apprentice fees

[Glenn]

Yikes!   You're going to pay THEM?

Apprentices should always get paid.  The deal is they get paid dirt wages
while in the apprentice status.  However, in our specialized field, it is
often difficult to find a workable situation.  So what I've heard of (and
been involved with myself, twice) is the piano tech apprentice starts out
working for free (the first couple of weeks or even a month).  The "master"
will teach you as you assist him or her in all aspects of piano work.  There
is always room for another set of hands on such a large object.

When you reach a level of competence that warrants a salary, you should
receive a salary.  The only way I would pay is if I'm in a certified course
dedicated for training, including plenty of classroom hours and junk pianos
to go nuts on.

I'm sure some one man shops have a different opinion:  "this person is
taking me away from my money making time"  blah, blah, blah.  Then don't
teach.

There is a shortage of techs.  Terry, we need you.  Reluctantly give your
time away at first but PAY TO BE AN APPRENTICE?  Not a chance.  You can
learn certain aspects of this job in a matter of days and start giving back
to the "master."  For instance, you can learn simple steps for turning
around a traded in upright and you can free up the "master" to work on the
$40,000 grand piano.  I was leveling keys and setting key height and dip on
a customers grand action on my very first day.  My teacher was refinishing
that same piano.  Later that day, as he was busy working, I was practicing
setting a temperament while he listened and taught me.

An extra pair of eager hands, even clueless ones, are always valuable.

Glenn.

-----Original Message-----
From: pianolover@worldspy.net <pianolover@worldspy.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Friday, January 28, 2000 11:08 AM
Subject: apprentice fees


>Can anyone tell me what the typical hourly rate (or a general ballpark
figure) a mentor might charge an apprentice? In my case, my training would
take place almost exclusively in the shop, helping with action parts,
repacing felts, shaping hammers, etc., pretty much everything short of
tuning, which hopefully I will be doing on the floor af a piano dealer in
the near future.  Thanks.
>
>Terry
>LA, CA
>
>
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