Tuning and Maintenance
Specialized Service as unique as your piano
Piano Tuning
Fine piano tuning is a combination of technical and artistic skill. Becoming a highly skilled piano technician is much like becoming a highly skilled musician. It takes knowledge, practice, and experience. With over 200 strings in your piano, each at over 100 pounds of tension, tuning your instrument frequently will insure that it remains at the factory prescribed level, most usually A440. It is a preventative maintenance.
Pitch Raise
A piano that has been neglected for a long time will not be able to have a standard tuning service performed on it. Bringing a piano in this shape up to tension will add thousands of pounds of additional tension requiring extra time and cost to accomplish. In the worst cases it will also require another visit within a short amount of time before being stable.
How often should a piano be tuned?
This depends on the use of the instrument and ranges from before every performance for a recording studio or venue, to once a year for light residential use. Most people who play regularly would benefit from twice a year. The most discerning players will require 3 or 4 tunings a year to remain pleased with the sound of their instrument.
Regulation
What is involved in a piano regulation? (Partial List)
Alignments - Strings to hammers; whippens to knuckles; jacks in windows; jacks to knuckles; replever height; back checks to hammers.
Blow distance, let off, drop, back check, butterfly springs, and after touch set.
Tune - Pitch set to A440 (if possible)
Regulate Back Action - Check damper lift off key sticks; check damper timing and lift off tray; adjust lost motion in damper pedal.
Regulate Shift/Soft Pedal
Regulate Sostenuto Function and Pedal
A properly regulated piano produces:
A keyboard that feels uniform from note to note
A keyboard that is responsive to rapid-fire fingerings and clean phrasings
A keyboard that commands a broad dynamic range
A keyboard that allows the player to express themselves completely
Voicing
Every piano has its own unique tonal characteristics. Many of those qualities are due to the engineering in the scale and sound board design. However, it is your piano’s hammers that permit these integral designs to bloom. The hammers are one of the major components that give a piano its own distinctive voice. Voicing involves the manipulation of hammer felt and other mechanical components in order to build and optimize the tonal spectrum inherent in the piano. If when speaking to your technician you mention that your piano sounds too bright, dark, loud, soft, sharp, dull, brittle, deep, woody, uneven, or dead you could benefit from voicing.
Voicing
A piano can often benefit from a technician with the knowledge of how to voice to bring up just a section to match the rest of the piano, or even an individual note.
Piano Repair and Full-Service Options
A Partial List of Typical Repairs for Grands and Uprights:
Broken Strings – Splicing & Replacing
Sticky Keys
Sluggish Action Parts
Loose Action Parts
Fractured Key Sticks
Hammer Reshaping
Problem Hammer Shanks
Noises – Buzzes, Rattles, and Clicks Diagnostic
Pedal Issues – Damping, Shifting, Sostenuto, and Pedal Trap
Damper Troubles - After-ring, Swooshing
Malfunctioning Notes
Glue Joint Failure
Artist Bench Problems
Sound Board, Plate, and Interior Cleaning
Complete Service Visits Available:
Half-Day Service: Improve My Piano’s Feel
Half-Day Service: Improve My Piano’s Tone
Piano Cleaning
Piano Cleaning
Whether simply cleaning the keys, or a deep cleaning involving removing cabinet parts, action and keys, we have the level of cleaning that is right for you and your piano.
Piano Evaluation
Piano Evaluation
Before you buy a used piano or commit to taking in a “free” piano, our Registered Piano Technicians will assess the instrument and provide a condition report. We will also provide an estimate of needed or recommended repairs so that you have the information you need before you invest in moving or purchasing a piano.
(Evaluation fee may be applied towards eligible tuning, repair, or restoration services.)
Not Sure Exactly Which Service You Need?
Book a repair appointment. Our technicians will diagnose the problem for a minimum trip charge fee. If additional repairs are needed, the minimum trip charge fee can be applied against the repairs.
Our Technicians love what they do, and it shows!
“Ty came on quick notice to visit our upright Yamaha that had gone through two moves in three years. Sour notes were quickly cured, and Ty left the piano sounding wonderful again. He was kind and considerate, and he handled my two little helpers hanging around wonderfully!”
-Leslie Harris via Google+
“Parker was great! He tuned and repaired my piano giving it more care than it’s ever experienced! Would definitely recommend!! Wish I could give more stars!!” -
Anne Chirino via Thumbtack
“I travel to piano events all over the US and have found Ty to be the best of the best. He tuned and prepped over 100 pianos for an unbelievable piano sale at the St Charles Convention Center last week. The pianos were in incredible condition during and after the sale. His attention to detail and commitment to his craft made him a pleasure to work with. He is also an excellent pianist. I would highly recommend him to everyone from novice to professional. You won't be disappointed.”
-Bob Baker International Pianist and Piano Consultant via Yelp