When I started out in this trade, I kept saying to myself, "I'll pay
my dues on this project so in the future it will be smooth sailing."
After 20 years rebuilding players, etc, it was _still_ "rough seas."

Ten years ago I narrowed down what rebuilding work I am willing to
take on because I want to be done with paying dues.  Now, I will only
rebuild Standard, Aeolian and a few other brands of 88-note players
myself, and that's it!  The other rebuilding situations I will refer
someone else.  I find non-self-playing pianos and digital player work
to be a hell of a lot easier and less problematic.

For many years I was the player guy in my PTG chapter.  These piano
tuners commiserate with each other over minor inconveniences such as
breaking a string or having to service a spinet.  Poor things!  Piano
tuner-techs and others have no idea of the tribulations we go through
in the automatic musical instrument field: the large number of
problems we have thought through and solved over the years, and the
shear technical and mechanical aptitudes we have developed from that.
I know technicians who have "excelled themselves into the stratosphere"
with all their talent.  We deserve (at the very least) to compensate
ourselves for unforeseen circumstances.

By all means allow for unforeseen circumstances by charging more.
If higher prices leave you without work, there's always plenty of
the "low hanging fruit" -- piano work!

Bill Maguire