Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Some advice on hiring a piano technician

Hi all, I'm looking for a pre-owned grand and I went to see a $7500 yamaha C1 yesterday. I was a little bit surprised that it looks older than I expected. The inside looks very dusty. I don't know if it's because I looked too many clean piano pics on ebay or from dealers that I was surprised that the Yamaha logo as well as the serial no. were fading. I checked up the serial no. and it was manufactured in 1998. They put the piano on the ground floor, and there is a pool outside. I wonder if the humidity is too high. They said they seldom turned on the dehumidifier. I feel that a few keys were a little sluggish. I need to press harder than the rest to hear a sound.Just by reading my description, can you tell if something is seriously wrong with this piano?

I was looking for a technician on the Guild list as referred by someone in this forum. The technician I talked to told me that I should find the same technician who will be tuning this piano if I get it. Since I live 2 hours away from the seller and where he works, he is not going to tune my piano. He referred me to someone else, but that person told me she wouldn't take the job as she was about to move. She referred me to another two people who I couldn't find their names on the list. She said they might not register, but they are very experienced. I'm in a dilemma whether to trust the list or trust this lady I never met. Is it better to hire RPT, or someone who is referred by a professional in the same field?

Koala,
Serious problems with any piano are very difficult to diagnose at a distance.
When you play harder than pp to get a sound it usually means that the action is out of regulation. In this case it sounds like friction is also an issue - all should be easily resolved by a competent tech - nothing serious here.
Use an RPT. Trusting relationships are earned and you may need to try more than one tech.

You can also find a competent tech whom you may establish a trusting relationship with by asking for referrals from local institutions of music, university music departments, musicians, ect. Many techs are graduates from quality schools that even deal with rebuilding and issues that go beyond tuning/regulating and simple repairs. As stated in the Behavior in Technical Forum posting... "There are plenty of good techs who do not belong to any organization."
Be prepared to ask questions (write them down beforehand) and ask for any clarifications if something remains unclear; the specifics with pianos can get complicated at times and same goes with the terminology which us technicians get used to. A good tech should be able to convey to you what you need to know and always bring his/her "A" game when working on your piano.

Koala,

If you live near a big city, try calling Yamaha themselves. There tele. is 800 854-1569. They know all the really good techs around the country. The techs who they would use to do warrantee stuff. 7500.00 is a good price for that piano.

Good luck
Denis Ikeler

The above adivce is good...

You've stumbled, in part, onto the age old controversy regarding using an RPT or not, whom is more qualified etc...its been a hot topic here in the past, and of late has been settled respectfully between both camps...

The upshot is this: the PTG list of qualified technicians generally will insure that you receive somebody who can do a great job.

However, there are many professionals who do not belong to the Guild (and will not show up on the list) who ALSO have deep knowledge and obtained their qualifications through apprenticeship, or a degree from one of the few colleges who offer piano technology courses.

A flat answer to "always" use an RPT, or to "never" use so and so, is perhaps a bit narrow.

Always search out the best technician you can find, based on reputation, recommendations from local colleges, teachers, and yes the Guild. You will also find (as we have) that many within the Guild will actually refer business to some of us outside the Guild. Respect and goodwill knows no boundaries.

There is a high-minded discourse that goes back and forth among the best in the industry...and in that spirit I wish you best of luck in your search.

RPD (my initials, not my title LOL)

".....generally will insure....."

Care for some syrup with that waffle?

OK...it WILL insure...

I have no truck with the Guild...so, please pass the maple...

Sorry, all I have is molasses. But, will it insure somebody who can do a great job?

Dear koala,
If you are in north jersey, I may be one of the two techs not on the rpt list. I know a female rpt who is moving and she is referring her clients to me. I ve done Yamaha dealer warrantee work for 20 years.

Thanks all for your advice. I have found a technician in the area of the seller. I will follow your advice if I get this piano for a tuner/tech in my area. I really hope that I can get this piano, as I have been looking for so long. I'm crossing my fingers.

Jeff, I think you're probably going at this tongue in cheek...and as everybody probably knows, I'm not a PTG member...but because I'm not, my sentiments may mean more since I'm basically still recommending the Guild as a good resource. But honestly, I've been doing that for years anyway; referring people on occasion to Guild techs (locally Yat Lam Hong, one heavyweight example) and I can say with all sincerity that the Guild members are, as a matter of course, qualified to do excellent work. There are exceptions, as there are in any field, I am sure. But, if I were flying blind and didn't have a tuner/tech, and no referrals from any other trusted source (as in this post) then I think its very appropriate to list the Guild as a great place to start.

For me to fail to list that resource for my clients or friends would be depriving them of a very important resource within the piano industry.

I don't think PTG is the ONLY resource, but why not admit that its a great organization? ...certainly doesn't hurt me in my efforts to service my clients to have them as aware of the landscape as possible...

FWIW

RPD

RPD:

Some, but not all, was tongue in cheek. I would recommend a Guild member, also. (I used to be one…) Chauvinism (and waffling) irks me, though.

"As stated in the Behavior in Technical Forum posting... "There are plenty of good techs who do not belong to any organization." "

I have always viewed that "behavior" post as bad behavior itself. It implies that there are just as many or more good and reliable technicians who are not RPTs as there are RPTs. The post is very patronizing and should be removed. In private communication from one of the meddling moderators, I was told that non PTG members found the mere mention of PTG and RPT to be offensive.

Well, I find what that "behavior" post says to be offensive. I find the implication that PTG and RPT are essentially meaningless to be extremely offensive.

Yes, there are very good technicians who do not belong to PTG or who are not RPTs but how do you find them? How do you distinguish between them and all of the others who have limited knowledge and skills? Sure, you can get a referral from a source you trust just as you can get a referral to an RPT.

RPTs are all a part of a network. Not all have the same skills but any who cannot do the kind of work that is requested will know of others who can and will readily recommend another RPT who can do the job.

When I say on this forum that I only recommend and hire other RPTs, I mean it and I have the right to say that and I have the right to hire and refer the people whose skills I know and trust. In my local area, I do not know any technicians who are not RPTs whom I would hire or recommend. It may be possible that there could or would be "As stated in the Behavior in Technical Forum posting... "There are plenty of good techs who do not belong to any organization." " but I don't know of any around here.

I also know of countless numbers of very fine technicians across the USA, Canada, Mexico and Europe. The only ones I would recommend with very few exceptions are RPTs.

So, if there is anyone who finds that offensive, it is their problem, not mine. I find the offense they take to be personally offensive. PTG and particularly its RPT members have made far too much of a commitment to improving knowledge and skills in the piano industry to accept restraint from those who have not made that commitment.

The piano owner's best choice when searching for a technician is clearly to hire an RPT.

Well, so much for private communication. And your use of the alliterative “meddling moderators” shows your disrespect for the owner of this Forum, who has the prerogative to operate it however he chooses.




And I am offended that you find it offensive that someone is offended…..

Quote:

“When I say on this forum that I only recommend and hire other RPTs, I mean it and I have the right to say that”……………….

And because this is a privately owned forum, not a public forum, the owner has a right to ban you for a period of time if you insist on keeping up with this nonsense. The owner can choose whatever content he would like to appear on his forum……..

The meddling moderators as you have so aptly described them do what they are told to do by the owner. Get it straight.

You can attract a lot more members to the PTG with honey rather than vinegar…..

Dan:

"You can attract a lot more members to the PTG with honey rather than vinegar….."

I agree. I think Mr. Bremmer is trying to be martyred. (Again?)

"As stated in the Behavior in Technical Forum posting... "There are plenty of good techs who do not belong to any organization.""
Emmery N

"...It implies that there are just as many or more good and reliable technicians who are not RPTs as there are RPTs."
Bill Bremmer

I does imply no such thing; it is simply your inference that makes it so, for you. There are no comparisons of quantities or numbers and the word "plenty", for lack of possibly a better word like "sufficient", implies that there is often an "adequate" amount in many locations. I would agree with this from my observations and have talked to other techs that share this view, but then again I don't live in Madison WI and would not dare venture a guess as to its validity there. It is also erroneous for you to do the same for other areas, as you are but one man and this is a vast globe. There are different ratios of members vs non members everywhere, even areas where there are no RPT's servicing whatsoever. Your statement Bill, is an inference, not an observation and coming from an RPT, obviously biased. The fact that being member in the PTG or having RPT status is not mandated by the public, government or any other body in itself is the only negative implication I can see you complaining about because IT does imply to the public there are viable, comparative alternatives. The Behavior in the Forum posting is appropriate in the sense that it protects the integrity and validity of those techs who have spent much money, many years of schooling, apprenticeships or even self study, have acquired enough expertise to have a continually growing client list of happy customers, and offer (and honor) guarantees of satisfaction that remove or reduce risk for the customer. In fact, a guarantee of this kind is better than any assurance the PTG can give since they may address a complaint against a member but they will not reimburse the customer $$, will they? As I learned as a child, saying "I'm sorry" does not carry as much weight as removing the loss or righting the wrong.
Finding a tech with a good reputation, who is recommended by others and offers a satisfaction guarantee is just as worthy of a suggestion as looking up a name on an organizations list. I think its fine to list both options. Being exclusive in either case because of a few bad apples is simply wrong and unjust. It is the "spirit" in the Behavior in the Forum posting that you should gleen...acknowledging one another. It is designed to keep things civil between people who do not share the same views.

I don’t presume to know any longer here Jeff. There is no issue of free speech here. There is material content on this forum. The owner can choose the content that he likes to have here, and remove the content he finds to be inflammatory or argumentative.

Everyone here, for months now, has cooperated with the very pleasant and accurate assessment in the behavior thread posted by the owner. As we can all witness, these simple rules of conduct do not apply to a certain members, they are above the rules apparently.

You want free speech? Start your own blog; start your own forum, link it to your web site, good luck, have fun, and all of that. BUT when you post to a privately owned forum, I guess you will have to acquiesce with the rules here…. And I believe that means everyone including myself.

Martyrdom? I would prefer to not characterize the behavior in this way. For some this would denote a religious connotation that has no place here either.

In the end it doesn’t matter if you learned from the tooth fairy. Where you learned and how you perform the task is not the point. I don’t care if you wear a lamp shade on your head while you work.

Can you do the work? Does the instrument work in a satisfactory way? Is the customer satisfied? Do they recommend you to other prospective clients?

As the behavior thread also states: this place is for technicians to discuss pianos, piano repair and for the rest to ask us questions. Let’s all get back to that and leave this issue to die on the vine.

I think the term martyred is appropriate because Bill is fanatical. For that reason, I do not plan on getting in any more serious discussions with him. (I now wonder if any were serious…) His reliance on anecdotes and hearsay to make a point is ridiculous, not to mention his building of straw men to knock down.

Thank you all for your opinions but I stand firmly with what I said. As far as I know, there is no rule as such against answering a question that someone has with information which I firmly believe to be the best. If someone asks how to find a technician or how to become a technician, I or anyone else should have the right to answer that question. The question regarding advice on how to hire a piano technician was raised here and it has been answered.