Piano Services
Piano Tuning
Piano Tuning
Piano Tuning
(Starting at $170-190 plus tax)
Tuning is the adjustment of the tension of all of your piano's 220 (or more) strings to the standard (concert) pitch of A-440. This ensures that notes played in a musical interval will sound in harmony. Sometimes standard pitch is not possible if the piano has rusty strings or has not been tuned in many years.
Pitch Raise
Piano Tuning
Piano Tuning
($75 in addition to Piano Tuning)
Your piano is designed to sound its best when tuned to the standard pitch of A-440. At this pitch, power and tonal range are optimum and your piano will match the pitch of other instruments. When a piano goes more than a couple of years without tuning, the pitch drops so much that the overall pitch of the piano has to be raised prior to the fine tuning. Basically, the piano is tuned twice. By always maintaining your piano at standard pitch, you create long-term tuning stability because the strings and structure stay in equilibrium.
Voicing
Piano Tuning
Voicing
A piano's tone may be fine tuned by hammer filing and through the use of lacquer to make the tone brighter and a process called needling that can bring the tone down or create a more mellow sound.
Action Regulation
Action Regulation
Voicing
( Pricing varies)
A piano has over a 1,000 moving parts that need adjustment after a period of time (usually several years in a home ). The geometry of the piano's action will change as felts get compressed. The need for regulation is often recognized by the pianist's reduced ability and control when playing dynamics. On a smaller piano such as a spinet, this is evident when no sound is produce upon playing softly. When a piano has been allowed to go many years without any regulation, an owner may think they need to buy a new piano when in fact a good regulation job can bring the performance back for much less cost than a new piano purchase.
Complete Piano Cleaning
Action Regulation
Complete Piano Cleaning
(Grand Piano- $195 plus tax, Vertical Piano- $100, These are general cleaning prices. Some pianos require extra time to clean and will be priced accordingly) Pianos tend to collect dust, animal hair, coins,pencils, paper clips and many other items over time. A clean piano ensures longevity of felts and moving parts by reducing wear and tear. We clean the soundboard on grand pianos which not only improves appearance but can improve the sound by removing the layer of dust and dirt which can be acting as a mute. Cleaning includes the keys, vacuuming the inside of the case and action parts. We finish with a polishing of the case.
Repairs/Maintenance
Action Regulation
Complete Piano Cleaning
After years of playing a piano, the felts become compact and may not function properly anymore and other felts become hard a brittle and can't perform as they should. As a result, strings may not be dampened properly, keys will jiggle left and right, hammers get string cuts and lose there shape, tone, etc. When servicing your piano, we will offer suggestions for improvement of performance and sound so you can make informed choices . Most of these services can be done on location.
Evaluation for purchase
($110)
If you are thinking of purchasing a used piano, it is best to have a piano technician look over it to be sure it is in sound condition. I come across far too many pianos that were purchased used and cannot be tuned for various reasons. It is better to pay for an evaluation before going to the expense of purchasing and moving a piano that is no good.
Appraisals
Verbal $120 and Written $240
Whether you are just looking to know a starting price to sell your piano or you need a written appraisal for insurance, we provide this service. Appraisals require a visit to the piano.
Harpsichord Tuning & Repair
Harpsichord Tuning & Repair
Tuning.($140)
Harpsichord strings are plucked rather than struck with a hammer as on a piano. Because the tension is lower on harpsichords, they need tuning more often much like violins or guitars. Tuning on the day of performance is highly recommended. We provide service on these historical instruments.