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Technician's Vintage Price List

  • 1.  Technician's Vintage Price List

    Posted 12-19-2014 22:41


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    Paul Dickinson
    Neillsville WI
    715-743-2495
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  • 2.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Posted 12-19-2014 22:45
    I bought a set of vintage tools off eBay that came packed in a technicians briefcase.  I found this old price list for repair work and the time it took to do these jobs.  I'm guessing this is from around 1974, since I found a Hale Sight-O-Tuner manual from that same era.  Pretty cool!  The techs name is/was Bill Sherman from Rochester, NY - anyone remember or know him?

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    Paul Dickinson
    Neillsville WI
    715-743-2495
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  • 3.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Posted 12-19-2014 22:51


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    Paul Dickinson
    Neillsville WI
    715-743-2495
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  • 4.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-19-2014 23:37
    If it was 1974, tuning would now be $120.00 ------------------------------------------- Larry Messerly, RPT Bringing Harmony to Homes www.prescottpiano.com larry@prescottpiano.com 928-445-3888 -------------------------------------------


  • 5.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-20-2014 03:51
    It appears he was charging $16.66 per hour or about 1/5 of today's prices (his prices are in line with today when multiplied by 5).

    I charged $12.50 when I started back then.  My Grandfather charged $2.50!

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    Blaine Hebert
    Duarte CA
    626-795-5170
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  • 6.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-21-2014 09:17
    Hi Paul.  Thanks for sharing.  Looks like he used a typewriter and unbleached paper. 

    It took him an hour and a half to rebush one key.  It looks like he included the time it took to make and brew the coffee.  Oh that's right  ... glue drying time.

    In 1977 .... I think I was charging $25 as well but I can't remember that far back  ........  very well.  I know I bought a 1975 Jeep CJ5 brand new and used it to do calls for a few years.  With it's canvas top and synthetic lube there wasn't enough friction to heat up the heater and I had to use a scraper on the inside of the windshield when temps would drop below zero F.  No security and no cargo area.  I just wanted to get to my calls 6 months out of the year (winter in MN) during a time when municipalities were saving money by not plowing the side streets.

    An hour to restring the bass section.  Pattern making, scaling, removal and cleaning not included I guess.  Tuning the new ones must fall under "tuning" for $25.

    P. R.  2 hours.  Pitch raise??  Takes me 15 minutes.

    Fun stuff for sure Paul.

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    Larry Fisher
    Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
    Vancouver WA
    360-256-2999
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  • 7.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-22-2014 07:29
    The two-hour pitch raise confused me at first as well, but I think that's for the pitch raise and the tuning. It would make the former cost $8, about a third of the latter. ------------------------------------------- Kent Burnside, RPT Franklin TN 615.430.0653 -------------------------------------------


  • 8.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-20-2014 08:20
    At 6.5 hrs to replace a set of elbows, you know he wasn't using the Vagias plastic snap-ons.  When did they become available?

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    Michael Spalding
    Fredonia WI
    262-692-3943
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  • 9.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-20-2014 11:20
    I know the plastic elbows were available by 1977/78 when I started. They used to have a little paper that read "guaranteed to last 1,000 years" inside the bag. My starting price back then was $35. My mentor was charging the same, and I told him that I was uncomfortable charging his fees with so little experience. He said "that will force you to do the best job possible, and spend whatever time necessary to get it right" A wise man. ------------------------------------------- David Estey, RPT www.EsteyPiano.com Piano Tuners Sales Tips for the week. FREE! Sign up here: http://coolstuffformusicians.com/fine-tuning-your-salesmanship Creating Harmony in a World filled with Discord. 1-800-ON A PIANO (662-7426) dave@esteypiano.com -------------------------------------------


  • 10.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-20-2014 12:03

    Looks like a whole bunch of use would be considered "Vintage" tuners now . . . .

     

    J

     

    Don Mannino RPT






  • 11.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Posted 12-20-2014 12:38
    Sorry for the multiple posts - I was trying to resize the photo - glad you guys can somewhat see it!  Paul
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    Paul Dickinson
    Neillsville WI
    715-743-2495
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  • 12.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Posted 12-20-2014 13:02
    You did good, Paul!

    Keith McGavern, RPT
    Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA



  • 13.  RE:Technician's Vintage Price List

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-20-2014 20:17
    The post is all visible on desktop.

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    Larry Messerly, RPT
    Bringing Harmony to Homes
    www.prescottpiano.com
    larry@prescottpiano.com
    928-445-3888
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  • 14.  RE: Technician's Vintage Price List

    Posted 01-24-2015 00:56
    Just started reading Pianotech and found this from Don Mannino

    Looks like a whole bunch of use would be considered "Vintage" tuners now . . . .

     

    J

     

    Don Mannino RPT


    Thanks! I needed a good belly laugh!  Only I've always thought of you as a young man!  

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    Diane Hofstetter
    Safe and Sound
    Vancouver WA
    360-699-1626
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