---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment I agree with Terry here. You must qualify what the results will be before starting on such a piano. Otherwise you'll have the son-in-law come by and tell her how she was ripped-off and how it sure doesn't sound like the Steinway at church. I have done pianos where the tuning charge exceeded the value of the piano. I told them that it would before tuning it and they said they'd try a tuning and decide from there. Their choice, but at least I made it their choice. Andrew At 08:43 PM 10/26/2005, you wrote: >Exactly William. My original post recounted several times I have >resuscitated pianos that arguably should have been allow to die. I >just did a elbow replacement and 200-cent-pitch-raise and tuning on >a 1955 Gulbransen spinet today. After I was done she had a crappy >little piano that played and was more-or-less in-tune. Her dad >bought the piano new for her when she was 18 years old. I charged >$475. For $475 she could have replaced that piano with a 20-year-old >console that would have sounded and played significantly better than >her piano. For under $2K she could have replaced that piano with a >used entry-level professional-grade very-good-condition piano (like >a Yamaha P-22 studio). I explained these options to her and she >elected to resuscitate the spinet. I did the work with a smile on my >face (especially when she handed me the check!), she was thrilled >that her little buddy was breathing again, and I'm not kidding - I >almost gave this grandma a big hug when I left because we had such >nice chats and she was such a sweetie (didn't - just thought it wasn't right). > >Anyway, fix crappy pianos? Sure! Cha-ching!!! But I think we would >be remiss if we didn't educate the piano owner of the benefit/cost >aspect of their decision. That's all. > >Although I have run across a few pianos that I would not touch. Not >because I thought I was above them, but rather because I knew that >any band-aids I applied to them would still not result in a >functional piano. Ya gotta draw the line somewhere..... > >Terry Farrell > >----- Original Message ----- > > William, who just outguessed the next person in line (me), > > > > Or perhaps more appropriately, who did not read what I wrote very well. > > > > Um, yes. This is precisely what I was referring to when I wrote that, "All > > I'm saying is give them all the options clearly, and if they still want to > > pay big bucks for a mediocre instrument, I'm happy to oblige." > > > > I repeat, I feel strongly that we should give the the customer all the > > information available, educate them on the work and the results, and in the > > end if they choose to rebuild a wurlitzer spinet, great. > > > > And I should clarify that I mean musical interests when I refer > to a clients > > interests. None of us have any way to judge all the variables that enter > > into the decision to invest in a piano POS or not. > > > > Respectfully, > > William R. Monroe > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > >> When I was teaching at the Piano Hospital we had a customer want to have > > her > >> Wurlitzer spinet: restrung, refinished and rebuilt. We wrote on the > >> receipt, "work exceeds the value of the piano." This was a keepsake and > >> our opinion didn't matter. What mattered is that her mother had given > > her > >> that piano when she was a child and she wanted it saved. > >> > >> William, who doesn't out guess the next person in line. > >> > >> PIANO BOUTIQUE > >> William Benjamin > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> I agree with all your sentiments. However, I still cannot get past the > >> results of the labor. What do you do when a client wants to spend $1500 > > to > >> get their piano back in shape, and the results will be a crappy piano? Do > >> you educate them on the possiblity of a newer instrument - one that has > > the > >> potential, or is, a much more musical, satisfying instrument to play? > > That > >> is the question for me. I recently had a client spend $800 to refurbish a > >> sentimental old upright. When it was done, it was hardly mediocre. I > >> clearly explained what she would have when the work was done - not much of > > a > >> piano. Sentimentality won out. I have no problem with that, but I do > > think > >> that if the client is really better served by an upgrade, we should be > >> keeping them informed on both sides of the issue, rather than just selling > >> work. > >> > >> More than once I have given up good money for repair jobs because the > >> clients interests really were not best served by that approach. All I'm > >> saying is give them all the options clearly, and if they still want to pay > >> big bucks for a mediocre instrument, I'm happy to oblige. > >> > >> Respectfully, > >> William R. Monroe > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> > Gads, I can't believe this list is that biased. > >> > > >> > Sure most of the pianos I service are most likely candidates for the > >> > landfill - BUT - if the customer is willing to pay my normal rate (which > >> > is what I go by) then I'll do the work. Besides most of them also have > >> > sentimental value or they just want a piano to plunk around on. > >> > > >> > There are a lot of churches in my area that have spinets (for choir > >> > practice, etc) even for church performances, and, yes, they even have, > >> > as you the list term POS's Acrosonic pianos. > >> > > >> > Not everyone can afford - or - even want grand pianos. > >> > > >> > I had a customer once, a church, that had several spinets because they > >> > were easy to move around. The church happened to be a gospel church and > >> > kept breaking strings on the pianos - did I care - NO - because they > >> > needed them fixed and they paid me. > >> > > >> > Bottom line, unless the pianos are darn near falling apart and the > >> > customer is willing to pay me my normal rate - I'll fix them - and > >> > gladly collect my - well earned - money. > >> > >SNIP > >> > > >> > Duaine Hechler ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/cc/03/53/97/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC