Piano Evaluation

Looking a piano over “heart-beat, breathing, etc.” :)

What is Regulation and Does my Piano Need it?

by

Regulation is done whenever we replace the felt under the keys, replace hammers, damper felts, etc.

In simplistic terms, it is adjusting the mechanism to perform optimally.

First, the height of the keys need to be determined.
To adjust the height of the keys, and to level them, you add or remove paper washers under the bkeys, on the balance rail, where the keys pivit.
To adjust the keydip, “how far the key presses down”, you add or remove paper washers at the front of each key, on the front rail.


What is Regulation and Does my Piano Need it? full Post

Is my Piano Worth the Repairs and How Would I Know?

by

Ring … ring … the phone rings.
Customer: “I have an old piano that hasn’t been tuned in years”…
Piano tuner: groan “Ok?”

Background

You have just inherited your grandmother’s piano or you found a piano on-line but you aren’t really sure how long ago it’s been since it was tuned.

Piano Keys Fading into the Distance

Customer: “It probably just needs a tuning. It still looks good.”
Piano tuner: “Maybe, but what about the inside?”


Is my Piano Worth the Repairs and How Would I Know? full Post

Servicing the Playing Mechanism of Your Piano

by

It is very important to not only have your piano tuned by a certified technician, but also to look after the action “playing mechanism” of your piano.
Have you ever opened up your piano at the top, and looked inside, just to wonder what really is going on inside there?
Well … That’s the action of the piano, almost like the engine of a car.
It consists of hundreds of parts, made from wood, felt and brass., although some piano manufacturors make some parts from plastic.
Plastic is not a good material to work with, especially not in pianos, because with age, they crumble or break apart.
Carbon fibre is also used these days, which I think yields good results.
Let me quickly introduce you to some of the parts:


Servicing the Playing Mechanism of Your Piano full Post

How Often Does my Piano Need to be Serviced?

by

Few people actually ask this question, and although we know that pianos need tuning from time to time, pianos are mechanical instruments, consisting out of many tiny parts.
From tiny pins and screws, to large parts like the soundboard, pin block, and the steel frame.
All of these play an integral part in your piano’s ability to bring you enjoyment, and need to be maintained.

Over the next few articles or posts, I will give a brief synopses of the different parts of your piano that you should keep maintained.
If neglected, or over time “with age” these parts can get worn and old, and may need replacing, reconditioning, or may get to the point where “ due to cost”, may not be worth repairing.


How Often Does my Piano Need to be Serviced? full Post

What is an RPT?

by

What is a Registered Piano Technician (RPT)?

The field of piano technology is an unregulated trade. Therefore the Piano Technicians Guild has set its own standards of quality for piano technicians. The Guild has two types of members: Registered Piano Technicians and Associates. Associate membership is open to all individuals 18 years of age and older with a professional or avocational interest in piano technology. On the other hand, the title of “Registered Piano Technician” must be earned by passing a series of examinations.


What is an RPT? full Post
Book Now