So, ya wanna be a piano tuner / piano technician?

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:42 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 7406801320
Don't have the piano anymore; never got to use the tools.
Everything you need to tune and regulate most upright and grand pianos for under $200.

quinterbourne · Post by **quinterbourne** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:00 pm

Will it tune my tuba too?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:30 pm

Probably not, but if you stick the hammer in your ear, it'll probably tune you up pretty good!

davet · Post by **davet** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:50 pm

When I saw this post I started wondering how much my wife has been paying to have her Yamaha baby grand tuned. As soon as she told me I grabbed this thing. It'll pay for itself in 2-3 tunings even if I never actually use it as a money generator!

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:27 pm

davet wrote:When I saw this post I started wondering how much my wife has been paying to have her Yamaha baby grand tuned. As soon as she told me I grabbed this thing. It'll pay for itself in 2-3 tunings even if I never actually use it as a money generator!

I suppose the same could be said of a set of dent balls and a Fast Eddie for brass, huh?

Some guy's going to snap this thing up and use it to tune the piano that's been sitting in his cellar for the last 20 years, untuned. He's then going to wonder why the strings keep breaking and the tuning doesn't hold when he torques them all up to A440 in a single session.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:49 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:Some guy's going to snap this thing up and use it to tune the piano that's been sitting in his cellar for the last 20 years, untuned. He's then going to wonder why the strings keep breaking and the tuning doesn't hold when he torques them all up to A440 in a single session.

Been there. Broke that. Got the Tshirt.

davet · Post by **davet** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:53 pm

Some guy's going to snap this thing up and use it to tune the piano that's been sitting in his cellar for the last 20 years, untuned. He's then going to wonder why the strings keep breaking and the tuning doesn't hold when he torques them all up to A440 in a single session.

Nah- It's already mine, so the basement piano guy will have to go elsewhere! Let me at the Yamaha!

That guy with the old piano wouldn't buy this set anyway. He's going to buy one of the $40 special kits to tune his basement piano. Why spend $$ for a pro quality kit when you can get the same thing for 1/4 the money, right?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:01 pm

If ya wanna tinker with the old 88, here's a great web site:

http://www.balaams-***.com/piano/piancont.htm

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:40 pm

I am looking on the page....

scan scan scan scan scan scan scan

Nope.

scan scan scan scan scan scan scan

Not here...

scan scan scan scan scan scan scan

If this is a complete kit, it should have a license to be a tuner. It's such a hassle to go to the sheriff's office to take care of that stuff.

Alex F · Post by **Alex F** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:20 pm

If you really want to be a piano-tuner/technician, go here:

http://www.pianotechschool.com/index.html

This is a rather new school but the faculty members are tops in the business. A lot of the old timers in the field are hanging up the old hammer. Some of you who are looking for a career may want to consider this.

BTW, one of the faculty (a good friend and PhD candidate in Accoustics) developed this device and owns the company that makes and sells it:

www.veritune.com

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:53 am

LoyalTubist wrote: If this is a complete kit, it should have a license to be a tuner. It's such a hassle to go to the sheriff's office to take care of that stuff.

Hmmm... Unless you are talking about a BUSINESS license for working on OTHER PEOPLE'S pianos, no such piano tuner license exists. And, some states do not even require a license if you are only providing a service and not selling any goods - I ran a consulting business in Georgia for two years and was repeatedly told that by numerous govt agencies. ***

I have known a number of people who have successfully tuned and in some cases completely rebuilt their own pianos, and strangely enough, The Law never hassled them.

Marty "who has a driver's license, a teacher's license, and used to have a NYC "Locksmith and Keymaker" license

Perhaps you mean membership in a tuning guild?
http://www.ptg.org/

*** LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
My business was based out of Thomas County, GA from 1998 through 2000 and involved my personal labor only. Although I was never required by the county or state to charge a dime of sales tax, I was thoroughly financially sodomized by the IRS for my billable earnings.

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:56 am

I thought about tuning pianos for a public school system. They said that I could not work for the school system and I would need a business license. Yes, you DO need a business license to LEGALLY work on other people's pianos in the state of California. They compare it to shade tree mechanics. My source: The Riverside County Sheriff's Department. It's the same license you get for running a tattoo parlour, a fortune teller booth, or an antique store--they were in line with me when I was getting the information.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:48 am

Cool! You mean that if I moved to California and got me one o'them licenses, I could work for the school districts telling fortunes and giving tattoos!?

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:39 am

Right. And the cosmetology course that teaches tattoo artistry also has courses in spinet and baby grand tuning.

Seriously, they want to see that you took a course in whatever it is you are getting licensed in. Even a correspondence course by mail works.