PTG Code of Ethics

PTG Code of ethics
All members of the Piano Technicians Guild adhere to the following code of ethics:

I will act honorably and in a professional manner.
I will render the best possible service under the circumstances, always keeping the best interests of my client in mind.
I will engage only in fair trade practices in the knowledge that I am reflecting the honesty and integrity for which the Piano Technicians Guild stands.
I will use the name and trademarks of the Piano Technicians Guild properly and will encourage others to do the same.
I will strive to upgrade my professional skills and I will encourage and help others to do the same.
I will promote, in any way that I can, good will toward my profession and toward the music industry.

Current PTG classifications for piano technicians
RPT and Associate : What's the difference?
The field of Piano technology is an unregulated trade.
Therefore the Piano Technicians Guild has set its own standards of quality for piano technicians.
The PTG has two types of members: Registered Piano Technicians (RPT) and Associates.

Registered Piano Technician (RPT) Associate Member

The title of "Registered Piano Technician" or RPT, must be earned by passing a series of examinations.

The RPT logo is authorized for use by an individual person, whose name must appear with any use of the RPT credential.

Associate membership is open to anyone with a "professional or avocational interest in piano technology."

The ASSOCIATE logo is authorized for use by an individual person, whose name must appear with its use.

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NOTE: Two important points
1. RPT and Associate are the only two classifications for piano technicians, concerning PTG.
2. Any advertising that includes PTG or Piano Technicians Guild, must include a named individual and their classification, RPT or Associate. (The only exception is the PTG itself).

i.e. There are no other credentials or classifications such as 'journeyman', 'certified', 'member', 'certified member', 'allied tradesman', 'Jedi knight', 'Registered Craftsman', ‘registered tuner technician’, ‘grasshopper’, etc.
…just RPT and Associate.

The Round PTG Emblem and Its Use
The round emblem is for the exclusive use of Registered Piano Technicians. For RPT’s who choose to use the emblem in personal advertising and promotion, the rules that govern the use of the rectangular logo should also be applied to the round emblem.If you are a PTG member, you can access the complete graphic standards manual by logging on to www.ptg.org members area. If you see any use of the PTG logo, which doesn't include a name and classification, please contact us.

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About the RPT exams...
The RPT examinations are in three parts. There is a written exam, testing basic knowledge of piano design, tuning theory, repair and general piano technology. Next, a technician takes a standardized tuning exam. At least three examiners, set up a "master tuning" by tuning a test piano until they are convinced as a group that every note is in the best possible place. This "master tuning" is then used as the standard against which the examinee is measured. Using sensitive electronic measuring equipment, the examinee's tuning is compared against the "master tuning." This system gives a fair and standardized test for all chapters of the Piano Technicians Guild. The next phase of the examinations is a "technical test." This test involves regulation of a grand action model and a vertical action model. On the test for the vertical action, the examinee is given a bag of parts, and must assemble it into an action model and make it function correctly. This method keeps the exam a reasonable length but still tests for the necessary skills. Then there is a repair test, covering all the basic in-home type repairs, such as broken strings, key repairs, and broken action parts. The rating of RPT is not meant to be a rating for a rebuilder; it is meant to show that the technician is ready to handle normal piano service and repair. The Piano Technicians Guild has put a lot of time and effort into its examinations to establish a good set of standardized tests which will help insure quality service. The written test takes about 1 hour. The tuning and technical tests take about 4 hours each.