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My friend who has a piano shop has sold a grand to a very famous pop singer in our country. It turned out to be so mystic, he could not believe. First came a piano teacher, looking for an instrument. She said that she looks it for someone, but not saying who. Later came another non music involved person, who also looked pianos, and asked some prices. Then came two young pianists, for the same person... Again, he personally called by phone, asking million questions, but not wanted to declare himself. After very long time, he chose the piano, and it was delivered to an address, without contact to the owner. It was payed in cash by his assistant. Everything was so conspirative.... And than, a week later, we saw that piano in a tabloid magazine on a photo of our famous singers appartement. We really never managed to figure why it had to be such a secret. Famous artists very often have strange demands.

Yesterday, I was tuning a piano at a private school when the AV guy came over and said, "we have an assembly in 15 minutes." I said "OMG, I just started, blah, blah, blah," looked at my watch and said I'd be back after the assembly.

Went into the school reception area, told the desk lady that I was waiting to finish tuning. Another lady in the reception area came over and asked if she'd heard right, that I was tuning the piano on stage. "Yes," I explained, "they're having a performance tonight."

"Well, I hope you can tune fast, cuz you've got 15 minutes! We're having choir rehearsal in 15 minutes!"

Fastest tuning I've ever done. Sounded surprisingly OK.

It is amazing how many people do not realize that things take time.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people schedule things over top of tunings. Oh, there's an opening, it's "just the piano tuner. He can wait or come back later. He has nothing better to do anyway." I've heard people actually say that out loud, in front of me before. Especially in that case, NOT THIS BOY. It's done now or it's not done at all. Only one way to teach them a lesson. Keep your appointments with me or else it doesn't get tuned. Besides, I have other places to go after that tuning. OK, to be fair and honest, once in a while I'm flexible, it does go with the territory - if I can be but, most often, I am not.

I remember arriving on Thanksgiving Day to tune a 9' Yamaha for a great client. It was yet another, last minute emergency tuning of course. People were up on stage practicing or rehearsing or whatever they were doing, they were making noise. I walked right up there at 5:30 that day announcing that I was there to tune the piano. One fellow giggled and said, not now buddy, we're rehearsing. It'll be about another hour yet. I looked him square in the eye and said, yes now, "BUDDY." I was called an hour ago to come in here and tune for someone that is playing tonight. I'm here now, to tune that piano. He said, do you know who I am? I said, Nope. And, I don't care if you're Santa Claus or one of his elves' I'm here to tune the piano now or I walk. Do you think I care to be here on Thanksgiving Day eve? I'm doing you a favor now it's your choice, make it. You have 5 seconds. He walked. Turns out he was the performing artist for that evening some big name I can't remember but, the piano got tuned... Obviously, I have no patience for that sort of thing. Especially after over 35 years of having to contend with it.

15 minute tunings are not uncommon with me either Dave.... They work well and the pay remains the same.

Lack of respect is irritating indeed. In this case, though, it was the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing, as happens so often in institutional settings. The music department head who scheduled the tuning apologized countless times. The fact is, though, if the piano only gets thirty abbreviated minutes of my time, they don't get their money's worth. You're right, Jerry, it all pays the same. They get billed for the appointment whether or not I'm able to do my best work.

Sounds like your Thanksgiving guy was a real Turkey.

Great story Jer! Ya gotta love it when that happens!!!

Last December, I was called by friend one morning, asking if I could tune the C7 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts for a concert - that day(they had forgotten to schedule a tuning with their regular tuner, and he wasn't available). It was also the day of the dress rehearsal, and there were people building the set while I tuned. Needless to say, I had to stop frequently while they made noise, and the tuning wasn't as good as it could have been; acceptable, but not goose bump material.

Segue to the group's spring concert, held this past week. They asked me to tune it again, but this time with a few days' notice, so I was able to get in the day before and have the piano all to myself. I seem to have nailed it(I should hope) - the pianist gave it high marks.

Amazing what a little quiet time can do.

Currently, I have the action from a 1995 SD-10 on my bench for regulation and voicing. It belongs to a church, and they've never had either done to it since new. Someone had gone in previously and filed off the hammer faces - flat. My best guess is they wanted to eradicate the string grooves. So, I'll need to reshape the hammers while I'm at it. I also detailed the inside of the piano. it looked like some kid set off a "taco sauce bomb" under the lid; something looking like dried taco sauce was splattered all over the treble strings, plate, and soundboard.

Beyond that, I'm making slow progress refinishing my 1925 Chickering 5'4" Ampico(B I believe).

A 1925 Ampico is an A.

The advantage to tuning in union houses is that you get dinner time all to yourself, usually. The disadvantage is that you may not get dinner!

Tuned a Yamaha spinet (42"?)today. The Yamaha site stated that this serial number was not produced for the North American market. He mentioned that the last tuner mentioned he had difficulty locating parts...

Doing some painting this week... piano stuff, bedroom/bath, deck...you name it.

Difficult to obtain parts for off-shore instruments Les.

This is one of the problems with servicing grey market pianos....

My first tuning today had a one hour window from 9am to 10am. No problem. I also had to remove a temporary donation sticker on the fall and replace it with a permanent engraved plaque. Also no problem. I arrived on time only to be told there was a meeting in 15 min. So I decided to replace the plaque and tune later. It turned out the temporary sticker was of the address label type, with adhesive like superglue. I soaked it with mineral spirits and scraped gently and in 10 min it was free. I applied the new plaque. Now it's 9:15 and after consulting with the office, the tuning is now on, as long as I'm finished by 9:45. So I finished by 9:45.

All in a days work!

Today... I wonder, does anyone want to switch with me? Tuning two pianos this morning, a Wurlitzer spinet, not been tuned since 2002, me tuned it last. Then, tuning a Kawai 520 T. Not so bad you say? OK. Here's the part I want to trade. This afternoon, I have to get that toofers yanked I was complaining about. Wanna trade now?

A minute of silence for Jerry.

Sympathies, Jerry.

I had a similar experience yesterday...sort of. 3 hours at the DMV trying to get the registration situation straight on my car. It was hit while parked in front of a customer's house last year, totaled, but I kept it as a "salvage vehicle." Had it fixed, but now I have to go through several steps and pay several fees to get it re-registered by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Oh well, at least it's paid for.

Sort of like pulling teeth.

I do not understand how you can tune the piano on the short time I spend approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes on such work.

Yesterday I tuned in a piano concert, first they said that it should remain at 440hz, so I tuned for that, so they called to said that there would be other instruments, and it may be in the 442hz, so I tuned on it again. At the end of the day they called again - it must be tuned in 443hz .. I finished finally!

Practice Hoj. Lots and lots of practice.

Just got home last night from a 5 day weekend. What great weather. We spent lots of time boating, swimming, playing in the sun, setting in the water and over all, had a great time! Got the tooth yanked and how waiting for it to heal. Time for work again!
Back to the real world...

Jerry, what time is it when you have to go to the dentist? Tooth-Hurty...

Apologies all around for that one. Hope your teeth are feeling better.

I went at 1 hurty though and it thill hurths 5 hunnnred hurty's latta. Funny Dave. Good one!

Tuned 2 pianos today. 1 Yamaha M450, nice piano and 1 Kawai K-2. Removed a vertical action, took it to my shop, filed hammers, tightened flanges, cleaned it, ready to bring it back on Friday PM.

Hi everyone

I have a cavity too, but I don't go to the dentist.
I do tuning with a cavity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWYvXjx2BUc

Bought a "new" used car.

My Saab--now officially a salvage vehicle after getting totaled last year, but kept by me and subsequently repaired--is getting long in tooth at 185,000 miles, so I finally broke down and bought a Prius. It's used, but only has 29k miles on it. I calculated my gas savings annually at 1500-2000$. Still, I get a hernia when I write checks with five digits on them....

The hatchback compartment is pretty spacious, though a tad smaller than the Saab. It has a carpool lane access sticker, which is a good thing on just about any road around here between 4 and 7 pm.

I pick it up today or tomorrow, depending on when dealer prep is completed. Ouch now, but the benefits will come later!