18 May 2016 Piano Key Leveling

Piano Key Leveling

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Have you ever started to play your piano, only to discover the keys feel a little off? As your fingers move from key to key, something appears to be not quite right.

What you may be feeling is a leveling issue.Piano Key Leveling

A properly regulated piano is one that has the keys perfectly level from one side of the keyboard to the other. When keys are correctly leveled, the pianist should find no noticeable difference in height as his or her fingers glide across the keytops. Also, no keys should stand out as being visibly higher or lower than the one next to it.

If the keys on your piano are not level, they need to be adjusted.

Keytops are leveled by the insertion of paper punchings of exact size between the wooden balance rail the keys rock on while being played, the felt balance rail punchings that cushion the keys.

Depending on the type of piano and the technician making the adjustments, one of several tools will be used to bring the keys up to level. Each note will be checked to determine how high or low it is compared to the desired height. Then punchings will be added or subtracted to bring it to a proper level.

After each addition, key height will be checked to determine if it’s at its proper height.

Sharp keys are leveled as well in a similar manner. Sharp keys, in general, are ½ inch higher than naturals. Fine paper punchings are used to ensure they are level from one end to another.

Think your keys may need leveling? Give us a call today.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With:
20 April 2016 Adjusting The Pedals During Piano Tuning

Adjusting The Pedals During Piano Tuning

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In most cases, a piano tuner’s job entails bringing the notes back into tune by adjusting the strings. But in some cases, they may also find a pedal that isn’t doing its job. Pedals on both verticals and grand pianos occasionally stop working.Adjusting The Pedals During Piano Tuning

In many cases, it’s simply a matter of a pedal rod that has fallen out of place. By removing the kickboard on the front cabinet of a vertical piano just under the keyboard, you’ll find a vertical wood dowel or metal rod that connects to horizontal levers that extend up into the piano to a mechanism in the action. Stepping on the pedals causes the rod to move, activating the proper action mechanism inside the piano.

Since the rods are usually only inserted into the action levers with metal pins, it is very common for them to simply fall out of position, causing the pedal to stop working. The more you use a pedal, or if a piano has been moved, the greater the chance of having the pin fall out of place.

Pedal rods usually fall out of place when too much freeplay is in the movement. Freeplay means the pedal and the lever move too much before the vertical rod rises. If freeplay is enough, it can cause the rod to fall out of position, or simply not rise enough to allow the proper movement in the action.

Proper adjustment calls for freeplay of only about 1/16th or an inch. In other words, the vertical rod moves very little during the process. A professional tuner knows how to adjust the rod to the appropriate length. If you adjust it to remove all freeplay, it may jam against other action parts and leave the pedals in a position they shouldn’t be in. This can allow the dampers to stick, or to remain off the strings altogether, allowing notes to ring on and on.

Grand pianos usually have fewer problems with pedal adjustments than verticals. Grand pedal rods are encased in a wooden lyre and rarely fall out of position. However, adjustments are sometimes needed and are completed in much the same way as on a vertical.

Have a question about tuning your piano? Pedals need adjustment? Give us a call today.

Filed Under: Piano Playing, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
26 March 2016 Are Refurbished Pianos As Good As New?

Are Refurbished Pianos As Good As New?

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So it’s time to bring a piano into your home. Where do you begin?

When you’ve decided you or your child will begin playing the piano, the first step is to find a piano to practice on regularly. And in most cases, the deciding factor comes down to cost, how much you can spend.Are Refurbished Pianos As Good As New?

After all, pianos can be very expensive, depending on the make and model you select. Which leaves many would-be piano owners searching out the best deals. It takes a lot of time to wade through your options.

There’s also a lot of risks.

Used pianos are marketed in a wide variety of ways. What does it all mean? Are there some you can trust more than others?

Remanufactured Pianos
Remanufactured pianos will ensure the piano is in new-like condition, both regarding appearance and performance. It will have new hammers, felts, strings, action parts, a new soundboard, and pinblock. In most cases it will also go through a refinishing process.

Rebuilt Pianos
If a piano is listed as rebuilt, it has gone through several changes, such as receiving new strings, a new soundboard, or a new pinblock. Most rebuilt pianos are also refinished too.

Reconditioned Pianos
A reconditioned piano usually signifies the piano has had strings and/or hammers replaced.

Restored Pianos
A restored piano is often a generic term used to describe a piano that has been remanufactured, rebuilt or refinished.

Refurbished Pianos
A refurbished piano typically takes it to the next level. Pianos that are refurbished will go through a lot of work, such as new strings, hammers, felts, pinblocks and soundboard. They may also be refinished in the process. At the completion, a refurbished piano will also be tuned and have regulation of the piano action.

If you are on a budget and wonder how you can purchase the best piano in your price range, looking at refurbished pianos may be your best alternative. Refurbished pianos have almost everything repaired or replaced within the parts. In most cases, they are as good as new. It is important that you thoroughly inspect the refurbished piano to make sure it meets your standards.

Look for a reputable dealer that can provide information about previous owners and its current condition.

Look for dealer’s warranties to protect you in the future.

Ask questions. This can ensure you are comfortable with your purchase.

Filed Under: Buying a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With:
17 March 2016 Regulating Your Piano

Regulating Your Piano

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A grand piano has about 14,000 parts in total. It includes as many as nine different types of wood, and the action contains many different types of leather and felt.Regulating Your Piano

In all, there are about 20 different things that can be adjusted on each key to make it play better. And if you play the piano, playing the best is something you strive for each time you play. You want the notes to sound perfect. You want perfect harmony when multiple notes are played at the same time. You want them to move with ease. You want to be able to create the right amount of power. These adjustments are called regulating the action, or regulating the piano.

Many pianos come from the factory in fairly well regulated. Others need service to bring them to optimal condition. And once a piano is in place, in an owner’s home, by the time its been played even a few years, it almost always needs regulation to bring it back to its prime.

Why does this happen?

Wood shrinks and swells with changes in the humidity (with nine different kinds of wood intact, they can each change at a different pace.) The keybed, the keyframe. The key height, the hammer height – all have changed based on the environment, how much the piano was played, maintenance, regular tuning sessions, etc.

And that’s just the wood. The felt and leather have all been used over and over again, worn and crushed under the pressure of each key being striked as music is created. Some parts may hold up while others fade away. Their relationship to one another changes from a variety of things.

Most modern day pianos are made in assembly line fashion. That means each piece of a piano is the same as the piece next to it. If a piano was made before the 1950s, most were handcrafted by hand, meaning each piece was created individually. Which also means less consistency from piano to piano. Parts are regulated down to a couple thousandths of an inch. The more consistency there is from key to key, the higher the level of performance when played.

If you’ve ever wished you could play better, wanted your piano to make a better sound, some of it could be your piano. If you’ve ever wanted to be able to play faster repetitions, or find finesse on slower features, it could be your piano.

That’s where regulation comes into play.

Is it time to regulate your piano?

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With:
9 March 2016 Why Tuning Your Piano Is A Bad Idea

Why Tuning Your Piano Is A Bad Idea

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Think you can tune your own piano? Think it must be an easy process? After all, you can find videos and Internet sites dedicated to helping you “do it yourself.” Why shouldn’t you give it a try?Why Tuning Your Piano Is A Bad Idea

While a five minute video may give you the impression tuning a piano is easy, it’s anything but. Professional piano tuners receive many, many hours of training. It requires years of practice to understand the nuances and perfect the skill. Even so, professionals can take an hour or two to bring a piano back into great working condition. And the longer it takes, the more exhausted your ears become trying to find precision in every note that is played.

If someone who is trained for it can become exhausted, how about someone who isn’t?

Each piano’s temperament is tuned in a slightly different manner depending on the piano. Each piano will have a different gage, different lengths of strings. And therefore the sound of one piano will not be replicated in other pianos. Today, professional tuners use sophisticated piano tuning software to calculate how to tune the temperament of each individual piano.

Each individual key is worked on one at a time, with the tuning pin and string set and secured in place. A tuner will move the pin only as much as necessary to get the pitch. Once its achieved, the pin is set into place. If not done right, one strike of the key and the note will pop back out of tune. This is called tuning stability. And it’s the last thing a professional tuner will do to make sure his work is stable.

If a string is adjusted too far, or if the string is old and severely out of tune, it can be prone to breaking. Replacement is also a skill that takes time and practice to build to proficiency. A professional tuner will have the appropriate tools and skills to replace piano wire, knowing that in some cases restringing with existing wire is sometimes best.

If you want enjoyment every time you play the piano, it’s best to tune your piano on a regular basis. If you are considering tuning your own piano, chances are it’s currently nowhere close to its optimal pitch. And to bring it back to proper pitch takes time, energy and knowledge. Skill that all great professional tuners have.

And why allow your piano to be anything but the best?

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
3 March 2016 Restore Your Square Grand Piano

Restore Your Square Grand Piano

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Nostalgia. Just one look at the antique sitting in your room can bring back long-ago, simpler times.

But this isn’t just an antique; it’s so much more.Restore Your Square Grand Piano

For nearly 150 years, square grand pianos were the piano of choice in both Europe and America. Yet today, very few people have even seen them.

Also referred to as a box grand, the square grand piano is an earlier form of piano that is built in a rectangular shaped cabinet. It sits squarely on four legs with its strings running left to right rather than front to back that had been common up until this point. They became very popular because of their smaller size and more stylish appearance.

By the late 1800s, the upright piano became more favorable, taking up even less floor space than the square grand. And by 1900, the last was produced here in the US, all but becoming obsolete.

Yet today, there’s a growing interest in the square grand piano. Collectors and musicians alike are beginning to appreciate and preserve these instruments, making them quite valuable.

If you find one in your grandmother’s back room, it may be time to bring it back to life and restore it to all of its glory.

Some piano tuners may tell you that a square piano in its original, unrestored condition can’t be tuned. In fact, they are correct. Square pianos built long ago used tuning pins shaped differently than modern tuning pins. And if the piano hasn’t been tuned in years, decades, the old strings, felt and leather tend to have deteriorated over time. There is an estimated pressure of 12 to 14 tons of tension on a piano when it is in tune. And when this tension is put back on these deteriorated parts, it simply can’t hold the tune properly.

A proper restoration will fix all of these components – tuning pins, felt, strings, leather – thus bringing the square grand piano back to life.

With a square grand piano, the pins are located in the back of the piano. Which means the piano tuner will have to lean over more during the tuning process to reach the parts and service them correctly. It’s a little more effort, but just as effective as tuning any other modern day piano. And it’s required to keep your square grand piano in good working condition.

Have a family heirloom you’d love to restore back to its original condition? Give us a call today.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With:
24 October 2015 Piano Key Repair and Restoration

Piano Key Repair and Restoration

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What’s one of the first parts of a piano that show their wear and tell you it’s time for a little R&R (repair and restoration)?

Your piano keys.

Maybe they are missing, broken, chipped or damaged. Maybe they are unlevel and hard to play. Maybe they wiggle from side to side. Or maybe some go down and some don’t as your fingers attempt to carry out a tune.Piano Key Repair and Restoration

When it’s time to repair or restore your piano keys, one or more things may be in order.

Key top replacement – In some cases by simply replacing the veneer on the keys will bring new life to your piano. Keep in mind that there are special considerations for vintage pianos that still maintain ivory keys.

 

  • Key bed – In some cases, piano key restoration must include the entire piano key structure down to the key bed. It will include repairing and replacing many of the parts, including key bushings and balance pins.
  • Balance rail pins – The balance rail pins are what each key lever balances on when the key is pressed to activate the hammer. These rail pins can rust and corrode over time.
  • Front rail pins – The front rail pins are located at the front of the key bed and hold the key in position at the front. These rail pins can also rust and corrode over time.
  • Key bushings – Each of the key levers has a hole that fits over the balance and front rail pins. Around these holes is a piano felt which can compress and wear down over time.
  • Capstans – The capstan is the cap that is screwed into the key lever in the back to connect the lever with the action. It can oxidize over time and cause friction between the lever and the action.
  • Key buttons – Each of the key levers has a small button glued into place that help balance the rail pin. These can easily become damaged over time.

If your piano isn’t playing the way it used to and you know your keys are at least part of the problem, the best place to start is by talking with a quality piano restoration company. In many cases we see people attempting to fix problems with piano keys themselves, or trusting the work to someone that is anything but professional, and it shows in the finished results.

Your piano keys bring life to your music. Without properly functioning keys, your music will never be up to par. If you have questions about your piano keys, give us a call today.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation, Piano Restoration Tagged With: ,
22 July 2015 A Guide To Keeping Church Pianos In Top Shape

A Guide To Keeping Church Pianos In Top Shape

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Music is an essential part of any church program. From practicing for performances, to teaching music in the classroom, to performing for Sunday events, most functions center around the piano.

With the piano being the highlight at many activities, it’s important to maintain each piano in the church, and keep them in good working condition throughout the year. It’s difficult to enjoy a program if you can hear an off, tinny sound somewhere in the background.A Guide To Keeping Church Pianos In Top Shape

Most churches have a number of pianos throughout the building. Where a piano is located determines how much maintenance it will need.

The sanctuary piano typically is front and center for weekly services, and either sits alone or is used in conjunction with an organ. A sanctuary piano needs first class maintenance. At a minimum, schedule at least two tunings a year, and a regularly scheduled maintenance routine of regulation, voicing, cleaning, etc.

The balcony piano is often used in conjunction with the sanctuary piano, depending on the set up of the choir and the congregation. Yet because this piano is typically out of sight, it’s easy to forget about it during regularly scheduled maintenance. A thorough check up is also needed to keep it in good working condition, providing a quality sound for the various events throughout the church.

Classroom pianos are often designed to help run Sunday school and special events. While these pianos are not typically heard by a high number of people, it is important for them to have good tonal quality because they are usually linked to practice sessions and helping develop an interest in music. If the piano is out of tune or isn’t voiced properly, it can impact the way a child learns to appreciate music.

Fellowship hall or basement pianos might not be front and center of every event that occurs in these rooms, yet when they are in use, full attention is given to the music being produced. To encourage an appreciation for music and for more people to play, quality sound is mandatory.

With all pianos, temperature and humidity control can be a problem. To save on energy costs, many churches keep a careful eye on temperature, keeping it comfortable only when the church is in use. That means heat and cold can impact the various pianos throughout the church in different ways. Be sure all pianos set away from windows and doors where drafts and direct sunlight can impact them most. Also be aware that this temperature variance can play havoc on the tonal quality of the piano, requiring more tune ups throughout the year.

To coordinate a regularly scheduled maintenance routine for the pianos in your facility, start by having a qualified technician evaluate your current set up, and determine a schedule that is right for you.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
11 July 2015 Is Piano Repair Really Necessary?

Is Piano Repair Really Necessary?

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When was the last time you repaired your car?

It probably started with a small noise. If you ignored it, the noise escalated. And if you continued ignoring it, eventually the car stopped working, and the repair became a major event. What started out as a simple fix – replacing a belt for instance – became a major repair – replacing the engine.Is Piano Repair Really Necessary?

The same holds true with your piano.

A piano first shows signs of a problem in simple ways. A note goes out of tune, or a piano pedal sticks. If you ignore the problem, it escalates to the point of severe damage.

In many cases this happens when people are living on a tight budget, or if they stop playing the piano and it becomes a piece of furniture they ignore. Pianos need tuning and repair to keep them in top playing condition, whether they are played regularly or not.

Hire A Piano Technician As Soon As Possible

The right time to hire a piano technician for tuning is at the first indication something is not right. A qualified technician can repair it quickly and bring it back to proper condition. A large number of piano owners realize the potential savings regular tunings have on the quality of their piano, and choose to have their pianos tuned twice per year. This will ensure a quality sound all the year through, and provide you with a quality instrument that can be passed down from generation to generation.

Hire a Highly Experienced Piano Technician

Unlike today’s cars that can be plugged into a computer to show the technician what is wrong, a piano requires a personal touch. Although a piano player may pick up a few things about tuning as they play over the years, there is a difference between doing it yourself and hiring a professional with many hours of experience. A professional learns the fine tuning skill by practicing and learning and working on a variety of pianos. He understands what indicators to look for and what sounds may need further repair. Never judge a piano technician by price alone. Instead, find out how many years they have performed piano tuning, and how many hours they have spent in the process.

Why Tuning Is The First Step Towards Repair

In general, the first indication of a problem begins with piano tuning. A piano technician will spend time working with each note to ensure it is properly in tune. As he works through the process, he may indicated other problems – felt that is loose, or a potential problem with a hammer. As he notices things, he will make you aware of the situation and decide the best course of action to ensure your piano remains at optimal level.

Typically a quality piano tuning process will take anywhere from one to three hours. Anything less may be an indicator that a piano tuner doesn’t understand his job.

If you have any questions about the piano tuning process, give us a call today.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
10 July 2015 5 Signs Your Piano Needs Refurbishing

5 Signs Your Piano Needs Refurbishing

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Some projects are perfect for the do it yourselfer. Some projects aren’t.

Changing the color of the walls of your family room is a perfect do it yourself project; grab a bucket of paint and go. But when it comes to refurbishing the piano that takes center stage in your family room, it’s best left to the hands of a true professional.5 Signs Your Piano Needs Refurbishing

Start with the keys

The easiest place to start when checking the condition of a piano is with the keys. The keys should be played one at a time listening to them closely. The tuning may be off, meaning you might not hear a quality pitch as we walk from note to note. Listen beyond for buzzing sounds or harsh multi-tones even when you’re pressing just one key. Also pay attention if a key creates no sound at all, which could be a sign of further internal damage.

Test the pedals

When you press down on a pedal and find it non-responsive, it can be an indication of a bigger problem. Many people ignore the pedals, with little intention of using them in the first place. Check them anyway as it can be an indication of larger problems inside.

Inspect the hammers for wear

Each hammer within the piano is covered in felt. Timbre is achieved when the hammerhead felt strikes the strings and produces the desired note. Worn felt reduces both timbre and tone. Make sure felt is intact and wood does not show through. Also keep in mind that felt is attached to the hammers through pressure, not through glue. In many cases it can be easy to spot a do it yourself attempt to improve the quality, which can actually work against you.

Examine the bridge and pinblock

The bridge is the wooden piece between the soundboard and the hammers. It helps keep the piano in tune. This wooden piece should not be out of position, warped or cracked. The pinblock holds each string ensemble in place with tuning pins. Likewise, the pinblock must not be cracked or warped, and the tuning pins should be tight. Piano strings are attached in groups of two or three, and if the pinblock is damaged, the piano will remain out of tune. If you see signs of rust anywhere, it probably is a result of water damage and may be beyond repair.

Inspect the soundboard

The soundboard is the foundation of the piano. If the soundboard is cracked, warped or damaged, the rods will not move correctly, and the hammers and felts will work improperly, producing the wrong sound or no sound at all.

One of the worse sounds for people to hear is an incorrect note on a piano. But that is not a true indication of a problem with a piano. If damage is at a minimal, and the note is merely out of tune, piano refurbishing can be an easy process. It may be as simple as tuning and replacing a few worn parts. The only way to determine for sure the true potential of the piano in question is to start by having a professional evaluate the piano.

Have questions? Give us a call today.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation, Piano Restoration Tagged With: ,
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