If the President of Estonia can't get something done, try the President of Latvia... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Leslie Bartlett" <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net> To: pianotech at ptg.org Received: 2/5/2010 4:16:24 PM Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness >At the request of the church I wrote a lengthy email to the gentleman who I >believe sold them the piano in New York. I got a note from him saying it >will go to the President of Estonia. So, we shall see what we shall see.. >les b > > _____ >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of David Love >Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 3:45 PM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >No respect needed I was being somewhat facetious which is why I introduced >it as "if you're brave". I figured people would get it but evidently not. >If the manufacturer considers tight pins a warranty issue then send it back >but good luck with that. Otherwise it's the customer's problem and the >tech's job to help them find the best solution or just live with a difficult >piano to tune. If the block is truly not tunable and if it's not under >warranty then I don't see the problem with more radical solutions. I can't >imagine a 15 watt bar under a delignit block destroying it under any >circumstances and might be worth a try in the short term until a more >thorough approach is considered, like restringing or removing pins, reaming >and driving them back in. Or, you could just pawn the job off on your least >favorite tech in the area (that's a joke too, btw). > >David Love >www.davidlovepianos.com > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of William Truitt >Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 12:06 AM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >With all due respect, David, I think that's a bit of a dangerous >recommendation. I understand why you are recommending it from the point of >view of shrinking the wood by drying it and therefore expanding the holes to >make the pins looser. But the dealer and manufacturer might look askance at >this, saying it ruined the block, thus making it Les's problem, even a >potential lawsuit - in other words, an out for them and bigger trouble for >Les. And the repinning, without the manufacturers blessing and approval as >a solution to a warranty problem; could otherwise void the warranty to the >piano's owners. > >It's up to the manufacturer to decide how to approach this as a warranty >service problem. That begins usually by having the dealer's technician come >out to appraise the situation, advise the manufacturer's tech rep, and then >follow through with a solution. That solution might be having the dealer's >technician come out to perform a warranty repair such as repining, or >sending the piano back to the factory for repair, or replacing the piano >with a new one. All this, of course, is dependent on the dealer and >manufacturer's willingness to follow through. > >If the dealer is distant or recalcitrant, sometimes an independent >technician can contact the manufacturer directly and work out the solution >path. I've done that a number of times before, as have many others. It has >been my experience that, once you establish to the tech rep that you are not >a blithering idiot and actually know what you are talking about, that they >will work with you towards a meaningful solution that addresses the problem >and takes care of the customer. > > >But back to my question- doesn't >> the company selling the instrument have responsibility for a number of >>years? > >Ask them. We don't make the call. > >Ron is right. Ask them. That's where it all begins. Nobody who has >responsibility here, the manufacturer and the dealer as their >representative, can begin to address the problem and seek a solution until >they know about it. Often they will want your experiences in writing. >Strictly speaking the company selling the instrument does not any warranty >responsibilities as guarantor, they serve only as an authorized intermediary >as part of their dealer agreement. > >Les needs the church's blessing (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun) to act as >their agent in dealing with the dealer or maker. If the church does not >want to bother, then that's their call. But if that were to be the case, >then he should be charging appropriately for that 4 hour tuning. Usually >that gets people's attention when the cost is twice as much every time. > >Will Truitt > > > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of David Love >Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 1:35 AM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >If you feel brave you might try sticking a dampp-chaser rod right under the >block and see if that doesn't open it up a bit. > >David Love >www.davidlovepianos.com > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of wimblees at aol.com >Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 7:54 PM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness > >Les > >I doubt if the church will spend the money to repin, much less restring. >Tell the minister of music that the pianos are untunable, and tell him to >have the dealer send out his tuner to solve the problem. > >Wim > >-----Original Message----- >From: Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net> >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Sent: Sat, Jan 30, 2010 2:39 pm >Subject: [pianotech] tuning pin tightness >A local church bought three pianos, roughly topping out at $200,000. Two are >Estonias. On one the pins are so tight they pop, most of the quite loudly >making it un-tunable for all practical purposes. These are about one year >old. What would you recommend as far as some action regarding the piano? >I'm afraid of twisting pins to breaking point. >thanks >les bartlett
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC