Hi all,  I haven't yet put in my two cents worth on the piano
technician supply discussion; so here goes. ...

I have a very good friend in Vista CA who has been an RPT for many
years (could even be a master craftsman by now), who told me when I
retired from the Navy and decided to re-enter the piano business after
a 20+ year hiatus, that to get my catalogs and so on from the piano
supply houses that all I had to do was write them a letter on
letterhead with my business name stating my intent to be a professional
piano tuner/technician to establish an account with them.  If I had a
business card at the time I was to include that.

That I did, it all worked just like he said; however I agree with Don
Teach that Schaff is by far the best to work with.  APSCO would rather
sell and never have contact with the customer.  Normally if there is a
problem they're rude and not very helpful.

The piano supply houses _do_ prefer to sell to the professional,
however.  It's like most of the other wholesale business suppliers:
if you're doing your own plumbing, you've got to buy your parts from
the hardware store or the plumber.  The plumbing supply wholesaler
won't sell to you unless you're a recognized plumbing business.

Enough said, I guess, this thread is worn kind of thin.

From the now bug-infested far north,

Dan Armstrong
Pine River, MN