Apropos

kam544@flash.net kam544@flash.net
Wed, 13 Jun 2001 17:22:30 -0500


>...So what do you tell this kind of person... you try and make sure
>they know what they are doing...what they are getting into...for
>sure... But I would be really interested in anyones opinion who
>wants to have a go at putting themselves in these shoes... what do
>you do ?
>Richard Brekne

Richard,

These jobs are truly a challenge as they require one to temporarily suspend
all the so called technical knowledge that one has acquired / read /
learned over the years that is supposed to be the only professional way to
do something.

As a first attempt in bringing this piano around, agree only to make the
piano capable of holding a tune, float the pitch where it is, but advise
that any tuning attempt is going to affect the perceived sound to some
degree, make certain there is some sustain pedal function and fix only the
notes that absolutely don't work.  Leave all other obvious discrepancees
alone.

It's called "just make it work".  More repair activity *can always* be done
later if the customer wants, but the above, as I understand your post, is a
great beginning for situations like you have described.

It's quite an art to "just make it work", and it's amazing how many folks
there are that are very gratified with tuners/technicians who are willing
to accept and implement this approach, versus the approach of saying it has
to be rebuilt, nothing can be done the way it is, etc.

Have fun, as I know you like to do   :-)

Keith McGavern
Registered Piano Technician
Oklahoma Chapter 731
Piano Technicians Guild
USA




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