I understand. Unfortunately that's the way it is sometimes.
Al Guecia
----- Original Message -----
From: Willem Blees
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 8:11 PM
Subject: Re: Grand Cleaning
Al
The hammers shaping is more of a cleaning off the groves and dirt, than a shaping as most technicians know it. If I see that the hammers are to the point that regulation will be necessary, I try to sell them that procedure. Unfortunately, most costumers are more concerned with looks than than tone or regulation. Don't misunderstand, I try to sell them that, too, but for my cleaning price, a little goes a long way.
Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
Honolulu, HI
Author of
The Business of Piano Tuning
available from Potter Press
www.pianotuning.com
-----Original Message-----
From: AlliedPianoCraft <AlliedPianoCraft at hotmail.com>
To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Sun, 30 Mar 2008 9:11 am
Subject: Re: Grand Cleaning
Win,
Just a question from someone who has never shaped hammers without doing a regulating.
What about let off and drop once you've changed the hammer shape and height and then everything else that goes along once you've changed that?
I do a cleaning and just a cleaning. If you want your hammers shaped, them you also need a regulating. Call me crazy, but it's just my way of doing things.
Al Guecia
----- Original Message -----
From: Willem Blees
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: Grand Cleaning
I've just made up post cards I can hand to my customers when I see a need for cleaning service. It not only explains what I'm going to do, but also includes a short disclaimer. I could do the work in the customer's house, but I want to shape hammers and tighten screws on my bench in my shop, not on the piano, the floor, or the piano bench.
Upright cleaning service: $175.00
1. Remove action
2. Shape hammers
3. Tighten screws
4. Blow dirt out of action
5. Clean keys
6. Vacuum under keys and bottom of the piano
7. Clean and polish pedals.
Cleaning service does not include case cleaning, touch up, or polishing, action regulation or any repairs to the piano, action, case, strings, or any other piano components.
Grand piano cleaning service: $275.00
1. Remove action
2. Shape hammers
3. Tighten screws
4. Blow dirt out of action
5. Vacuum keyframe
6. Clean keys
7. Vacuum action cavity
8. Clean under strings
9. Clean plate
10. Clean pin area
11. Clean and polish pedals and pedal rods.
Cleaning service does not include case cleaning, touch up, or polishing, action regulation or any repairs to the piano, action, case, strings, or any other piano components.
Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
Honolulu, HI
Author of
The Business of Piano Tuning
available from Potter Press
www.pianotuning.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Isaac Sadigursky <irs.pianos at earthlink.net>
To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 8:03 pm
Subject: RE: Grand Cleaning
Hi,Mathtew!
I do clean pianos daily and what works for me is:
ELECTROLUX vacuum cleaner with TWO hoses.First,vacuum all possible dust and junk,then using blower end in one hand and suction end in another hand proceed and this powerful vacuum will do the trick..Few more precausons to keep dust from flying all over customers living room;put damp cloth on sndbrd around the tail of a grand piano,it works as an arrestor for dust…All procedure takes less then 20 minutes..Vacuum is equipped with automatic cord rewinder,2 hoses,rags,towels are packed in roll-away wheeled luggage case…good luck…Isaac
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From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Willem Blees
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 11:36 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: Grand Cleaning
Matthew
You've gotten some good advice, but what I have not seen is what I used to do in St. Louis, and something I am going to start doing for my customer here in Hawaii. For grands, I take the action home and clean the keys, vacuum under the keys, tighten the screws and shape the hammers. When I return to the customer, I vacuum out the action cavity, clean the soundboard with a damp rag, using a soundboard steel, clean the plate and vacuum the pin area using a hard bristle paint brush. The most important part of this is cleaning the soundboard and the pin area because that is what the customer sees. One other thing I will do is clean the pedals. The salt air here on the island corrodes most pedals. But all you will have to do is polish them. It adds a nice touch. It will take about 2 hours to do all of this, plus a second trip to the customer's house, so price it accordingly.
Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
Honolulu, HI
Author of
The Business of Piano Tuning
available from Potter Press
www.pianotuning.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew Todd <toddpianoworks at yahoo.com>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 7:06 am
Subject: Grand Cleaning
A client wants me to come over and clean her Kawai grand. This will be my first, and I was curious as to what kind of service(s) I can offer her. According to the "G" piano works labor guide, a complete grand cleaning can take as long as 3.5 hrs. When I talked with my client, she had only mentioned about cleaning the soundboard, but then again, she may not realize all the dust that can accumulate in her keybed, etc.
What kind of cleaning services do you all offer? Do you offer the most basic service and go up to the most complete cleaning? When I go through a car wash, I can pay three bucks, and all they'll do is hose my car down. Or I can pay more for scrubbing, and even more to get the wheels done. I just need advice on how to sort this out. 3.5 hrs sounds like a great service, but I don't know how many clients are willing to pay that.
Thanks in advance!
Matthew
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