Voicing & Owner Education

[Phil Bondi]

Terry, it's been my experience that unless they hear something they like on
another piano, you are fighting a losing battle - recently had a customer that
wanted a 'Steinway' sound from a 5' no-name - I told him that I'll do the best I
can with what I have to work with(it wasn't much) - in the end, the customer was
happier, but not satisfied because he didn't get that 'sound' he was after - he
also didn't have a 'steinway' to work with..you can only do so much...

don't knock yourself out with it.

Rook

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> Of Farrell
> Sent: 10 June, 2000 8:41 AM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Voicing & Owner Education
>
>
> I tuned an small old Baldwin/Ellington grand last night. Hammers appear to
> be less than 10 - 20 years old. This thing was brighter than most 50 year
> old spinnets. I asked the guy if he ever plays any other pianos (read: do
> you realize this piano is brighter (harsh) than any other piano on planet
> earth). He said no. I would love to voice this thing to a more mellow state
> (it was a bit of a bear to tune - hitting the strings with steel hammers and
> all). I broached the topic, and he seemed uninterested (I think he just
> simply did not have a clue).
>
> Any suggestions on educating a piano owner on this topic so that he can make
> an informed decision - such as let me voice his piano so that it sounds like
> a piano. Man it's horrible - bright, harsh, nasty in all plain wires, then
> dull & tubby (old strings) in bass. YUK! Sounds like two separate horrible
> spinnets. At least softer sounding plain wires would make it whole - maybe
> then he could learn tunes that did not utilize bass strings (oops, am I
> letting my sarcastic inner thoughts out?)!
>
> Terry Farrell
> Piano Tuning & Service
> Tampa, Florida
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>
>