Tuned a Baldwin Acrosonic today, that I tuned maybe 3 times in 2 1/2 years. The last time it was starting to really come around, a previous tuner would come and tune half this time and in 3 months tune the next half, and then maybe the middle half one time or the ends next time. Needless to say, it was considered to be a lost cause because it didn't hold a tune (tuner's words)and "needed junked". (wondering what or who really needed junked.... hmmm?) They called me, and today, it was just some unisons out and a few loose pins, and it has not been tuned for almost a year. Not bad for a "junk" piano. Sounds good, holding a tune, and they are tickled. Had a no show, I and my appentice both heard her say "1:30", but she insisted she said "3:30". Oh well, squeezed her in tomorrow. She teaches at the college, so I cut her some extra slack... a good friend, but we still didn't make connections today.

Worked on a S&S M full regulation in the store today.

Tuned and cleaned a Steinway L this morning for a great local piano teacher. The tunings have become rock solid ever since I upgraded the Dampp-Chaser climate system and installed an undercover. Pitch used to vary a lot, but no more, which is nice for me and for her. We like to talk a lot, too...which is fun...and it gives me a break...so I always schedule a whole morning for that visit.

Then onto a school after school for 2 concert tunings. I should have saved the Steinway B for last, but I didn't. Did that first. It's from 1916 and had a complete rebuild about 20 years ago. Someone donated it to the school when the new school was built...a joy to play.

After that, a Baldwin Hamilton on the stage. The lights were buzzing and the custodians had put the piano on twin dollies, but didn't attach them to the piano, so they dig into the case...and the whole things rocks forward and back when tuning. It's a worn-out, bright, loud piano, but they use it because it sounds good with the jazz band. It kinds of sounds like a circus...all that was missing with this tuning was the monkey with the clashing cymbols. Oh, wait...that was me!

When they don't attach the dollies and the piano rocks, I always make a note in writing on the invoice about the danger of it tipping, especially in school pianos. I always worry the piano will tip over on a kid, and I don't want any liability for that! The other common thing I see is dollies attached at the rear only, and nothing secured underneath.

Tuned a nice Yamaha console for the first appointment.

Tuned an Everett Spinet. They lady could not find anyone that can make her happy. I take notes when people are talking to me on the phone or off from the messages they leave. In her message, she mentioned 2 sticking keys and some buzzing and rattling. Today, she mentioned that she could not get the keys to stick nor, could I so, that one is moot for now. She did not mention the buzz again.

I will be placing a separate topic on the problem and solution for the buzz.

Then, I tuned a Yamaha P22, raised it 1/4 tone, tightened the hammer flanges, adjusted pedals.

Next, I tuned a Young Chang studio. Regulated lost motion only in the tenor section, regulated the pedals and was done for the day. Went out to dinner with the wife.

Hey, the best part of the day.. going out to dinner with the wife... worth tuning all day to get that chance!

After reading Jer Groots thread about the action bracket...yesterday I had a rebuilt S&S K with a sticky C#5, would hang at full stroke...but only sometimes. You could feel a real strong detent at letoff. Played around with it, dropped the action back to have a look, maybe a loose screw or something. Put the action back in and only put the two middle retaining nuts on and the key worked real nice. Tighten the last action bracket nut at the treble end and the strong detent would come back. Ended up backing the action bracket stud on the treble end out 1/2 turn.

Just tuned a super nice Yamaha grand for one of the teachers at the college. I tuned it a year ago, and it was still smack on. Such a beautiful sound, and they paid me and included a tip "for Christmas". Wow, get to tune and play a great piano and get paid with a tip to boot, gee, how good can it get?

While I tuned 5 pianos on Friday, my daughter, a freshman in high school rescued a baby squirrel who's leg was impaled on a thorn. The poor thing was hanging upside down by it's leg, crying for help. It's eyes are not open yet, so it's about 4 weeks old. She's feeding it and when it's ready, we'll let it go. One of my customer's has a pet squirrel, so they can be domesticated, but my wife isn't having any of that! Here's a pic at feeding time!



To top off the afternoon, she watched a water moccasin slither in the front of our house. I'm going to have to take a look for it, in case it chose to make a home in our yard, instead of in the marsh.

YIPES! Snakes!!! I HATE SNAKES!!!!!! Bum knee or not, I RUN! RUN RUN RUN RUN RUUUUUUUNNN!

Right behind you Jer, you don't have to know what kind of snakes are poisonous or not, justleave em all alone. snakes are icky.

Snakes are icky and ugly. They look like they're ready to eat you alive or chew you to death.

Today, I tuned for the nicest customer. We are also email buddies. Sending forwards back and forth. She owns a nice Kawai GS-30. The piano tunes up great and always sounds so nice when I'm done. Plus, she always sets up her church pianos for me twice a year = 6 tunings and, recommends me to others so I always give her a big discount AND, she makes me banana bread. 2 loaves no less! Are you jealous??? MMMM! I love that stuff!!

Then, tuned 3 in her church. A Kawai UST-6, nice piano. Kawai grand, KG-2C, another great piano. We rebuilt it in 2004. Then, did some more regulation on it in the spring of this year. Great piano. Then tuned a Story & Clark studio.

Yesterday, tuned a Hamilton grand, haven't seen one of these in a while. Raised it 1/4-1/2 tone to 440. Needs work. Has great potential but, unfortunately, I hear the same ole story from this one... Kids in college, no money... Good enough for me to play on etc... OK. Wait longer and replace the hammers instead, I'm good with that too.

Then, tuned 4 in a church. All Yamaha's!

Tomorrow, tuning 1 home, 2 at my college, replacing 2 broken bass wires on a Kawai RX-6 and then tuning a Yamaha U3 in one of the dorms at the college.

Friday, tuning 7 pianos.

How goes your week so far?

Tuning a Story & Clark Thursday morning and a store pitch & tune on a Kimball console. Had a regulation mentoring session this afternoon. It's getting there...slow and steady, lol

Tuned a Kawai studio in a gym for a choir concert while basketball practice was going on. Ear plugs and an ETD made that possible along with 4 decades of experience knowing that if it has to be done now, it has to be done and not to complain about it. The piano needed a pitch raise, so it was a double tuning in all three sections as I would expect at this time of year, yet it still only took 45 minutes. If I had balked at the situation, I would have lost my fee and probably the account as well. I actually enjoyed taking a few short breaks to stretch my back and watch the kids shoot hoops.

Did a Steinway D in an auditorium for tomorrow night show...last minute, and oh by the way notes and dampers are sticking. Luckily, it was the keyslip pushing against keys...easy fix...raised 6C to 440...ET this time...

Tuned two church pianos, and one house Yamaha U Series...did a short service call for free as a followup to correct another "sticking" key, and the client was happy to have that quarter back. (not Quarterback, Quarter back)

Put on 125 miles today...stopped at Guitar Center and marveled that the place is filled with 20 year old kids. The only purchases I witnessed in the 1/2 hour I waas there were by middle aged folks...one with a pony tail, one with small children by her side, and me. 6 inch guitar cords suitable for recording and performance are $22 each. Who knew...

Home at 8:45pm...working with Jane in the shop until 11pm. Trying to finish a pump organ for a family by the 18th. I have time to write this while the coffee brews!

Such are my simple facts.

RPD

4 spinets, 4 pitch raises. Next I'll probably get a jury duty summons.

Yesterday a Kohler & Campbell console, a 100+flat. Been up north for the last 5 years... alone with no heat. But can this girl play, 89yrs old. Sat down and chatted over a cup of coffee.. is this really work?

Yesterday, a Stroud upright, not too bad after about three years and a move. Then a pre-surgery appointment for my wife. Today, an old Steinway, followed by the Christmas dinner at my club with the other members I have sponsored. I have not seen one of them since he became police chief of one of the cities around here, as I figured he would be pretty busy, but I called him and he thought he should come. Tomorrow is the surgery.

I'll be hoping for the very best outcome and recovery for your wife, BDB. Sure, she has no clue who I am, but what could it hurt.

I have some idea how she must be feeling; I'm scheduled for a knee replacement job in a few weeks. Sure, it's good; better than not doing it. But then again...

Anyway, good thoughts.

Monday tuned 7. 4 in one church, 3 in another. 3 Yamaha's, an Everett grand, Baldwin studio, 2 Everett studios.

Tuesday tuned 6. A 9' Baldwin concert grand that needs rebuilding. R 1/4-1/2-440, did some repairs and other junk. Tuned a Hundai grand. PSO. Yamaha & Charles Walter studio, Everett studio, Young Chang grand. Put on 160 miles Monday and Tuesday.

Wed: Screwed up. Double booked. Secretary scheduled them for 2 weeks ago and I scheduled the same church for yesterday. Found out the night before. Fine by me! Tuned 2 yesterday. A Steinway M and a Howard grand. Another PSO.

Today, tuned 4. Steinway M, S&C studio, Kawai console, Schimmel studio. Put on another 60 miles.

Tomorrow, only tuning 2 again! Yippee! Two more Yamaha grands. Then going out to lunch with the head person at my college. I start tuning there next week and will be there for the next 3 weeks straight.

My first concert tuning. I tuned in a mild version of Bach's temperament with FA around 4.5 bps. It sounded great and the pianist and the choir were both happy!

Kees

Cleared snow from car and went out, nice L Baldwin in neighborhood, so I could walk home if necessary. Went to ABC store, had some problems getting up ramp so exited. Not much open here, glad we had supplies.

Tuned a little knabe grand that had a jack that would not come back under the knuckle on one key in the middle of the keyboard. The "stop" on the jack was a flimsy little platform in the front of a very thin wire. Where it went into the wood there was a crack. The tiny platform was out of alignment. Showed it to the owner who showed it to her friend who then proceeded to "fix it" into several pieces (not on purpose). Owner asked if I could steal a part from another key to fix that key. I did. Had originally thought of applying a bit of glue and coming back to it, but oh well. . .

I HATE doing stuff like that, but one must do what one must do, I suppose. . .

The surgery went well today. My wife should be home tomorrow.

BDB, that's good news. glad everything went well.

Tuned a Kimball Grand Piano in a church today that was built in 1924 according to the serial number. Not sure of the overall length but was at least a 7 footer.

Obvious lots of work had been done in the last few years since it had new tuning pins and strings. New looking flanges and hammers.

Beautiful grand, black in color. Played well and sounded good. Lots of unisons needed tweaking. But when I inspected the piano closer I found the treble bridge was breaking out around the pins and allowing the pins to move. That's why the unisons are moving out of tune.

Then went out on the country where the creepy crawlers lived to tune and old Newman Bros Upright. While I tuned I would have to reglue jacks to the whippens. Not many, but enough to slow me down a little.

From there went to another house out in the boonies to tune a Chickering spinet. Supposed to be there at 3pm, got there at 3pm and no one home. Grrrrr.

45 miles back home.

On the bright side, my son is home for a few days for Christmas and he and his wife and daughter came in. He has to be back in Groton, CT soon though to finish his training at the naval base there, then they move to Bangor, Washington.

Other than the one "Grrrr" today has been a good day.

I did 3 today. One freebie for a nursing home---but it was 40 miles away, harumph, oh well. Then a nice older Gulbransen grand for the masons. To finish up===an older Wurlitzer spinet--last tuned in April 1970. needless to say, that one took quite a while. Maybe a little less than 40yrs between tunings please!!

At #2 the gate was locked. No door bell. I knocked and yelled for 10 min. Phone was busy. Townhouse - no access to windows or back yard. I left a note and went to tune my Dad'a Steinway. Sure enough.....1/2 hour later the phone rings....where are u? Well i can come back in January.....Merry Xmas!

Bob. Ha ha ha ha! Love your response!!!! I had a gated entry once, the wife didn't bother to inform the husband that I was coming. Total surprise to him. This was a long time ago, several years back.

I rang the buzzer... Yes? Hi, Jerry Groot here, to tune the piano. WHO? Jerry Groot here, to tune the piano. "We don't have an appointment." Yes, we do. "Who are you?" Getting aggitated now, Jerry Groot... Silence. Is so and so there? (Wife) "No, she's not available at this time." Well, she made an appointment with me for today and 11 AM to tune the piano. She obviously didn't tell you huh? "Obviously and I'm reluctant to just let you in." Well, that's understandable but, how often Mr so and so, do you have someone buzz your phone telling you that he is a piano tuner, like, maybe NEVER? So, do you suppose that I am actually legit? Silience... Helloooo? Hey, let me in or I'm leaving and you can have your wife mad at you later for not letting me in for the party she wanted the piano tuned for on x date. OH, you must be for real if you know about that! Alright, come on in then. bbbbzzzzzzzzzz. Before I arrived to the front door, he had gotten ahold of his wife on her cell phone only to find out, hey, this guy is for real after all! I'm glad I let you in, he said. My wife was realllllly PISSED off at me on the telephone! I laughed and said, yeah, ME TOO, thanks! To which, he also then laughed!

Hey, guess what I'm doing this week and next? I think..... I just see a phone call came in from a church via caller ID... Bet they want it tuned before Christmas or something... I'm (supposed to be) on vacation until the end of the year! First time in probably 30 years I've been able to do this! YIPEEEEEEEEEEE!

P.S. Lucky me! They were calling about a bill that they said was paid but, was never cashed. We chuckled about it. I said, won't be the last time something got lost in the mail...