Tuning in where it is

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 1/10/00 6:16:58 AM Pacific Standard Time, richardb@c2i.net 
(Richard Brekne) writes:

<< If there is anything that is nonsensical.. its this oversympathetic 
attitude towards folks who let their pianos get in this condition in the 
first place.>>

I have been following this thread but haven't had the time to respond.  There 
are a couple of things that don't make sense to me.  If I schedule an 
appointment or even more compelling, if the piano store for whom I do work as 
an independent contractor schedules an appointment for a new customer and I 
go in and scoff at their piano and say "I don't do uprights (categorically) 
or "I don't raise the pitch on old uprights and/or pianos with *rusty* (open 
to interpretation) strings", I have just blown off $120-150 that I could have 
earned in well under 2 hours.  What would I then do with that time?

The other point is that sometimes, these people have only recently acquired 
the piano and have been waiting anxiously for someone to come to tune it.  
They are not the ones responsible for the neglect but they do want someone 
who is willing to do *something* about it.  I had few cases like that right 
before Christmas. 

One was a 1/2 step pitch raise on December 24th at 5 PM.  with one bass 
string broken and yes, I broke one treble string and spliced it back as I 
worked.  It was not an old upright but a 25 year old Baldwin Hamilton.  The 
pianist in the family was a college student home for the holidays.  They had 
just acquired the piano for him, he was pitch sensitive (I don't say "perfect 
pitch") and so he wanted and needed standard pitch. 

At 7:30, he had a piano at standard pitch with all strings intact and an 
action that rattled like you wouldn't believe all tightened up.  But most 
importantly, I had $200 more in my pocket than I would have had if I had 
displayed the attitude that a previous person they had called or some or the 
attitude that some on the list have displayed.  And they were delighted to 
pay the fee.  Incidentally, I tuned it in my usual Equal Beating Victorian 
Temperament (EBVT).  His first and delighted comment as he played the complex 
harmony jazz chords was "Real chords, Mom, REAL CHORDS!"  (Jazz does not 
*require* ET, never has, never will).

Another was an old upright with "rusty" strings earlier in the same day.  The 
previous tuner "wouldn't touch it", the customer said.  I did the pitch 
raise, putting a little protek on the bearing points and broke no strings and 
earned a cool $130 ($10 for the use of protek alone).

 Another customer just last week who had a fire in the house where his 
Steinway was wanted his very old Bluthner with "rusty" strings raised to 
standard pitch while he had the Steinway restored.  I did it very carefully 
in small increments so as not to break any strings and to not break any 
strings and to have something which would actually hold.  He is a very good 
customer and so his piano did not deserve a "PSO" rating from me and I earned 
$150 in about 1 1/2 hours.

If I balked at nearly every piano I am asked to tune, I couldn't really make 
a living and could not attend the Convention, pay my dues or my other bills, 
so I just use good, hard learned techniques and good business practices and 
get the job done that is expected of me.  I think Brian Holden's method for a 
pitch raise would make interesting reading for the List.  If you don't want 
to read it, just delete it.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin