SAT III

[David M. Porritt]

Ron:

I had people ask me about the "machine" when I used an SAT, but I've had
quite a different reaction since using the computer.  People - at least the
people around here - have some kind of blind irrational faith in computers.
 Now the reaction is more "Oh, you use a computer, how neat!"  This might
be somewhat of a regional thing as this is a pretty high tech area, but
I've found quite a difference between the response to the computer as
opposed to the SAT.

dave

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 2/6/00 at 9:22 AM Ron Nossaman wrote:

>>     The biggest danger of the machine is that it makes it possible for 
>>neophytes as well as posers to sell "tunings".  The usual lack of
stability 
>>in these situations is gradually creating suspiscion among the piano
owners, 
>>and lately there seems to be a spate of unhappy customers with aspersions
to 
>>cast,  like, "Oh, YOU use a machine, too?"   So, we have fresh young
dragons 
>>to slay, I had thought they would have been history by now.  
>>Regards, 
>>Ed Foote RPT
>
>
>Hi Ed,
>This particular dragon is already old and stale. It was installed many
>years ago and has been relentlessly and continuously reinforced ever
since.
>Twenty+ years ago people were asking me "You don't use one of those d***
>machines do you? " I still get the question now with about the same
>frequency as I did then. A "poser" with a modern ETD has a whole lot
better
>tool today than was available back then, but when the tuning is lousy,
they
>figure it must have been because the guy used a machine. Maybe it's a
>flashing light phobia of some sort, since their VCR has been flashing
12:00
>for the last three years and is beginning to irritate them. In any case,
>it's the tuner's use of the machine that is perceived to be the problem.
>Here where the Bible Belt meets Tornado Alley (there has to be a
connection
>here somewhere, but I hesitate to speculate), an ETD is often looked upon
>as a badge of incompetence. I'll grant you without reservation that there
>have always been at least as many incompetents with forks flailing away at
>defenseless pianos, but I don't recall anyone ever calling for a "machine
>tuner" because the last guy did a terrible job and used a fork. They often
>don't remember the name of the tuner, but they will invariably remember
the
>machine.  Just like public perception being that pianos are immortal,
>tuners are expected to be bizarrely dressed, eccentric old guys who pet
>dogs and use tuning forks (on the piano, not the dog). If you can convince
>them otherwise, no problem, but I've found it very difficult to get people
>to even consider anything that's different from what they were "taught".
>
>I'm rambling. Sorry to butt in. The current ETDs are terrific. Good luck.
>
>Ron N




David M. Porritt
dporritt@swbell.net
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275