Piano Service

TUNING

Tuning a piano is the fundamental basic service. “Tuning” a piano means adjusting the tension and pitch of all 220+ strings so they vibrate in harmony with one another.

The average piano should be tuned every six months.

REGULATION

Every piano will eventually need regulation. The mechanical action experiences uneven wear as the instrument is played and ages, thus the consistency of touch, dynamic range, and tone all suffer. Regulating a piano typically involves bedding the keyframe, leveling crooked key and hammer lines, evening key dip, tightening loose parts, adjusting the action for ease of play, and shaping the hammers.

HUMIDITY CONTROL INSTALLATION

Humidity changes are your piano’s worst enemy, especially in Michigan’s ever changing climate. As humidity rises (typically during summer months), wood parts swell, the piano goes sharp, and keys bind. During drier periods, the piano goes flat and action parts become loose. This cycle constantly stresses the instrument, leading to tonal changes, action problems, corrosion, and eventually damage to the soundboard, bridge, and pinblock. The instrument pictured above is a good example of this.

In the absence of full room humidity control, the installation of a Dampp Chaser Piano Life Saver system is a critical part of keeping the piano healthy. It uses a humidistat controlling a humidifier and dehumidifier to create a “microclimate” inside the piano.

PITCH RAISE

A piano which hasn’t been tuned in a couple years will usually require a pitch raise. This “rough” tuning is necessary to prep the instrument for a fine tuning.

VOICING

Voicing is the art of tuning how the entire piano (especially the hammers and strings) will interact to produce desired tonal color. Once the piano is tuned and well regulated, the “voice” of the piano can be addressed.

This often includes string adjustment and attention to friction in the action. Other techniques we use to improve tone are adjusting the hammer character with needles, steam, or hardeners.

REPAIR

With over a thousand moving parts and many more which wear, pianos often need repairs before they can be serviced (as in the above picture). A good piano technician is equipped to fix a comprehensive range of repairs such as binding keys, pedal noise, and damaged action parts. Many jobs such as bushing replacement, re-pinning, or keytop replacement will require shop service.

FINISH TOUCHUP

Accidents are part of life, and we’re pleased to offer polyester and traditional finish repair services to piano cases.

“Servicing pianos with new technology and traditional techniques”

(616) 696-0500