[pianotech] frustrated

[J Patrick Draine]

Fortunately, I don't have any that I give that amount of time. But there
are real problem pianos out there, for sure. While one may pride oneself on
being able to "tune anything", some of those instruments really need a full
rebuild, and you need to to let the piano owner know in no uncertain terms.
Often the rendering problem on a century old Chickering (for example) is
just too much punishment to bear -- but many of us keep returning when the
customer calls.
The real headache for me is partial or complete rebuilds that feature pin
torque in the neighborhood of 200 inch lbs. The tuning pins flex more than
they turn in the block. No fun.
Patrick Draine
PS Don Mannino may have appropriate advice for that Kawai

On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 10:05 AM, Leslie Bartlett
<l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net>wrote:

>  Do any besides me have pianos which take 4-5 hours to tune, and if so
> how do you bill for them.   I have some Chickerings which take me that
> long, and I have a Kawai KG2 (which I’m tuning for a serious concert) which
> I simply can’t get stable. Not that I get it set and then a whole section
> will go out, but I just can’t get it to go and stay where it should.   I
> don’t know what to do in those instances. After all I’m hired to tune the
> piano, but spending that long is quite counterproductive to income.    I
> have a customer on whom I spend more than average time but I love the piano
> and her as a unique musician.  She’s a professional accompanist.  I
> measured a “pitch raise” after a six month passage of time, and was an
> average of 1.1 cents off- so I can tune.  But there are a few which just
> drive me nuts.   Any ideas for sanity in these instances?****
>
> Thanks****
>
> Les Bartlett****
>
>  ****
>
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