[pianotech] Pitch raise criteria

[Michael Magness]

On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 6:27 PM, Rob McCall <rob at mccallpiano.com> wrote:

> Greetings list,
>
> I just tuned a Samick JS-118 upright yesterday that hadn't been tuned in 7
> years (It had 1 tuning right after they bought it brand new and that was
> it!).  It was flat by about 73 cents below the break, and about 45 cents
> flat above the break.  Pretty consistent throughout.  All in all, it turned
> out very well after a pitch raise and then a fine tune.
>
> My question to all of you...  What do you use as your criteria for charging
> extra for pitch raises?  When is it a "pitch raise" to you? This particular
> piano was pretty clear cut, but do you have a point of no return?  20-25
> cents? Less or more?
>
> I use a SAT IV along with some aural checks to back the machine up...
>
> I'm still earning my wings in this industry and I'm trying to get an idea
> of what is considered normal (if there is such a thing!). Thanks in advance.
>
> Regards,
>
> Rob McCall
> Murrieta, CA
>


 Hi Rob,

I don't do a pitch raise and finish tune in one sitting on the same day. In
my experience and the way I was taught you don't get a good finish tune that
way.
If a piano has been left at 50c flat or more for several years regardless of
it's age, it should be treated similarly to a newly strung piano. When you
do the initial pitch raise to pitch w/some overpull you are adding roughly 5
tons of pull back into the piano, each string is now stretching, the
soundboard has renewed tension, etc. To immedietly begin again and call that
a finish tune has always made me wonder how long that finish tune lasts. I
have acquired many customers over the years from those who have used this
practice, the customers tell me "he was here for 2 or 3 hours & charged a
lot and 6 weeks later the piano sounded terrible"!
I do a pitch raise and a second pass using the smart tune feature on my
Cyber tuner, now, I did it for almost forty years by ear before this year.
I then make a second appointment for 3 or 4 weeks later to return for the
finish tune. After that tuning I make certain that we tune again before 6
months or following the next season change whichever occurs first. I then
tell them they have "righted" the ignored piano and can return to their
usual schedule of once or twice a year whichever is their preference. I
charge a little more for my time on the first appointment only if it takes
longer than the time I had allotted for the appointment, I charge my regular
rate for the other appointments.
With a few exceptions, my customers are my friends, not my enemies and I
treat them as such.

Mike
-- 
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
Steven Wright


Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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