TUNING
Pianos are living creatures and tuning them regularly allows them to be their healthiest selves. The process of tuning involves intently listening to and adjusting the tension of over 200 strings until each one is in harmonic agreement with the others, and the resulting tone is pure and pleasing to the ear.
A well-tuned piano is more rewarding to play, more enjoyable for your friends and neighbors to listen to, and ultimately the kindest thing you can do for your piano to give it a long and healthy life.
Most people tune their pianos seasonally, twice a year. Once you wait over a year, you risk needing a pitch raise — a rough tuning slightly above 440hz followed by a finer one —so that the string tension can be stabilized. Otherwise, let your ear be the judge, and give us a call once your piano starts telling you it’s ready for a tuning.
REPAIRS
In addition to being experienced piano tuners, we also offer piano repair services. Most of our work is on acoustic pianos, but we've also tuned and serviced Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer electronic pianos (200, 200a, 112), Yamaha CP70/CP80s, harpsichords, and rebuilt antique pump organs.
We fix everything from broken strings and squeaky pedals to worn ivories and double-striking hammers. Most repairs require specialized tools, but for the simpler ones that call for a dab of glue or the slight adjustment of an easily accessible part, we're always happy to explain what we're doing and invite you to participate in the process, should you be interested. Keep in mind that there are thousands of extremely delicate moving parts in a piano and attempting any repairs without the proper knowledge and tools can result in significantly larger problems. Don't hesitate to give us a call if you think it's a simple fix, and we'd be happy to walk you through it over the phone.
REGULATION
If your piano feels inconsistent from register to register, or is difficult to play, it might be time for a regulation.
Over time, the wood and felt parts of your piano wear down, making the action feel heavy, uneven, and unresponsive. Dust and dirt also collect in many places that cause action parts to move sluggishly. Regulation is the multiple-day process of taking the action out of the piano, removing all dirt and debris, repairing/replacing all broken parts, and then finally aligning, lubricating, and regulating each part in order to provide the greatest amount of sensitivity and ease for the player.
EVALUATION
Are you interested in buying a piano and want to make sure it's being sold for a fair price? Or are you looking to repair/restore your current piano but want to know what kind of work it'll need? We can help!
We offer evaluation services where we travel to the piano and thoroughly inspect the pin block, sound board, bridges, strings, action, and cabinet to help give you a better idea of what you're dealing with. All evaluations include a written (or if preferred, verbal) assessment of the piano, detailing both the necessary repairs and optional improvements (such as voicing, regulating, etc.) that will bring your piano to optimal playing condition. All evaluations cover up to one hour of work.
