[pianotech] Clarification Question: i'll take a pass

Terry Farrell mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com
Wed Aug 26 10:39:15 MDT 2009


Why would length of time since last tuning have any bearing on how you  
would conduct a pitch raise/tuning?

Terry Farrell

On Aug 26, 2009, at 11:31 AM, Scott Helms, RPT wrote:

> OH!  I forgot to mention, Bill, that by having a policy to do 2  
> visits on
> every pitch raise (for me, about 10c is the "magic number", if it's  
> been
> longer than a year since the piano was tuned), I don't really have to
> think too much about the "magic number" in terms of whether I can  
> get by
> with a single-visit pitch correction and tuning in one visit. I  
> guess I
> base my decision on a combination of where the pitch is, and how  
> long the
> customer has neglected service. Of course, if I find a piano that  
> hasn't
> been tuned in more than a year and it's only 5c off, I won't do 2
> appointments. That, in my opinion, WOULD constitute gouging.
>
> Scott
> ------
> Scott A. Helms, Registered Piano Technician
> 480-818-3871
> www.helmsmusic.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>> Hi Paul, Ah, Vacation!!? Always sounds nice... sorry to bother.
>>
>> I understand your concern for list "hard" numbers.? I'm just
>> looking for some ballpark ideas.? No guarantees.? Rough SWAG's.
>> (Scientific Wild Axx Guesses)? Guidelines.
>>
>>
>>
>> I get a fair number of "I'm not sure when it was tuned last" answers,
>> & I'm in the process of rethinking the "pitch raise & tune" 1-visit.
>>
>>
>>
>> And any suggestions or guidelines I can get might give the customer
>> (and me) a better tuning... aka break the previous 1-visit into
>> 2 separate "standard charge" tunings about 4 weeks apart,
>> which are characterized by a pitch raise or two & a rough tune...
>> and then a 2nd visit which could be a minor pitch raise & "fine  
>> tune".
>>
>>
>>
>> But I do not want to overwork the customer's budget & good faith.
>>
>> Thank you very much...?? Bill Fritz
>>
>>
>> From: PAULREVENKOJONES at aol.com
>> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Clarification Question:? i'll take a pass
>>
>> Bill:
>> ?
>> I am on vacation right now and if I have time when I return I'll  
>> consider
>> whether I have answers to your questions. Let me say now that I  
>> rarely put
>> numbers to these things and have found it dangerous and  
>> unprofitable when?
>> giving advice.
>> ?
>> Also, there is no contradiction between what I said in GR and what  
>> I said?
>> in the post. I pull the piano all the way up (overpulled) on the  
>> first
>> pass?
>> every time. It may take another stabilizing pitch pass before  
>> attempting?
>> any kind of decent tuning. Wherein do you see a conflict?
>> ?
>> Paul
>> ?
>> ?
>> In a message dated 8/25/2009 10:59:32 A.M. Central Daylight Time,?
>> pianofritz50 at aol.com writes:
>>
>> Hi Paul,
>> ?
>> I very much appreciated our conversations during the Convention  
>> about?
>> this
>> subject, and I think I remember you said that one should? pitch  
>> raise to
>> A440, rather than take the piano up slowly over a series of? periodic
>> tunings... but I'm a somewhat confused w/ your posting of the?  
>> following
>> vs the
>> PTG Convention statement.?
>> ?
>> I'm wondering if you could please clarify a few points indicated by  
>> the?
>>>> :
>> ?
>> I know? it's possible to raise the pitch & fine tuning in one visit.
>> However, just because you CAN do it doesn't mean that you SHOULD do  
>> it.
>> I personally disagree with this sentiment as a generalization.? It's?
>> possible to raise the pitch and adequately tune the piano in one  
>> sitting?
>> if the raise is not ridiculously excessive.
>> ?
>>>> ? What's the ballpark -xx cents number you're talking about being
>> "ridiculously excessive"?
>> ?
>> It may be possible to raise the pitch and "fine tune" if the raise is
>> within a narrow range.
>> ?
>>>> ? Ballpark -xx cents number for this "fine tune" situation?
>> ?
>> Concert work often calls for the latter.? Johnny's home piano is  
>> typical
>> of
>> the former. And if Johnny is any good, plan on coming back in a  
>> month or
>> so to do a more than
>> adequate tuning. Radically flat pianos won't really stabilize for?  
>> several
>> tunings.?
>> ?
>>>> ? What negative? cents numbers are "radical", that would need  
>>>> "several
>> tunings"... over what period of time?
>> ?
>>>> ? Maybe one final? question...?? could you provide a  
>>>> differentiation of
>> "adequate" and? "fine tune"... either in "cents" or some other
>> quantitative
>> answer (aka? stability over time, or whatever)
>> ?
>> Thank you very much...?? Bill Fritz, StLouis Chapter
>>
>>
>
>



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