Hello John Tuttle, and everyone else on this list.  John, you mentioned
having to go back and do warranty work on a couple of players that were
subjected to improper conditions in the home.  This got me to wondering
just what do most of rebuilders/restoration shops today offer in the
way of a warranty?

I visited a customer recently who had called and said her player was
getting hard to play, almost impossible.  I had rebuilt this player
22 years ago.  This was an hour's drive, and when I looked at the piano
(Autopiano), I found that a suction hose to the soft treble valve unit
was sitting at a 45-degree angle, causing a massive leak.  After putting
it on properly, and using a clamp, the player performed quite well.
I did the normal tracker bar pump and transmission lubrication as well.

Service call?  Nah, it was my fault 22 years ago, and I still have
a happy customer!  (She insisted on paying me 1/2 of the service call
charge.)  In general, I fix it if it was my fault in the restoration.
I will replace failed material up to seven years, and pro rate the
expense after that point.

I think that I will take John's lead and add a statement about proper
conditions in the home for a piano, or a player.  Makes good sense to
me.

Al Pebworth
Chesapeake, Virginia
http://www.pebworths.com/