Speed, Accuracy & Efficiency=Profit

[Kevin E. Ramsey RPT]

Good for you, at first I felt that this letter must be a joke. I'm still not
sure. I once did nine pianos in one day, but if I thought that the last two
were good, it was probably because by then I just didn't give a d--m.
-----Original Message-----
From: Billbrpt@aol.com <Billbrpt@aol.com>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Friday, February 25, 2000 6:27 PM
Subject: Speed, Accuracy & Efficiency=Profit


>Dear List,
>
>This post is aimed mainly at the newer people in the field and those who
say
>that it takes longer than an hour to do a good tuning.  Today, I left at 8
>a.m., drove 25 miles to a high school where there is going to be a Solo &
>Ensemble contest.  I tuned and prepared 10 pianos, was paid when finished
at
>the "school" rate, which is slightly lower than the usual but still pretty
>good, deposited my check and was home at 6 p.m.
>
>There were 8 Yamaha P-22's, 1 older P-2 and 1 older Kawai Studio of very
>similar design.  I used the same very fine program in my SAT II for each of
>them. It is the Equal Beating Victorian Temperament (EBVT) with custom
>tempered octaves that I made years ago in the symphony conductor's office.
I
>use this program on all similar pianos in schools and homes but always tune
>the wound strings aurally.  All ten pianos were tuned twice, using strip
>mutes, one rough tuning and one fine tuning, except one which was a 25 cent
>pitch raise requiring 3 passes.
>
>I also did full 88 key capstan adjustments on 3 pianos, spaced several
>hammers here and there and changed a set of humidifier pads. I also spliced
>the highest monochord wound string which broke with the gentlest touch on
one
>piano (there is a certain vintage of these pianos that had a problem there
>which has now been corrected but I am still finding some of them).  I took
>short beaks when I needed them, answered the phone and ate lunch.
>
>All 10 pianos were left exactly at Standard Pitch with excellent stability
>and clean unisons throughout.  All played normally and responsively with no
>lost motion and good, normal feeling aftertouch and repetition.  All were
>suitable to be played by a professional musician.
>
>Years ago, I used to be invited to share in the bounty of an event like
this.
> Three or four technicians would go to a school and each tune 3 or 4
pianos.
>I was initially asked to do nine, which I felt I could handle and accepted.
>I was informed today that there would be a tenth.  I cheerfully accepted
it.
>
>Now, I don't think I could do this every day nor is there really that kind
of
>opportunity.  My right arm and back are a bit sore but no more than if I
had
>gone to the gym and really pushed hard.  It is a matter of technique,
keeping
>the concentration, and being in good enough physical condition to handle
such
>a long, constantly stressful job.
>
>I never went to school to learn how to do this work, I learned just by
trying
>and sticking with it.  All of my important knowledge comes to me by
>association with PTG.  I have learned from many different people and have
>sometimes combined ideas from different people to create my own.  My only
>link to this profession is the fact that I have also been a musician since
>early childhood.
>
>I do not consider myself extraordinary at all.  I think therefore that if I
>can do it, so can you.
>
>Keep at it.
>
>Bill Bremmer RPT
>Madison, Wisconsin
>