Piano Tunings

My tunings are stable, accurate and reasonably priced.  Minor repairs and adjustments are included with the cost of the tuning.

Pitch Raises

The longer the piano goes without being tuned the further away from concert pitch the piano drifts. A piano that hasn’t been tuned in 20 years or so can be a half step flat or more. This creates more work in the form of multiple tunings for the piano tuner to stabilize the piano back to its proper pitch. Performing a big leap in pitch puts tremendous strain on the cast iron plate due to tension from the strings, thus making a stable tuning impossible in one pass. Therefore it is necessary to perform a pitch raise to get the notes to their appropriate average pitch levels before a fine tuning can take place. In extreme cases multiple pitch raises (rough tunings) may be needed.

Pitch Lowering

Same concept as a pitch raise except a pitch lowering is needed when the piano is a quarter tone sharp or more.

Piano Repair

Piano repair including sticking keys, broken strings, broken hammers, ringing dampers (notes), buzzes, clicks, squeaks, double-striking notes, hammers blocking into strings, pedal problems and much more…

Piano Regulation

Micro-adjustments are made to the action (hammer and whippen playing mechanism) keys, dampers and trapwork (pedals) to ensure optimal piano performance and touch, while bringing all the moving parts back to original spec.

Hammer Shaping

By sanding the hammers we expose a fresh layer of felt, eliminate the string grooves and restore the hammer to its proper shape to deliver optimal tone.

Voicing

Voicing is a process by which we needle the hammers through various techniques to regulate the tone of the instrument. Over time the fibers in your piano hammers can get compacted through use and harden giving us a tonal characteristic that is excessively harsh, bright and abrasive. Through voicing we can loosen the fibers of the hammers to give a softer, more nuanced mellow tone. If the tone is muffled and dull shaping the hammers followed by ironing can bring the tone up. If this is not enough applying lacquer to the hammers can show much larger changes.

Piano Cleaning

For complete cleaning service, the piano is cleaned inside and out which includes the exterior case, lid, music desk, soundboard, bridges, strings, action, action cavity, keys and pedals (trapwork).

Key Rebushing

The keys on your piano pivot on the balance rail pin like a seesaw in the middle. The front rail pin holds the key vertically in place, in addition to determining the key dip. On each side of the hole in the key are felt bushings that fit over the keypins like a glove. Over time these bushings can deteriorate, thus causing a wobbly, uncontrollable feel to the keys. For this procedure all 88 keys have the felts removed from the mortises and replaced to play like new.

Keytop Replacement

Over time keytops can become chipped, worn, discolored and can even fall off. Older keytops that use ivory are especially susceptible to chipping and forming jagged sharp edges. I can have an entire set of keytops replaced within a week’s time at a reasonable cost.

Touchweight Analysis and Correction

Many pianos have a touch that is stiff and heavy requiring greater effort to play. Most piano manufacturers aim for a downweight of 50 grams, meaning it should take approximately 50 grams of weight for the key to start moving down. There are many pianos out there where a downweight in excess of 60 grams is needed for the key to move. Various factors can contribute to this problem. It could be newer hammers installed that are too heavy, tight action centers and swollen key bushings, misaligned action parts or improper lead installation ratio in the keys. The piano action could be out of regulation. As a technician I look at all of these factors that contribute to touchweight problems before proceeding with a plan of action.

Action Center Repinning

Action centers are the moving parts of the playing mechanism. They all contribute to the touch of the piano. Action center repinning can enormously improve the playability of your piano. To give an example, the hammer pivots on a flange with a center pin surrounded by a felt bushing. The metal center pin acts as a hinge. Over time the bushing around the center pin can swell with humidity. This causes movement to be sluggish. Ideally, when the hammer is taken off the rail it should get 5 to 7 swings. If the hammer only gets 2 to 3 swings an action repinning job can help solve the problem. By extracting the old center pins, reaming the bushing and installing new center pins we can accomplish a better, improved touch.

Bridle Strap Replacement

While they may aid slightly in repetition, bridle straps serve little function in the piano while playing. However bridle straps do hold the hammer butt and the whippen taut to allow for easy removal and replacement of the piano action (hammer and whippen playing mechanism) without the breakage of parts. Removing the action is necessary for some repairs and rebuilding jobs so it is important for all the bridle straps to be strong, secure and connected. Bridle straps are only found in upright pianos.

Felt and Leather Replacement

Your piano has hundreds of felt and leather parts in the playing mechanism which allow all parts to move smoothly and quietly. Over time these felts and leathers can become hardened, damaged, moth-eaten or even fall off altogether. This leads to clattering, clicking, and buzzing sounds in addition to poor playing response. An example of some piano felts would be the dampers which quiet the strings after the note is released.

Bridge Repair

The bridge plays a crucial role in the sound of the piano. It is the job of the bridge to connect the source of the sound (the strings) to the amplifier of the sound (the soundboard). The strings travel across the bridges to form downbearing. Bridges can become cracked due to years of string tension causing annoying buzzing sounds that drastically alter the tone of the instrument. Bridges can be repaired on site or in extreme cases be sent out to the supply houses for duplication.

Humidity Control System Installation

Pianos are often subjected to extreme temperatures and humidity changes. This leads to tuning instability, sluggish action parts which can lead to sticking keys, and even cracks in the piano bridges and soundboard. By installing a humidity control system in the piano we can create a sealed micro-environment which humidifies and dehumidifies as needed. This permits tunings to last longer, the piano to perform better as well extending the piano’s overall value throughout its lifetime. Churches can especially benefit as they usually will not use heat or AC in the sanctuary except at the time of service. I am a Certified Dampp Chaser Piano Life Saver Humidity Control System Installer.

Purchase Consultation

If you need a new piano, but don’t know what to look for, I am happy to do the research and look at the pianos myself.  The search is based on the clientʼs needs and budget.

Piano Evaluation