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Very nice Dan...

Brushed up on tuning today. Doing a sample tuning for a local store tomorrow... hopefully I'll pass the mustard and become a referral tech (is that right?) ...

Joined the PTG this week...

Tuned more pianos at the community college. Same scenario. Same lady plays same 2 measures endlessly the whole time I'm tuning. She is camped out in the practice room next to mine, despite the fact that all the other rooms are available. And again, she opened the door. Weekend....aaaaaah....

Next time see if you can record a bit of it and post it here.
That way we can share in your pain.

Thanks Les,
Good luck with the tuning today. Break a leg.....
Referral tech or warranty tech, doesn’t matter too much about the label, you will still do your best at the job in front of you.......

A very long day yesterday...In school school accompanying students on their final warmup before we all took a 1-hour school bus ride to the NYSSMA solo festival at another high school.

The festival organizers should be ashamed at the condition of the pianos. I played in 6 different rooms. 5 of the 6 had a problem. Squeaking sustain pedals, out of tune, poor action regulation. Some had no piano bench, and the chairs provided were WAY too low.

Most of the pianos were old Kimball and Everett studios...blond finishes, so I'm assuming 1950's and 1960's. The worst piano was in the most important room...where the vocal students were being judged at the highest level. It was a Kimball studio. Knee board was gone, as was the soft pedal dowel. I had a 3-note "fanfare" to start the piece. The piano was SO LOUD, it startled me so much, I almost jumped off the piano bench. Several accompanists lodged formal complaints about that piano.

However, aside from the pianos, the students I played for (or, "for whom I played") scored high marks for their performances.

Good luck, Les. And good job taking the step to join the PTG. There are great contact and learning opportunities there that are much harder to get otherwise.



I contacted the dean of the music department, who considered the situation and said that he'd close up the practice rooms while I'm there working. That would be best for all parties, considering I charge an hourly rate for school tunings. The dean also pointed out something I hadn't considered: there might be claustrophobia issues here as well. I'm glad I gave it consideration before saying something I mightregret.

Store tuning...now that's a challenge. Lots of customers really slowed things up...but I think I did ok. He going to let me know.

Good luck, Monster! If you get in, try to get a key for the store. I often use my key to tune at the store before it opens, thus avoiding customer slowdowns. When a customer does interrupt my store tuning, I'll find mechanical issues to repair, or paperwork to fill out, or it might be time for lunch.

Dave, I often have students next to me as well as I'm tuning. They always seem to choose the closest room. I find that Sunday mornings are the only quiet time that I can count on - I get in at 7 or 8am and work till about 1pm.

I finally got a fob (electronic key) which will make life a lot easier!

Evening ladies, gentleman and Jerrys...
Have no reasonable excuse for my absence from the forum except work, video games and yard maintenence.

Shop work on Friday but Thursday was a Currier in a tiny tiny 1st Bapt Ch at a crossroads hamlet, a Hamilton next door at a tiny OLD Baptist, a C1, U1 and Kawai GS 6' at a Methodist Ch, (both in sanctuary)and a pitiful old Lindeman upright with loose jacks for a nice lady with 2 little girls.

Got called to tune the piano at the high school for Baccalaureate tomorrow (Sunday). Went in and it is a Kimball Studio about 30 years old. Last year was no problem. Went in, tune and gone in about an hour.

I sit down at it and play a few chords and it is horrible. Buzzes throughout most of the mid part of the piano, and badly out of tune.

After looking around I found two ribs coming loose on the far treble end of the piano down low in the corner. Got to have it ready for tomorrow, no other pianos around any where close to use.

So I cheat today. I applied some glue between the ribs and sound board, drill a small pilot hole through the ribs so it won't split. put a small screw through to the sound board and pull the ribs back into place. Stops the bad buzzing. Do a pitch raise, then tune. Sounds like a different piano.

Welcome back Mr. Sam!

Me? I went north last Thursday for a long weekend. Came home tonight. The weather was gorgeous! Perfect. In the 90's today! Today, was the hotter than any one day in all of July here, last year! Great day to be at the lake. Going up again for yet another long weekend this coming Thursday but alas, first, I have to have a tooffy yanked. Getting a bridge put in. $2,850.00. Have to let it heal for 6-8 weeks before the bridge work can begin. Wish I had dental coverage! Count your blessings if you do.... Anyway, I'll drink a few and that'll help my sore tooffy!

Most dental coverage is very costly and covers very little. If paying for things like this is a concern, consider a health care savings account instead.

Tuned Bryan Adams piano.

Funny that this is the post I see today-
Yesterday I tuned for a relatively well-known performer at a concert hall where I've been doing work for years. I asked his manager if I could use his name on my website and I was told that I could not. I persisted, even suggesting that the manager play the piano I had just tuned (which came out great). He refused, but took my card. And I took his. I'll call today to ask if the performer was satisfied, which I'm certain he was.
Has this ever happened to anyone here?

I'm merely pointing out for those that have it given to them to count their blessings because many of us have to pay for it and if you have teeth like mine, no matter how well you take care of them,it will still cost you a fortune in root canal's, crowns, etc. Yes, I do have an HSA. Had one since they came out with it.

Probably by asking you opened the door to all the what-if scenarios...what if you used his image, or began to trade on his name in an inappropriate way...many managers will hesitate or outright refuse if asked that way. There is, on the other hand, nothing irregular or inappropriate about simply making a list of artists, organizations, or otherwise you've worked for...and for that, you needn't seek permission if you are simply stating the truth. In my experience, nobody will object to being listed on a page with others, provided you actually did work for the event.

Make your list, and if somebody actually objects then you can consider pulling the name off. Its all about being respectful of course, but there's nothing wrong with listing the names of artists you've tuned for.

RPD

Ok, years back I found Bryan Adams original grand piano in the basement of one of the high schools here in North Vancouver. This was the original instrument that he wrote the early songs with Jim Vallance........ albums Reckless (1984) and the earlier self titled Bryan Adams (1980)

The piano was a mess. It had been donated to the school with great fanfare a number of years back. I offered to repair the instrument as a donation and then have the school either keep the finished product or sell it at a fund raiser for the schools music program.

When I contacted Adams management I was informed that I could NOT under any circumstances use his name or attach his name to the product. The explanation was (if I recall correctly) that his name is his business; (there is rock star power or recognition of that name) and that using his name I would technically receive a benefit (the value of the instrument would receive a benefit), and this is not allowed here in Canada. The name Bryan Adams is most likely registered as a trade mark or some similar business structure...

I agree. Personally, I think it is especially amusing if this kind of righteousness would be thrown on somebody who lists what they actually did... because this way of building one's reputation has been used in a lot more questionable ways during the years - by artists themselves! Even to the point that artists' CV's generally are approached with a healthy dose of skepticism by people in the concert business.

Thus, "NN has worked with Miles Davis" could mean that NN played at the same festival as Miles - Mr Davis on the main stage Saturday night, and NN playing welcome music at the parking lot

Same thing goes for venues - some artists' managers buy slow Monday nights at known clubs, just to be able to list their client's appearance there.

There is no end to the creativity in show business

I came across an old Kohler & Campbell grand today. The customer said she bought it from a tuner who "rebuilt" it, but the last tuner (several years ago) took the action home, only to return it with the comment "I can't fix it". I notice there is no wood beams underneath, and the action barely plays. So I pull the action out to find non-standard whips and shanks, and hammers glued somewhat south of straight. The coils on the tuning pins were not pulled up tight, and I can read the brand name though the paint on the plate.

So I saved her (and me) the time and expense and condemned the piano. Sometimes you just say NO.