Hi Del. Yes I do my best to politely inform the owner that their piano is likely to hold back even a beginner. I usually desperately look for some lead-in for it. In this particular case I asked the lady if she had noticed that the hammers were bobbling. She said "oh, is it not supposed to sound like that?" I demonstrated on one of the few notes that did not double/triple strike. She finally realized what it was doing. Then I told her what I often tell such a piano owner, that the piano "appears to be in an advanced state of wear" (I like that) and that I could not recommend appropriate repairs, as they would quickly amount to at least several hundred dollars and they would still have a substandard piano. I quickly suggest considering replacement. Just when they start feeling kinda bad, I will tell them that the current piano really puts them in a good position for finding a replacement because they currently have a piano that functions (geesh - tooooo kind a word), and that gives them the luxury of taking a bit of time looking about and not having to settle for the first one that comes along. Unfortunately, I usually see the same piano at the same home the next year. And equally unfortunately, if they do find a new piano........he says to her "hey honey, we can probably get a few hundred bucks for this old piano"! And hence the topic comes full circle. Who wants to start the trebuchet thread??? Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Delwin D Fandrich" <pianobuilders@olynet.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 6:32 PM Subject: Re: Junk Pianos > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: February 09, 2002 11:32 AM > Subject: Junk Pianos > > > > Forgive me, I know this has been said before, but the time has arisen > again. > > > > Why is it so hard to throw out a junk piano? Why is it they stay around > soooo long? People throw cars out when they are 10 years old. Why not > pianos? > > > > I tuned a 1960s Aeolian spinet the other day for a new client. Hammer > cores without hammer felt (didn't sound any worse than the ones with felt), > some hammers replaced with big bass hammers in the tenor, some hammer felts > held on with thread. Loose tuning pins pounded down so that the coil was > imbedded in the plate, BAD false beats in the tenor, big-time bobbling > hammers, let-off at 3/4", hammers so worn they have 1/2" wide flat contact > surface. I could go on and on.......you've seen them. Just holding together > with thread and tape. This thing plays and sounds as bad as any of them. > > > > Two children are taking lessons and practice on this junker. > > > > > > Terry, have you ever considered (nicely and politely) saying something like, > "Mrs. X, this piano is really not suitable for your children to be playing > on. If it were a horse the kindest thing we could do with it would be to > shoot it and put it out of its misery. I cannot, with a clear conscience, > tune or service this piano knowing the musical harm it will bring to your > family." And then either leaving or, hopeful, spending a few minutes > answering her questions and advising her on the selection of a better piano. > > If I had taken an old clunker car to my mechanic for a minimal tune-up for > our teenage daughter to learn to drive with that's basically what he would > have told me. If you take your obsolete computer in to have it 'gone over' > so your kids can learn word processing, etc., that's what you will be told. > Why are we so reluctant to tell our clients the bitter truth about these > things. > > We don't have to be nasty about it and we don't have to call them (the > pianos, I mean) disparaging names but, surely, we can at some point decline > to continue working on them. > > Del > >
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