TUNING:

When does your piano need it? Has it been more than 6, 8 or even 12 months since your last tuning? A piano in tune has a total string tension on average of 20 tons. Constantly changing weather has an affect on the wooden parts of your piano and in turn affects the tuning.

Play a single note and hold it. Do you hear a waver in the sound? Try another one or play an octave. Does it waver? IT NEEDS TUNING!

There is a lot more to tuning a piano than just finding the right pitch. Tuning by ear is the mastery of listening. I center every pitch and unison, by ear, focusing each for the cleanest tone possible while at the same time equalizing the tension of all 6 parts of each string as well as setting the pin for stability.

PITCH RAISING OR PITCH ADJUSTMENT:

This must be done when a piano is very out of tune which will happen when a piano’s tuning has not been maintained regularly or if it has new strings. The strings collectively create a tremendous pressure in the piano. Adjusting this tension of the strings is what a technician does when tuning. If this adjustment is more than the usual, parts of the piano flex more and make tuning a lot more involved. This always requires more than one tuning in the same visit and should be followed by another tuning within a few months to get the piano to stay better in tune. If it has been many years since the last tuning, the strings may be fragile and lost their elasticity. In this case it may not be possible to bring the piano up to proper pitch without the chance of strings breaking which can be spliced or replaced.

To learn more about any of my services or inquire of prices, feel free to e-mail me any time.

REGULATING THE ACTION:

Everyone knows that a piano must be tuned, but have you had yours regulated?

Besides the tuning, your piano has more than 10,000 moving parts most of which are adjustable. If they are not regulated properly, you are missing out on your true potential and can be frustrated with playing or learning proper techniques. These adjustments need to be corrected periodically as they change with settling, wear and playing.

This is the fine mechanical adjustment of your piano’s internal mechanical parts for sensitive and responsive key action. It is separate from tuning. In a grand, for each key there are 11 adjustments and 10 points to be lubricated. That is 968 adjustments and 880 lubrications not including the dampers. I also make sure the pedals are working well and the strike point is at its best.

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DAMPER REGULATING:

Dampers can be one of the fussiest parts of your piano because you will hear it when they are not working. They should also work in direct relation to the key action. Damper work can be very simple or very involved, depending on the needs of the piano. In a grand, the damper action is deep inside making it a bit more to work on but the dampers are exposed and easily accessed. In a vertical piano, the dampers are on the backside of the action and can be tricky to regulate or seat.

In any piano the stopping of the sound is just as important as starting the sound.

TAP DOWN OR STRING SETTING:

This is a process of carefully tapping down the strings at all the termination points and leveling them at the strike point. It is a process of tapping alternate strings throughout the piano, then tuning them, then tapping the remaining strings and a complete retuning of the entire piano. This will affect the tuning stability, and even improve the tone quality of your piano. Older pianos do not always need this but in newer ones the strings stretch more and may need the strings set especially if your piano has been in transit.

VOICING:

Of all the services described here, voicing should always be the last thing done. All the other adjustments will affect how your piano sounds. First we need to be sure that the hammers strike all unisons equally and that the hammers and shanks are shaped for maximum tone. This is why it is important to have level strings at the strike point. How the hammer strikes the string will also affect the tone and is why the regulating must be done first. Then the density of the hammer felt is adjusted for the desired tone quality by either softening for a mellower, rounded tone or hardening for a brighter bell tone. Voicing is customizing your pianos sound to your personal preferences with your home’s acoustic properties and your style of playing.

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REPAIRS:

With my experience in total piano rebuilding, no repair is too small or too big. From squeaks and sticky keys and dampers to restringing or action rebuilding, I can guarantee the most professional job. What ever type of piano you have, if it needs repairs, I will take care of it in the most effective and economical way to make it like new.

KEY RECOVERING:

The surface of your keys is your most personal contact with your piano as well as one of the most prominent visual features. If they were your piano’s smile, does it look like some need crowns, fillings, implants, or just whitening? Are the blacks grubby or worn? New key covers make a world of difference. I pay strict attention to details like the feel of the edges and alignment of every angle so your piano looks and feels good when you play.