[pianotech] Developing confidence - was Steinway Upright

[David Nereson]

<<<<Thanks, Floyd.
 Unfortunately, most of what I get - as a 'newbie" technician - 
are cheaper and/or older pianos that don't seem to be worth the 
time of some older, more  established technicians.  My apologies 
and admiration, though,  to those techs who DO spend quality 
time on these oft-neglected instruments.
Tom
>>

    Heck, I've been at this for 30 years and still most of the 
pianos I get are spinets and old uprights, spinets and old 
uprights.  That's what most people own, at least around here. 
Or else the other techs already have all the clients with nice 
grands sewn up.  I feel pleased if now and then I get even a 
decent console or small grand to tune.  Those large grands and 
nicer full uprights are only 2% of the clientele, unless maybe 
you tune on Manhattan's upper East Side, Beverly Hills, Palm 
Beach, FL, Scarsdale, etc.
    --David Nereson, RPT

<< . . . . . >>

<< List: I was approached by a potential client who wanted me to 
tune her late grandmother's Steinway upright. It was recently 
moved from her grandmother's home to its present location and, 
regretfully, hasn't been tuned in many (read: more than ten) 
years. Of course I agreed, since I'm working hard to get my 
fledgling business off the ground, but then I remembered that a 
number of technicians in my limited experience had been less 
than complimentary of the Steinway upright due to its quirky 
nature during tuning. My inclination is to approach this tuning 
with no preconceptions but alarm bells are still insistently 
ringing in my head. Are there any pitfalls or booby traps that I 
should be aware of before attempting this daunting task? Your 
collective wisdom will be most appreciated. Tom Rhea Piano 
Service Tom Rhea, Jr., Technician >>

Nah, it's just another piano, and no more daunting than any 
other.  Go for it.  Each one has its own feel in the pinblock, 
and each one has strings that render slightly differently, 
regardless of make.  It may have pins that are "waving around in 
the breeze," as Newton Hunt used to put it, because of the lack 
of tuning pin bushings, but there are other pianos one can say 
the same thing about;  you just have to find out by feel as to 
how to set the strings/pins.  Now, there is one particular model 
of Steinway I've heard technicians curse, but I never run into 
them.  Are you tuning an old old upright with double flanges or 
what?
    --David Nereson, RPT