Evaluating the Condition of Your Piano
With an evaluation we go over your piano, and see what is needed. Then we work out a plan of service to bring your piano into the best condition suitable for your level.
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Condition of Pianos and how it Influences Pricing
When it comes to tuning, there are many different conditions that we find once we arrive at clients’ homes.
Pianos that are tuned regularly, “annually or bi-annually”, is fine.
Usually it will just be our normal price.
But then again … most times we get those pianos that would require some extra work.
Especially new clients calling us for the first time.
Most cases we get the answer:
“My piano hasn’t been tuned for a while”
or:
“No idea. I’ve had it for thirty years, and it’s never been tuned.”
When you call us, we often ask you when last the piano was tuned.
That is just an indication to allow a big enough time slot for us to spend more time to get your piano in top condition.
If we have to do a pitch-adjustment on your piano, we usually will warn you that strings could break. And we would recommend a follow-up tuning in three months or so, just to keep the piano stable.
Strings usually stretch if you pull them tight, and they don’t want to stay there, but if we do the follow-up tuning, the piano has a better chance to not go horribly out-of-tune again.
Feel free to visit my
to read up more on this.
In that case, it would require us to do a Full Service Tuning, which means we will have to first do a rough tuning, to get it close to pitch. And then do the fine-tuning. This is probably done in two hours or so, depending on how out-of-tune it is.
Or perhaps your piano is “untunable” due to loose tuning pins, a cracked pin block into which the tuning pins are knocked, rusted strings that break, etc.
When is it necessary for a piano to be taken away for repairs?
We offer all-day services, where we spend a few hours per piano doing tuning, replacement of some felt “depending on the condition of the piano”, some adjusting of the playing mechanism, tone adjustment, cleaning, etc. at your home. But if more repair work is needed, we usually will have to remove the playing mechanism, or the piano to our workshop, where we can do the repairs.
This is normally when there are a few issues, and it takes longer too fix in one day, or if our schedule is a bit full.
Note:
We will do our best to deliver the best quality work, so that when we walk out your door, you and your piano will be happy.
Qualification
Dewald is a registered member of the South African Association of Proffessional Piano tuners;
and a Registered Piano Technician “RPT” of the Piano Technicians’ Guild of America.
To find his details and status on either of these websites, visit:
https://www.sapianotuners.co.za/
and:
https://www.ptg.org/
Now, for your information, please head over to my Piano Blog, where you can read up all about the different aspects of pianos, and how to keep your piano in mint condition.
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Disclaimer:
Please note that,
1. if it is impossible to tune your piano, due to loose pins, sluggishness in action parts, or other situations, we will have to charge a consultation fee. If it is agreed upon to do the work, there could be the possibility that we might have to take the playing mechanism, or, the piano to our shop and do some repairs.
2. During tuning, due to old or rusty strings, or infrequent tuning, strings break, we could replace it, there and then, but with extra cost.
If too many strings break, we would have to work out a plan to fix the problem.
3. Before we go on with any work, or if we notice some problems in the piano, We will notify you as the customer of these, before we resume the work.
This could prevent some future problems and misunderstandings.