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NOTE: AS of Summer 2007 I am not taking on any new clients. However, you can still email me if you have piano questions or would like to be referred to a qualified technician.
Services Offered
| Tuning | Pitch Raising |
|---|---|
| Action Regulation | Voicing |
| Minor Repairs | Cleaning |
| Appraisals | Humidity Control |
Tuning
My tuning procedure incorporates both aural and electronic methods. I was trained as an aural tuner, and for twenty years tuned only aurally. I started using a laptop computer and tuning software in 1999 to take advantage of the associated benefits of control, consistency, and less ear fatigue (particularly helpful in pitch raising). The final pass of each tuning is always done aurally.
I tune equal temperament by default — historical temperaments by prior arrangement.
Pitch Raising
The international standard of pitch dictates that A above middle C vibrates at 440 cycles per second.
The longer a piano goes without tuning the further out of tune it goes. If your piano hasn’t been tuned for a year or more it is likely that its overall pitch has dropped to the point where a fine tuning to A440 is not possible in a single pass.
In these cases a separate preliminary procedure called a pitch raise is done to pull all the wires up to their approximately correct tension before proceeding with tuning.
PTG Technical Bulletin: Pitch Raising. (Link to PTG Website)
Action Regulation
The piano may be perfectly in tune, but if the pianist can’t control the keys and action mechanism it is all for naught.
Regulation ensures that the moving parts of each note function to exact specifications, affording the pianist the maximum level of control over the tones being produced. I have extensive experience in action regulation, from diagnosing chronic action problems, to complete action rebuilding with new hammers and action parts.
PTG Technical Bulletin: Regulation. (Link to PTG Website)
Voicing
Even with the piano perfectly tuned and regulated, it still may not be performing at 100 percent.
Voicing is the process of modifiying piano tone that is too harsh or tinny on the one extreme, or too soft or mushy at the other. This can involve treatment of the hammers (needling to soften, or "doping" to strengthen), but often takes in other factors such as string leveling and bridge seating.
Tuning is always the first step in voicing — in many cases, just putting the piano in tune will address the pianist’s voicing concerns.
But if you are not happy with the overall tone of your piano, even after a fine tuning, I will work with you to improve the tone to your satisfaction. It is not for me to say when your own piano's voicing sounds good to you, although I do strive for evenness of tone (note to note) once your general voicing preference has been determined.
PTG Technical Bulletin: Voicing. (Link to PTG Website)
Minor Repairs
In the course of normal use and servicing, any number of minor repairs become necessary on a piano — strings break, screws loosen, pedals squeak, keys stick, and pencils or other foreign objects fall into the action.
I come prepared to handle any minor repairs that may crop up, often at no additional charge. If a repair comes up that does require additional charge, I will always consult with you before proceeding.
Cleaning
It is normal for a piano to acquire a layer of dust as the years go by. This is particularly noticable in a grand piano, since the soundboard and plate are visible whenever the lid is open. I offer light dusting and vacuuming of the interior of the piano.
PTG Technical Bulletin: Finish Care. (Link to PTG Website)
Appraisals
Most people are amazed when they visit a piano store and see how high the prices are on new pianos. The market value of used pianos is keyed to new piano prices to some extent, depending mainly on how well the older piano has been cared for.
Condition is everything in used pianos — you can’t just go by the brand name. There is no blue book for pianos as there is for cars, but my familiarity with the used piano market and my professional judgement of condition, will provide you with a working figure of your piano’s market value.
Humidity Control
Humidity fluctuation throughout the year is the primary reason that pianos go out of tune. The proper location of your piano in the home can go a long way toward minimizing the effects of these humidity variations. If you want to ensure that your piano stays in tune as long as possible, humidity control devices are available for installation inside the piano.
PTG Technical Bulletin: Humidity Control. (Link to PTG Website)
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Last modified: 5 Sep 2007
