed 
were that the color of the paint around the Chickering emblem on the plate 
was a different color gold than the rest of the plate, and the customer 
pointed out that there was a run in the paint near there.  Many of the pins 
were well over 1/4" high, but they seemed tunable.  I took torque readings 
on several and got measurements of 50-55 and even up to 65"lbs.

  I was starting the fine tuning when the husband arrived home and heard 
about my concerns and came in and spoke with me.  He said the party wasn't 
until Dec. 11th! and if I thought we should do it, go ahead.

  I actually would prefer to NOT do it.  The reason I dress coils and level 
pins as I go is that I find it too tiring to do all at once.  Pounding pins 
in with a two pound sledge is not my favorite thing to do, especially in the 
customer's home!

  If you can convince me that we shouldn't worry about an unstable tuning, 
all I will need to do is go finish the fine tuning, collect my money and be 
free (I already agreed to not charge any extra for the tunings over my 
original tuning quote, so I would come out ahead financially as well as time 
wise.)

  The only way I know to be sure that it would be stable would be to do the 
fine tuning and then go back some time later and find out how well it held.
  I am open to all and any ideas.
  Diane






>From: nhunt@jagat.com (Newton Hunt)
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: pianotech@ptg.org
>Subject: Re: Time to level pins, dress coils...?
>Date: Tue, 07 Dec 1999 11:27:41 -0500
>
>Dear Diane,
>
>You raise a valuable question so I am going to start a flame worthy
>thread with it.  Please do not take this too personally, I intend no
>denigration of you.  (Original quote is below.)
>
>The question arises, did you do this to satisfy your desire for a
>pretty and sightly arrangement of the pins and coils or did you do it
>for the immediate benefit of the piano and the customer.
>
>Yes nice coils are nice but the piano had stood in a semblance of tune
>for 25 years so the question becomes will the piano stay substantially
>longer in tune after the work as it would have before the work?
>
>Doing work for our professional esthetic is great when we are doing an
>original stringing (in this example) where the time investment is
>small relative to the whole job.  Doing pin and coil work on a new
>piano does have a customer benefit, appearance AND tuning stability
>because the strings are new, the pins are new so there is no corrosion
>to help keep them in place.
>
>With an older piano the benefit may well be moot.
>
>Doing work just to satisfy your personal reasons does not necessarily
>benefit the customer and charging full price for it may well be doing
>the customer a disservice.
>
>Where does the line reside?  _I_ cannot say because I do not know.
>But somewhere between our desire to do perfect work, our wallet, and
>the benefit to the piano and customer based upon the overall condition
>of the instrument, the uses of the piano, the capabilities of the
>players, the value of the instrument, our reputation and the
>durability of the piano.  These and other factors need to be
>considered before even SUGGESTING the choices of benefits of the work
>to the customer.  Convincing a customer is sales hype.  Providing a
>range of choices, the advantages and disadvantages of each allows the
>customer the opportunity to choose what or what not to do.
>
>Charge her for half your time investment.
>
>Forgive me Diane.
>
>		Newton  (Flame suit is on.)
>
>Diane Hofstetter wrote:
> >
> > Dear list;
> >
> >   Was called to tune a 1973 Story & Clark grand just before Thanksgiving 
>for
> > a party.  Found the tuning pins at all different heights and the coils 
>were
> > a mess.  Customer insisted parents bought the piano new in 1973 and it 
>had
> > never been restrung, so I guess it came from the factory that way? The 
>piano
> > was grossly flat and it turned out the party wasn't until Dec. 11 so I
> > talked them into having me straighten the coils and level the pins.  I
> > couldn't figure out what to charge them, but since I was just about to
> > string a piano, thought that I would know in a few days.
> >
> >   Turns out I don't string that way at all, but dress the coils after 
>every
> > few pins and level after each section, so don't know how long it will 
>take!
> > I would guess about 2-3 hours??  Anyone have any input on this for me?
> >
> >   Thanks!
> >   Diane
> >
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