I don’t think anyone was really arguing that non aligned beckets means that the rest of the job was sloppy and not up to par, it’s just that craftsmanship, attention to cosmetic detail, creates an impression. That impression may be totally false in both directions, as we’ve pointed out, but it does create an impression. I certainly wouldn’t reject a piano that was otherwise terrific because the beckets didn’t line up but a customer might notice the small details of craftsmanship or lack of them and it might influence their decision to buy it or not regardless of what I said. When I look at a piano, or listen to one, and it sounds great I don’t necessarily focus in on a poorly laid out bridge or uneven offsets. It doesn’t probably make a functional difference. But I notice it and it can’t help but form an impression of the workmanship. So, my reading of the posts is that everyone agrees that beckets that are not perfectly lined up doesn’t mean the job is sub par but if I were training an apprentice I would tell them to pay attention to what on the surface seem like insignificant little cosmetic details. Not at the expense of something else more important, but in general because the impression you leave with each job can influence your ability to score future work. Whether that’s fair and or reasonable on the part of the consumers I don’t know. But it’s a fact. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Israel Stein Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 10:07 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] Tuning pin height David Love wrote: >I suppose there could possibly be a job where you have to choose between >cosmetics, charges that compromise the payer's ability to pay the mortgage >and some more important functional details, but most of the time you don't. >I don't think we were ever really talking about lining up beckets versus >regulating the action properly. Neither, of course, does not perfectly >aligned beckets mean that the rest of the job was crap. Well, David, another reasonable statement. But check through this entire thread - and you will see that just about everyone here aside from you who advocates lining up the beckets made the statement that it does indicate sloppy workmanship in general. And this is mainly what I am objecting to - the assumption that just because someone pays no attention to a functionally insignificant cosmetic detail means that they don't care about quality workmanship. Which is simply a calumny. I know people who do very fine work - and don't give a hoot about the damned beckets. In my book it just boils down to a silly game of "fussier than thou". And if people choose to fuss with that detail - fine. But please don't denigrate those who do fine work - and choose not to fuss with it. It's just another personal choice. Lined up beckets are just that - lined up beckets. They neither indicate superior workmanship nor sloppy workmanship. Just one small detail thst some people choose to fuss over and others choose to ignore. Let me ask you this - if one were to be paid to examine a rebuilt instrument for purchase, and found on first cursory examination that the beckets were not lined up - and on the basis of that assumed that the wormanship is faulty and therefore killed the sale - would they be giving appropriate service for the fee? I, personally, would call that malpractice. I find it preposterous that people are willing to assume that because a small cosmetic detail is not fussed over, most likely the rest of the workmanship is faulty. It's simply not true. Israel Stein Israel Stein -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20091005/39e344c1/attachment.htm>
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