Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1U1
number of free tunings included in the
original price of the piano. But we will
agree with the P. T. T. A. That a fine
tuning is worth, minimum of $4, and
due to the present conditions logically
advanced to $5; also that pianos should
be tuned 4 times a year.
I
N NY, it is probable that the
highest rates are paid for tuning;
it is here, too, that the tuners do
the best business. There is more
public use of pianos, for which much
tuning is required, so that the tuning
situation in NY is "Better" both on
numbers of tunings and prices. Also
there is no surplus of tuners here, so
that many pay good income taxes.
There is a fundamental training for
the tuning profession that not only
takes in the academic, but absorption
of what might be called the inherent
factors. This deviation of proceedure,
due to personality, does not change the
result much, even if each tuner does
work a dash differently.
O one knows how many tuners
there are now in the country
(in 1927, 3,500 were regis-
tered with tuners' associa-
tions) nor does anyone know the num-
ber "learning the business." All know
that the tuning business has exceeded
even the fast step-up in piano sales,
and that good tuners are scarce. This
is recognized by Columbia College
(yes, tuners are now going to college)
offering a piano tuning course at $25.
It is hoped that there are several les-
sons in that course covering the "busi-
ness end" of tuning.
N
UNING results vary, too, with
the piano. Fine tuning on
some makes doesn't stand up
well; with others, it is good for
a year or more. And of course, the
tuner is blamed for poor results with
cheap instruments. No distinction is
yet made for different qualities of tun-
ing, altho the idea is logical. With the
T
same amount of playing, one make
needs 6 to 8 tunings a year and another
piano requires only 3, but now it is all
lumped together under the heading of
"pianos tuned—$4" for example. And
a good tuner may take 3 hours to put
one make into shape, whereas another
takes but 1 y 2 hours — but the price is
the same. It shows that "tuning" is
generalized at "so much per" no one
ever studying the situation and ap-
praising the business as with car ser-
vice, radio service, eye glass service,
oil burner service, refrigerator service
and other mechanical products.
W
E remember when the
price of tuning small
grands in factories was 42c
each (don't know what it
is today) and from 12 to 18 pianos
were tuned a day per tuner. Even now
we hear of tuners doing 7 tunings a
morning in schools or colleges, but
don't get startled — the price isn't $4
each. So if piano men couldn't exist
without piano tuners, and there is no
special emphasis by the industry for
"young men to learn tuning," a short-
age is bound to develop, especially if
the same ration of increased piano
sales is continued.
HE $4 price for piano tuning
is now justified — and prefer-
ably $5 for a skilful fine tuning
—plus some salesmanship for
"extras" which can be seen on every
tuning job. And with the plussage of
accordion tuning by the alert men, the
tuning business from now on should
be very profitable.
T