Lovely birdcage - what to do?

[Farrell]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
"..... the guy..... "tuned the piano to itself."  I asked her why did he =
leave it flat?  She siad she didn't know."

I'm really not sure why that is so common, but my best guess is that two =
prime factors are involved (maybe more?).=20

I believe many of the "old timers" - piano technicians who were trained =
many years ago - were commonly instructed to not raise pitch. Why? I =
have no idea, but I have been told that was common to teach a new =
technician many years ago.

My guess is that also there are techs out there who have had minimal =
training or improper training and simply don't know how to raise the =
pitch of the piano. I think also there are some techs who either have =
not been trained on how to replace a string or choose to not invest in =
the tools and supplies to replace a string - so they are afraid to raise =
pitch becuase of the potential for strings breaking.

Terry Farrell

  ----- Original Message -----=20

  I was thinking of what you said earlier about leaving a piano flat.  I =
just returned from my eye doctor who own an old upright.  I'm not =
certain of the brandd, but she claims that it's from the 1800s. I won't =
dispute her of course because I haven't seen the piano, but she told me =
that the guy, a seasons pro like most of you guys, "tuned the piano to =
itself."  I asked her why did he leave it flat?  She siad she didn't =
know.  She asked about strings etc.  She said that it's flat because her =
obo when played with it shows that the piano is off.  Are there cases to =
leave a piano flat, or did this guy tune the piano to a different a =
fork?  I've heard that old pianos are tuned to a lower A. =20
  Marshall
  ps. I never tune a4 tof3.  I like f2 because I can hear the beats =
better. =20

    -------------- Original message --------------=20
    From: "Geoff Sykes" <thetuner@ivories52.com>=20

    > The techs I refer to shall remain anonymous for my protection. And =
they are=20
    > definitely NOT "tooner's." Just techs with a different opinion and =
different=20
    > experiences than you. And that's OK. I've learned from them and =
now I've=20
    > learned from you. Whats wonderful about this is that now I get to =
take=20
    > several different viewpoints and make an "educated" opinion of =
what to do=20
    > next. Thanks to all.=20
    >=20
    > The customer definitely does not want to sell her piano. I was =
just curious.=20
    > She just wants to be able to play it again. I'm glad that I now =
have lots of=20
    > encouraging information to share with her about how to proceed =
with making=20
    > this wonderful piano whole again.=20
    >=20
    > -- Geoff Sykes=20
    >! -- Assoc. Los Angeles=20
    >=20
    >=20
    >=20
    > -----Original Message-----=20
    > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] =
On Behalf=20
    > Of Farrell=20
    > Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 4:48 AM=20
    > To: Pianotech=20
    > Subject: Re: Lovely birdcage - what to do?=20
    >=20
    >=20
    > Who the heck are these "techs" (or rather, "tooners") that suggest =
to leave=20
    > the pitch where it is. I run across so many pianos that are a semi =
tone flat=20
    >=20
    > and the owner is shocked when I suggest that we raise to standard =
pitch=20
    > because all the other tooners said it could not be done.=20
    >=20
    > Pitch raise the darn thing to A440 and be done with it. You might =
want to=20
    > yank a few treble and bass strings up there first just to be sure, =
but I=20
    > pitch raise 100 year old uprights to standard pitch all the time. =
Haven't=20
    > had one explode on me yet. If this were one of those scantily b! =
uilt=20
    > 150-year-old English minimum-plate birdcages, I think there might =
be some=20
    > justification for concern (I'd likely warn the customer that the =
piano might=20
    >=20
    > fold up in half), but I'd still be willing to try it if the owner =
wanted to=20
    > try to get it up to standard pitch. However, this is a monster =
heavily built=20
    >=20
    > German piano from the 20th Century. IMHO if they want it at A440 =
(and that=20
    > would be my recommendation to the owner), put it there for them.=20
    >=20
    > And everything looks original to me also. REAL CLEAN - you bet, =
but all=20
    > original. Very pretty piano.=20
    >=20
    > What's it worth? Its value is the case and the amazing fact that =
there=20
    > really is a piano within. Someone will be willing to pay something =
for that.=20
    >=20
    > Hard to say for sure what one could get for it - because the buyer =
will be=20
    > that person that takes one look at it and falls in love with it! - =
but I=20
    > would guess that the owner could get somewhere between $1K and $2K =
- maybe=20
    > more if the right person were to see it.=20
    >=20
    > Terry Farrell=20
    >=20
    > ----- Original Message -----=20
    > > You think this piano could be brought up to 440, perhaps in =
stages,=20
    > > without=20
    > > any problems? I was so afraid to do a pitch raise on this thing =
because of=20
    > > what other local techs have advised that I never even thought =
that perhaps=20
    > > the added tension would improve the pin tightness. Worth a try.> =

    > > -- Geoff Sykes=20
    > > -- Assoc. Los Angeles=20
    >=20
    >=20
    > _______________________________________________=20
    > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives =

    >=20
    > _______________________________________________=20
    > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives 
---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/81/d3/af/fe/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--