How often should I tune my piano?
A piano should be maintained with the utmost care. Regular servicing by a qualified
technician will preserve your instrument and help you avoid costly repairs in the future.
Because your piano contains materials such as wood and felt, it is subject to change with
climatic conditions. Extreme swings from hot to cold or dry to wet cause its
materials to swell and contract, affecting tone, pitch, and action response or
touch. You can reduce the severity of these effects by placing your piano near
a wall away from windows or doors that are opened frequently. Avoid heating and
air conditioning vents, fireplaces and areas which receive direct sunlight.
Your piano will perform best under consistent conditions neither too wet nor
dry, optimally at a temperature of 68 degrees F and 42 percent relative humidity.
Most manufactures have their own recommendations regarding piano tunings. However it
is generally suggested that a new piano be tuned three to four times a year for
the first year. After that a minimum of twice a year is recommended.
Source: www.ptg.org
If you compare your piano to a car consider this: If all you ever did for your car is fill it with gas,
eventually you're going to have some issues.
The same goes for pianos. If all you ever do is tune, issues will eventually arise.
Did You Know?
We can schedule your piano tunings a year in advance.
This is especially helpful for churches and schools so
you'll never have a concert or performance with an out of tune piano.
Residential tunings can also be scheduled a year in advance too!
(see the last entry below with more scheduling information)
How long does a tuning take?
Tunings generally take about an hour and half to two depending on the condition of the
piano and how far out of tune it is. If there are minor repairs needed, additional time should be allowed.
Does moving my piano hurt it?
Unless a piano has been dropped or tipped over when moving it, generally the move itself
does not cause problems. However, if a piano has been moved from dry conditions
to more humid conditions, the difference in humidity changes are what may affect
the piano. It is a good idea to have a qualified piano technician come in to
assess and tune your piano once it is moved to its new home. That way any
issues that may have arisen during the move can be attended to promptly.
How old is my piano? (Is my piano an antique?)
Each piano has a serial number located inside it. With that serial number and the brand of
the piano, we can check our resources to find the year it was made. Generally an
antique item is something that is at least 75 years old. However, with pianos
anything manufactured from 1900 to current date is considered a modern-day
piano and is made the same as a piano is today. A true antique piano is built prior to 1850.
Pianos are "built to be rebuilt"
so your family's piano, for example from 1910, can be made to play and sound
much like it did when it was brand new.
(Refer to my Services page for more information.)
What is a grand piano?
In grand pianos, the frame and strings are horizontal, with the strings extending away
from the keyboard. The action lies beneath the strings, and uses gravity as its means of return to a state of rest.
There are many sizes of grand pianos ranging from 4'7" to over 9 feet long.
What is an upright piano?
Upright pianos, also called vertical pianos, are more compact because the frame and
strings are vertical. The hammers move horizontally, and return to their resting
position via springs. Upright pianos with unusually tall frames and long strings are sometimes called upright grand pianos.
Some authors classify modern pianos according to their height.
*
Studio pianos are around 45" tall.
*
Console pianos are a few inches shorter than studio models usually 39" to 42" tall.
*
The top of a spinet model barely rises
above the keyboard and are about 36" to 39" tall
Do you purchase used pianos?
Generally the answer is no. Occasionally we'll be interested in a grand piano
if we have a customer who's asked us to "keep an eye out for a good used grand to rebuild".
If your piano has real ivory keys and you cannot find a new home for your piano,
we may come and remove the ivory keys to be re-used.
To find a home and/or buyer for your piano, we suggest using these free websites:
Craigslist
or bismanonline.com
(for North Dakota/ Minnesota)
or FB Marketplace
A piano should be maintained with the utmost care. Regular servicing by a qualified
technician will preserve your instrument and help you avoid costly repairs in the future.
Because your piano contains materials such as wood and felt, it is subject to change with
climatic conditions. Extreme swings from hot to cold or dry to wet cause its
materials to swell and contract, affecting tone, pitch, and action response or
touch. You can reduce the severity of these effects by placing your piano near
a wall away from windows or doors that are opened frequently. Avoid heating and
air conditioning vents, fireplaces and areas which receive direct sunlight.
Your piano will perform best under consistent conditions neither too wet nor
dry, optimally at a temperature of 68 degrees F and 42 percent relative humidity.
Most manufactures have their own recommendations regarding piano tunings. However it
is generally suggested that a new piano be tuned three to four times a year for
the first year. After that a minimum of twice a year is recommended.
Source: www.ptg.org
If you compare your piano to a car consider this: If all you ever did for your car is fill it with gas,
eventually you're going to have some issues.
The same goes for pianos. If all you ever do is tune, issues will eventually arise.
Did You Know?
We can schedule your piano tunings a year in advance.
This is especially helpful for churches and schools so
you'll never have a concert or performance with an out of tune piano.
Residential tunings can also be scheduled a year in advance too!
(see the last entry below with more scheduling information)
How long does a tuning take?
Tunings generally take about an hour and half to two depending on the condition of the
piano and how far out of tune it is. If there are minor repairs needed, additional time should be allowed.
Does moving my piano hurt it?
Unless a piano has been dropped or tipped over when moving it, generally the move itself
does not cause problems. However, if a piano has been moved from dry conditions
to more humid conditions, the difference in humidity changes are what may affect
the piano. It is a good idea to have a qualified piano technician come in to
assess and tune your piano once it is moved to its new home. That way any
issues that may have arisen during the move can be attended to promptly.
How old is my piano? (Is my piano an antique?)
Each piano has a serial number located inside it. With that serial number and the brand of
the piano, we can check our resources to find the year it was made. Generally an
antique item is something that is at least 75 years old. However, with pianos
anything manufactured from 1900 to current date is considered a modern-day
piano and is made the same as a piano is today. A true antique piano is built prior to 1850.
Pianos are "built to be rebuilt"
so your family's piano, for example from 1910, can be made to play and sound
much like it did when it was brand new.
(Refer to my Services page for more information.)
What is a grand piano?
In grand pianos, the frame and strings are horizontal, with the strings extending away
from the keyboard. The action lies beneath the strings, and uses gravity as its means of return to a state of rest.
There are many sizes of grand pianos ranging from 4'7" to over 9 feet long.
What is an upright piano?
Upright pianos, also called vertical pianos, are more compact because the frame and
strings are vertical. The hammers move horizontally, and return to their resting
position via springs. Upright pianos with unusually tall frames and long strings are sometimes called upright grand pianos.
Some authors classify modern pianos according to their height.
*
Studio pianos are around 45" tall.
*
Console pianos are a few inches shorter than studio models usually 39" to 42" tall.
*
The top of a spinet model barely rises
above the keyboard and are about 36" to 39" tall
Do you purchase used pianos?
Generally the answer is no. Occasionally we'll be interested in a grand piano
if we have a customer who's asked us to "keep an eye out for a good used grand to rebuild".
If your piano has real ivory keys and you cannot find a new home for your piano,
we may come and remove the ivory keys to be re-used.
To find a home and/or buyer for your piano, we suggest using these free websites:
Craigslist
or bismanonline.com
(for North Dakota/ Minnesota)
or FB Marketplace
Do you refinish pianos?
No, we do not refinish the cabinet of pianos.
Check with furniture refinishers for this process.
If you want to refinish your piano on your own, you can contact us
about removing the parts for you to make refinishing easier.
Why can't I book my piano tuning via email?
We often get emails requesting dates/times that are available for tunings.
Because we would have to list all the available appointments
from the date of your email through the entire year, it's difficult to give you specifics
that would match up with your own calendar and availability.
A short 5-minute phone call is all you need to schedule. 😊
We do not use texting either.
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM Central Time
Voice Mail available 24/7
701-258-2674
No, we do not refinish the cabinet of pianos.
Check with furniture refinishers for this process.
If you want to refinish your piano on your own, you can contact us
about removing the parts for you to make refinishing easier.
Why can't I book my piano tuning via email?
We often get emails requesting dates/times that are available for tunings.
Because we would have to list all the available appointments
from the date of your email through the entire year, it's difficult to give you specifics
that would match up with your own calendar and availability.
A short 5-minute phone call is all you need to schedule. 😊
We do not use texting either.
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM Central Time
Voice Mail available 24/7
701-258-2674
