The Itinerant or Gypsy Piano Tuner-Tech

During my early years working for the Baldwin/Seiler (later Steinway) dealer in Little Rock, I had opportunity to "share the workbench" there with one of these guys. Rarely in one place for more than a day or two, he roamed all over the State tuning here and there.

Once or twice a month, he'd stop by the store, pick up a handful of free dealer tunings and warranty service orders, and off he'd go again. That's if he had transportation at the moment. If not, somehow he'd find it. Even with a dealer-made appointment, seeing his disheveled appearance through the front door peephole some customers wouldn't open it.

He was also a graduate of the Detroit PT School (Grinnell Bros). Not the home study programs that many of us took, mind you. This was the real deal. (No. I am not denigrating the home study schools.)

Every great once in awhile he'd land a retail action rebuild or some other major work. The dealer was kind enough to offer both of us the backshop for our work.  If there was time, I'd observe his work. When using the shop for my work, he'd observe my modus operandi as well.

I was then an ardent follower of the "Reblitz School" on just about everything. As I worked, Itinerant Tuner would say: "You know, Bob, you can do it that way - and there's nothing wrong with it. However, if you do it this way, you'll achieve the same result and cut the time by half or more."

Cutting the time by 75% or more was usually the case. More often than not, he was right.

He became an unexpected mentor - my second and last.

Among the last of the true gypsy tuners, he is long gone now. But not forgotten.