SERVICES
Tuning
A standard tuning visit consists of adjusting the pitch of the piano to the International pitch standard of A=440, unless otherwise requested by the customer. A standard tuning can also include a pitch raise, meaning that the piano will be tuned multiple times in one sitting to stabilize the pitch if it has fallen below A=440.
Action Regulation
The relationships of all the moving parts in the key action of the piano are controlled by small pieces of felt and wood. With normal playing, these parts compress and wear over time, causing the extremely precise adjustments to change. When this happens, it becomes difficult to play with the same control and expression the piano was once capable of. Playing very softly with control can become nearly impossible. The touch of the piano can also begin to feel very “heavy” or stiff, as the misadjusted parts require much more work during playing.
Regulation is the process of adjusting the moving parts of the piano’s key action to restore the fine, responsive touch the piano once had. These adjustments include such things as the depth of key travel (or “key dip”) and the distance of the hammers from the strings (or “hammer blow distance.”) This is a complicated process, which involves making 10-12 adjustments on each of the piano’s 88 keys. It is usually performed in the home and requires no significant “down time” for the piano.
Voicing
Voicing is the process of adjusting the tone of the piano. This includes making minute adjustments to the strings, and adjustments to the hammers.
Over time, the hammers in a piano become worn and misshapen due to repeated contact with the strings. This can cause the piano to sound “bright” or “tinny.” It can also cause it to sound “dull” or too soft, depending on climate, age, use and other factors.
Depending on the amount of wear the hammers have sustained, it is possible to reshape them and adjust the density of the hammer felt to improve the tone of the piano. If the hammers and other action parts are in good enough condition to warrant this sort of service, voicing can improve the sound of a piano and add significant life to an aging or heavy-use instrument.
Ivory Repair & Keytop Replacement
Keytops are one of the most noticeable features of the piano. If they are cracked, broken, missing or badly worn, they can make the piano difficult and uncomfortable to play in addition to detracting from the piano’s appearance. Old pianos with ivory keytops may have sustained severe keyboard damage, while the rest of the instrument remains relatively viable. Repair or replacement of the keytops can add tremendously to the aesthetic appearance of an older instrument, and can make the “feel” of playing much more pleasant and consistent. We can repair your existing ivory keyboard, or replace the white keytops with fresh, new, durable plastic keytops. We can also reshape and repaint the sharp keys to look and feel new. Please contact us to discuss which option(s) may be right for you.
Rebuilding / Restoration
Unlike some acoustic wooden instruments which improve with age, pianos degrade over time. Even the finest quality instruments, maintained religiously, are subject to wear and age. Once a piano can no longer be made to sound or feel like it should with routine maintenance, it may require rebuilding or restoration. High-quality instruments can be restored to look, sound, feel and respond at least as nicely as they did when new with proper restoration. Some models, when rebuilt, can even exceed the quality of most new instruments on the market today. This process is expensive and time-consuming, but can be well worth the investment for high-quality pianos. In some cases, it can be much less expensive than the cost of a comparable new piano. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Player & Reproducing Pianos
Antique player and reproducing pianos are extremely susceptible to wear from age and use. These instruments are pneumatic, or air-driven. Many crucial components of the system are made from rubber tubing and rubberized cloth, which deteriorates severely with age. Once these components break down and are no longer air-tight, the piano ceases to function. The only repair for this is a total restoration of the player action of the piano.
Because of this problem, many piano technicians in the 1950‘s and 60‘s simply removed the player actions from these pianos and discarded them. Today, these instruments are becoming more and more rare, and in many cases it can be worth the investment to restore them. We are happy to offer this service, as it can be difficult to find technicians to service player pianos today.
Reed (“Pump”) Organs
Reed organs suffer from many of the same problems as player pianos. They are also pneumatic and rely on air-tight rubber parts to produce sound. Also, the reeds which produce the notes are made of raw brass, which corrodes over time and causes them to go out of tune. Reed organs can become wonderful instruments with proper restoration. It is unfortunate that many people haven’t experienced the true sound of a reed organ. Reed organs are very old--most were made before 1900, with many examples dating to the 1880’s. This means that, unless they have received significant restoration over time, it is unlikely they can be played much, if at all. This is another service we are happy to offer, as it’s difficult today to find technicians to service these wonderful instruments.
The following is a list of services we provide. We’re happy to answer any questions. Please contact us for pricing information.