Happens every year...
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Those last-minute piano tuning requests! This one (from a posh suburb) is probably the best so far....
Hi Ron,
Your name was provided as a great tuner by many in the neighborhood! We received a piano in 2020 from a family that had it for years, that we rarely play but are hoping to have it in a better spot for a Christmas Eve party we are hosting. Would you be able to give me a quote to fix the following things? Not sure if you would even be available before then!
- Tuning
- Keys that stick
- Notes that don't make sound
Also do you have any recommendations of someone who could play the piano for us during the party? Depending on the price it may be for 3 hours or if it is too expensive, then likely just 30 mins for the end of the party caroling sing along.
Thanks!
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Oof!! I sent my tuner a note just yesterday to see if he can get me in either this month or sometime in January.
But heâs my regular tuner and he was last here in June. And my piano sounds pretty good, I just want it to sound great, like it always does after tuning!
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"I'm sorry. I'm fully scheduled through (the new year, January, other - pick one). If you would like me to schedule a visit after that time please reply with your preferred days/times. Best regards," should do.
Waiting months for some medical procedures makes it clear that professional services are not available at convenience except in emergencies. This tuning request for what sounds like a very difficult patient is not an emergency, but long-term neglect.
Big Al
Money seems to buy the most happiness when you give it away.
Why does everything have to be so complicated, all in the name of convenience. -ShiroKuro
A lifetime of experience will change a person. If it doesn't, then you're already dead inside. -MarkJ
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Forget the piano. Easier and much cheaper to just stream the music.
Anyone know a good source to stream or buy "accompaniment tracks" for popular songs? I figure something like this must exist somewhere.
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@Axtremus said in Happens every year...:
Easier and much cheaper to just stream the music.
Just add a video fireplace/Yule log and you're all set for atmosphere!
As an aside...@Axtremus - does the gif eat up forum resources? I can take it down if it's a hog....
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie AumĂ´nier
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They sent a picture - old tall upright - this should be an adventure!
Even though I'm known in the industry as the electronic tuning device guy, or the temperament guy, my speciality (If I have one...) is just this type of situation. Limited time, biggest improvement. The tuning device work and temperament creation is all part of improving efficiency for tuning. I've done similar experiments with action work and voicing to get the biggest bang for the time.
If you are looking for someone to spend a day or two refining in the quest for perfection, I'm not your guy. Give me 2-3 hours with a neglected piano, and I'm in triage heaven! Yes, I squeezed them in. Yes, I will charge a lot...
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@Steve-Miller said in Happens every year...:
Wurlitzer spinet.
Hey buckoâŚI started out with one. đ¤Ź
âI refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answerâ
â Douglas Adams -
@Mik said in Happens every year...:
@Steve-Miller said in Happens every year...:
Wurlitzer spinet.
Hey buckoâŚI started out with one. đ¤Ź
Wurlitzer console here.... -
I started on an ancient Cabinet Grand. I couldnât tell you the brand, not that it would have mattered. The poor thing was completely hammered, broken hammers and any number of other issues. Someone had âantiquedâ it a grisly shade of orange and it didnât matter. It was big, it was loud, and I could play it any time I wanted. Glorious! No more begging time on the neighborâs pianos!
Iâd saved up $100 in paper route earnings and being as the piano cost only $50, I had $50 to get it tuned. The $50 tuner who I found in the Pennysaver (remember the Pennysaver?) took one look at it and almost walked out. He asked me how much I had to spend on it and I showed him - a shoebox filled with coin rolls, some loose bills and a jar of change.
$50 - same as I paid for the piano. He must have liked my answer because he agreed to tune it and maybe fix a few things.
That guy must have been some kind of saint because he spent pretty much the rest of the day messing with it. He let me watch and even help. What he taught me is a big reason why I love Landfill uprights to this day.
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OMg @Steve-Miller i never heard that story! What a great story!!
Not the same but it reminds me of the Piano Whisperer (who I bought my Petrof from) who cared more about being people and pianos together than he did about making a buck.
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Thought it would be a grand upright when I started this thread and it is!
Have considered buying and old upright and having it restored, new action, etc. . The trouble with that is I thought of it after getting my Yamaha upright.
From the Yamaha website, " Itâs quite simply the grandest sounding upright available."
