28 February 2015 Repairing A Broken Piano String

Repairing A Broken Piano String

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Pianos are built to last. As long as you provide your piano regular maintenance, and don’t expose it to extreme conditions, you will almost never have a string on your piano breaking. Piano wire is extremely elastic, and can take quite a bit of abuse before it moves to the point of breaking.

On older pianos, strings can become brittle with age, especially if exposed to harsher conditions and not mainRepairing A Broken Piano Stringtained on a regular basis. While piano strings rarely break with non-use, they can snap when a tuner is attempting to tune the piano, especially if they are attempting an extreme pitch raise.

If a piano string does break, never remove and throw away the piano string. In all cases, a piano repair technician will attempt to reuse the wire whenever possible.

With a broken bass string, which is core wire with other wire wrapped around it, often called a wound string, its best to splice the old string back into place if possible. If not, keep in mind that each bass string on each and every make and model of piano is different. The broken string will have to be ordered to expectations to ensure a perfect fit. Even if the broken string cannot be repaired, by having it as a guide, it can be sent in to be duplicated, to ensure a proper fit for a proper sound.

If more than a few strings are broken, it is usually an indication of a deeper problem within the structure of the piano. The strings are extremely brittle, meaning even minor tuning could continue snapping more of the piano wires.

If this is the case, the only solution may be to restring the entire piano, and restore it to its original condition. Depending on the piano, the sentimental value, and the overall quality of the piano, this could be an expensive proposition. With a full evaluation, it can be determined how extensive the damage is, what it would take to recondition it back to playing condition. Which allows you to make an educated decision on the direction to take.

If you have further questions about the condition of your piano, don’t hesitate to call. With over 50 years in the piano business, we have the experience and the know-how to help you with all of your piano needs.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
25 February 2015 Can You Repair A Piano With Water Damage?

Can You Repair A Piano With Water Damage?

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It doesn’t take a natural disaster to fill your home with water. A broken pipe, a busted water heater, or even a leaky roof can open up the potential damage to any room in your home.

And if your piano happens to sit in that room, it could face extensive water damage too.

Once a piano has been subjected to water, can it be saved? Can you repair a piano with water damage?Can You Repair A Piano With Water Damage?

Exposure to water of any kind can be damaging to a piano. Even extreme temperature changes, or a sudden increase/decrease in humidity can create an unstable environment for a piano, requiring extensive regulation of the action and numerous tunings to bring it back to proper performance levels.

If a piano has been sitting in water that has risen to the level of the case or higher, it will most likely be too damaged to be restored or replaced. When the case, soundboard, strings and action are exposed to water, it can cause glue failure, an integral part of the structure of the piano.

The rim and the keybed are the most critical elements to a functioning piano. Once exposed to water, the glue begins disintegrating and cannot effectively be repaired. The strings in a piano have a combined tension of several tons of pressure. Once the water begins penetrating this force, it severely compromises its playability.

Keep in mind that water damage isn’t always an obvious, immediate act. In some cases it is possible to dry out a piano and assume its working fine. The effects may not be truly noticeable until six or nine months down the road.

For a piano that has been sitting in a few inches of water, but the water level has not reached the level of the case, the piano may not be ruined beyond repair. However, moisture will have caused damage, and will have exposed the piano to further damage from things like expansion, contraction, rust and warping. Once moisture makes contact with a piano, restoration is the only way to ensure that it moves back to its working condition.

  • Humidity can cause rust to form on any of the metal parts in a piano, including the strings, tuning pins, action, hardware, or plates that support the tension of the strings.
  • The glue joints and wood grain of the soundboard can be impacted, allowing it to expand and contract to the point of cracking the wood.
  • Mold and bacteria can form in different places throughout the casing.
  • The finish can be damaged, with cracking, checking and other finish defects impacting its look.

In all cases, early action can put restoration potential on your side. As soon as possible, contact your insurance agent to begin the process of reimbursement, and connect with us to begin evaluating the possibilities of restoring your piano. The only way to determine if its possible is to look at its potential. Timing is everything; the quicker you can begin, the better your chance of saving your piano.

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21 January 2015 Why Does A Piano’s Pitch Change?

Why Does A Piano’s Pitch Change?

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Imagine you’re at a concert, enjoying the music. The violins, the cellos, the flutes and the clarinets are all carrying the tune. The piano fills in the melody. And then it happens. One loud note comes out of nowhere, and its completely out of tune. Ouch.

Its like fingernails on a chalkboard. You just cringe a little, hoping it will go away.Why Does A Piano’s Pitch Change?

Standard pitch is a universal frequency or note that all instruments are set to that allows musicians to play their instruments together in harmony. This standard pitch has been around ever since two individuals decided to play instruments or sing together. Without it, the results would be anything but pleasing.

Your piano is designed to play at a standard pitch of A-440, which means the A above the middle C vibrates at 440 cycles per second. At this pitch, the power and the tonal range are optimum, and your piano will blend nicely with the pitch of any instrument it chooses to play with.

When your piano varies from A-440, pitch adjustments are required to bring it back to the standard. By helping your piano maintain its standard pitch, you are ensuring that it maintains its tonal quality for the long term. The strings and structure maintain its equilibrium. And as a student of music, you will ensure your voice maintains the proper key to learn from and to grow from as you continue to play.

A piano’s pitch changes in two ways.

When your piano is new, the initial stretching and setting of the strings to the soundboard settle over time. The conditions change from the manufacturer to your home, and the pitch can quickly drop from these changes. It is very important to maintain pitch during this process, so the string tension and the piano structure can settle and reach a stable equilibrium. Most manufacturers recommend three or four tunings in the first year, and at least two per year after that.

As your piano ages and begins to settle, pitch changes due to climate variations. Your piano sits in a room that may have dry heat from blowing heat in the winter, humid conditions on and off all year through, and cool airflow in the summer. All of these temperature and climate changes can have a heavy impact on the voice of your piano. As humidity goes up, the soundboard swells, increasing its rounded shape, and stretching the strings to a higher pitch. When the conditions dry out, the soundboard flattens, lowering the tension on the strings, causing the pitch to drop. If you tune your piano after these changes, your piano will continue to hold its pitch. If you don’t, it will continue to drop in pitch for each year the piano is left unserviced.

How long has it been since your piano has been tuned? If you have any questions about the piano tuning process, give us a call. With decades of experience in the piano industry, we can provide you with the experience and the know-how to help you with all of your piano needs.

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14 January 2015 What’s Better, Tuning Your Piano By Ear or With A Machine?

What’s Better, Tuning Your Piano By Ear or With A Machine?

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When you hear a song played by one of the top pianists in the world, what makes it special?

Obviously the first half of the answer is the talent of the musician. When a pianist can command the notes, sounds and depth of the instrument to produce the exact music he wants to share, the results can be breathtaking.What’s Better, Tuning Your Piano By Ear or With A Machine?

The second half of the answer lies in the instrument itself. No matter how well a pianist plays the piano, if the instrument is out of tune and has anything but perfect pitch, it will show in the quality of the sound produced.

Because a piano is a moving, always changing instrument, it can not play at optimum performance year after year without proper care and maintenance. That’s where tuning comes into play. Every piano needs proper tuning, how often depends upon the interment itself. A new instrument may require several tunings a year as it adjusts from production; a piano recently moved may require more frequent tunings as it adjusts to its new surroundings; a piano in a home for years may require one or two adjustments per year simply to maintain sound quality.

When its time for hiring a tuner, which type of tuner is best: by ear or with a machine?

There are two different thoughts on this subject; one may never agree with the other on true capabilities.

If a tuner has been taught the trade aurally, the tuner picks up the nuances of what makes a sound “perfect”. When a sound is off, he not only knows how to adjust the strings, he can also determine if there are further problems with the mechanical parts of the piano. It comes with the trade and with “knowing” when something is off.

When a tuner uses the mechanical way of tuning, he uses a special software program that can “listen” to the harmonics of the piano, and calculate how the piano should be tuned based on what it hears. When a piano is flat or sharp, the software compensates for the difference and allows the piano to be adjusted to bring it back in tune. It can also be helpful when there is background noise that may deter a tuner from tuning properly.

In many cases, a professional tuner will use the software program as an aid. The program can help adjust the piano and provide a stable tuning, but if the tuner isn’t proficient in “hearing” the piano, he may miss some of the distinctions that will keep a piano in tune for extended periods of time.

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10 January 2015 Restoring The Pinblock

Restoring The Pinblock

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What’s one of the most important parts to any piano? Arguably, many people would point towards the pinblock.

The pinblock is designed to hold the tuning pins tightly in place so the piano does not go out of tune. Pinblocks are usually made of hard maple or beech wood, and are usually laminated so that the end grain of the wood presses up against the tuning pin from multiple directions.Restoring The Pinblock

Tuning pins are about 2 ½ inches long and are made of steel. They are embedded into the pinblock about an inch in depth, with the remaining inch being visible above the wood.

In most cases, tuning pins become loose for one of two reasons.

First, the pinblock may simply be worn out. After years of tuning the pins and moving them back and forth, they simply cause the hole in the wood to be larger than the pin itself. Its similar to a wood screw that has been stripped.

Second, the more serious of the two problems can be a cracked pinblock. Cracks can form in the pinblock between two or more of the tuning pins. The crack causes the holes to open up and the pins become so loose they will not stay in place. Cracks can be caused by a number of things, including an excessively dry environment, or by an inexperienced technician who pounds the pins in without the proper support from behind.

Is the pinblock worth replacing? That all depends on the piano and the pinblock. If a pinblock is cracked in an inexpensive upright, its often not worth the cost of fixing it. If a name brand grand piano is suffering from a worn out pinblock, a trained technician may be able to restring the piano using oversized tuning pins, and give your piano several more decades of life.

The only way to know for sure is to have a trained technician inspect your piano. Give us a call today.

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24 December 2014 The Best Value In Pianos: The Restored Piano

The Best Value In Pianos: The Restored Piano

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Want to know the best kept secret in the piano industry? It’s the restored piano. Very few items exist that appreciate in value the older they get. Whether you own an heirloom piano in need of repair, or are looking to purchase a piano for your family, your school, your church, or your place of business, a restored piano may be the perfect choice for you.The Best Value In Pianos: The Restored Piano

A restored piano has the advantage of:

  • Having a higher quality level of materials than you’ll find in many modern day pianos
  • Having hand crafted construction with embellishments to match
  • Having historical value that will continue to appreciate with age
  • Producing musical tones that will only come with time-aged wood
  • Giving you the opportunity to lower your costs while increasing your ability for a better piano

What’s the difference between used and restored?

The words “used” and “restored” are not synonymous.

As time goes by, fewer people are purchasing pianos, and therefore production of new pianos has decreased as well. In many cases, people of today want a piano as much for the beauty of the instrument as they do for the sound it produces.

If a piano has been built in the last 40 years or so, and is a lower priced piano, it may be a mass produced piano from China or Indonesia, built with particle board or compressed paper. They are considered be entry level by some, but in most cases will have a limited life.

Pianos built around the turn of the 20th Century were considered the best of its class. With state of the art craftsmanship, decorative embellishments, and the rich beauty of hardwoods, the detail can rarely be found in today’s production. While they may need restoration to enrich the wood, improve the sound quality, or repair well used pieces, its quality will never be matched by a mass produced piano.

Is my piano worth restoring?

Many people come across old pianos as they head to estate sales or are gifted with a piano from friends and relatives. While they may be a welcome addition to your household, as you play a few notes you may question the value. If the notes sound a little off, the first thing you may ask yourself is if its repairable?

Some pianos are worth saving; some are not. Some have value because of the manufacturer or the era they originated from; some are beyond repair.

While you can start with the manufacturer and do a little research online, the best way to understand your piano’s value is to have a reputable dealer evaluate its condition.

In many cases, the restored piano is the best kept secret of the piano world. Whether you have a specific make or brand in mind, or are simply shopping for your first piano and want an exceptional deal, the restored piano may be just what you are looking for.

Filed Under: Piano Renovation, Piano Restoration Tagged With: ,
17 December 2014 Are You Up To Date On State Ivory Regulations For Pianos?

Are You Up To Date On State Ivory Regulations For Pianos?

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In the piano industry, regulations have changed significantly over the years. Up until the 1950s, ivory veneering was used to cover a piano’s keys and give it the smooth, ivory look we’ve all come to associate with a piano.

Yet in the 1950s, things began to change. We began to understand the brutal nature of the ivory industry, and began abandoning the old ways of covering the keys on a keyboard with ivory, and turned to plastic instead. By the 1980s, the European market was on board with the ivory ban, and today no new pianos are built containing ivory.Are You Up To Date On State Ivory Regulations For Pianos?

Nonetheless, the US Fish and Wildlife Service continues to do its part regarding the sale of ivory, and has taken steps to increase regulation against the sale, import and export of anything ivory.

Under new Federal regulations, a piano with ivory keys will be prohibited from most sales both across state lines, for import or export, and in some cases will no longer be able to be sold within a state itself. Individual states such as New York and New Jersey have passed their own bills eliminating the sale of a piano with ivory keys within its borders. This means that anyone – individuals or dealers – will not be permitted to buy, sell, or take in trade a piano with ivory keys.

These new regulations are a hot topic among industry experts, partially because of the confusion left behind. The law is designed to put an end to elephant poaching once and for all. In some areas where elephants used to live in mass – Chad, for instance – over 90 percent of the population has been eliminated due to poaching, with less than 500 surviving.

The idea is that if things can’t be exported, imported, or sold, they will become difficult to part with and lose their value. That makes things difficult, especially for musicians who travel throughout America from abroad.

The proposed regulation does have an”antique” exemption clause for pianos more than 100 years old. But keep in mind that its often difficult to document and prove a pianos age, and you must have meticulous documentation on file in order to be safe. If a piano has had repairs or restoration in the past, it no longer qualifies, and will disqualify from the exemption.

If you own a piano that has been in your family for generations, private ownership is fine. But keep in mind that the likelihood of both selling it or in some cases even working on it is decreasing all the time.

 

Have further questions? Give us a call today.

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19 November 2014 How To Fix Piano Keys

How To Fix Piano Keys

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What’s the first sign you have a problem with your piano? Usually it starts with the keys.

One of the most common calls we receive is for us to repair a broken key. Broken keys can mean a variety of things to different people, usually we find a “broken” key usually has one of two problems:

  • When the key is pressed, it won’t come back up
  • When the key is pressed, the note doesn’t play

In either case, fixing the problem could involve a variety of things.

How To Fix Piano Keys

In a newer piano, the most common reason why a key sticks is when the felt bushing binds up against the front rail pin. This will most likely occur during more humid times of the year when the felt swells from the moisture. A piano technician has a tool that can easily compress the felt back into its original shape.

In older pianos, there may be several causes.

  • Sometimes the hammers are too close together and rub against one another, causing a note not to play.
  • Sometimes the hammer shank breaks.
  • Sometimes the key itself can crack at the balance rail hole.

These are all common problems, ones we work with on a regular basis.

Keep in mind that some piano key problems are not problems with the piano at all. In some cases, an animal or a human was involved. I’ve found pencils, toys or other objects inside the piano lying across the backs of the keys. And I’ve found small items wedged between the keys.

While a broken key can signify a variety of things, there’s only one way to tell for sure: get inside the piano and discover where the problem lies. As trained piano technicians, we can fix broken keys, tune your piano so it plays at its optimal pitch, and provide you with full service for all of your piano needs.

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5 November 2014 Can Anyone Repair A Piano?

Can Anyone Repair A Piano?

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We’re a nation of do-it-yourselfers. We love tinkering with small projects, fixing things up and saving a little money in the process. Yet in some cases, a little do-it-yourself project can do more harm then good.

Such is the case with a piano. Grand piano owners are advised to leave all repair work to a professional piano technician. And while upright piano owners are advised to seek professional help as well, there are a few things you can learn about the repair process that will help you pinpoint the problem, and make communicating the process easier with the technician who comes in for the repair.Can Anyone Repair A Piano?

Gaining access to piano parts…

With an upright, you can gain access to the working piano parts by opening the top lid and reaching in to undo the clips inside at each end. The top is secured to the back of the bottom lid by two dowels. The bottom panel is removed by swinging back the top catches at each end. Carefully stow the panels away to keep them safe while working inside the piano.

If your piano sounds out of tune…

A piano tuner uses a special tool to properly tune your piano. Without that tool, you cannot tune your piano. If only a note or two sound bad, it could be that one of the three strings of a particular note has gone flat in comparison to the rest.

If your piano has a broken string…

If a string is broken and has cut off sound to other notes, it must be removed by removing the action and identifying where the string is attached to the piano. The string can be removed from the hitch pin where it is connected. However, chances are the string is shared with adjacent strings, making removal even more difficult. Do not cut a string in order to remove it. Any string that is successfully removed should be stowed away until a technician can evaluate the situation.

If a note doesn’t sound…

First determine if it’s the key or the action that is malfunctioning. If the key stays down after it has been pressed, the key is causing the problem. If the key sticks, first check that it is clear of the key slip – the finished piece of wood that runs along the front of the keys. Next check to see that nothing is wedged between the neighboring keys. It is common for crumbs, dust, or other debris to accumulate and cause sticking problems. To access the key, the key slip can be removed either by removing screws or pins at either end of the key slip. Removing the key can reveal the cause of the problem, and give you access to be able to thoroughly clean between the keys.

If however, the problem lies with the hammer not connecting properly with the string, then the problem is in the action, and a technician will have to be called in to rectify the problem.

If a group of adjacent notes don’t produce sound…

If several adjacent notes do not play, a foreign object may be causing the problem. Even something as simple as a ball point pen can block up to six adjacent keys very effectively. Inspect along the action to see if you can find the blocking object.

Keep in mind that when keys stick, its not for the same reasons that other mechanical items throughout your home stick. You cannot and should not use oil, or silicon sprays such as WD-40 to free sticking parts. It leaves a sticky mess, which is difficult to remove, and can in many cases cause more harm to the piano.

If the soft pedal has no effect…

Check to see if the rods connecting the pedal to the action are intact and adjusted. In the case of the soft pedal, the steel bracket may have become detached from the hammer rail. Older pianos use a piece of leather to connect the two pieces together. If it has come loose, simply regluing the pieces together may solve the problem.

If the pedal squeaks…

As with other noises, try and locate the origin of the problem. Start with where the pedal comes through the opening to the front of the piano. The felt around the inside opening may be worn or missing after continuous play, and may be rubbing against the bare wood. If there is no felt at the opening, you’ve found your problem.

These are just a few of the many things that can cause your piano to not work at its optimal level, therefore reducing its sound quality. If you have questions, contact us for a reputable piano technician to evaluate your piano’s condition, and provide you with results.

Filed Under: Piano Renovation, Piano Restoration Tagged With: ,
1 November 2014 Why Your Piano Needs Piano Tuning

Why Your Piano Needs Piano Tuning

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From the time you bring a piano into your home, it requires regular maintenance to keep it looking and sounding its best. Part of it is cleaning it and keeping it dust free; that’s the part you can do regularly. Then there is the part that requires a piano to be tuned on a regular basis; that’s the part you’ll have to bring in a piano technician.

Why Your Piano Needs Piano TuningPianos are complex instruments. Because one part impacts another, and effects the overall sound quality, its important to keep everything in top condition. If you do not keep a piano tuned for musical purposes, consider your potential for selling your piano some day. Only a piano in great condition can be sold easily, and great condition means a piano that has had regular tunings and sounds its best.

Regular tunings prevent further damage. When a string tension is optimal, it will produce optimal sound. However, if the tension is lax or too tight, it can quickly impact the other delicate piano parts, and in some cases damage them to the point of needing to be replaced. Tunings help keep all parts running smoothly and working together, preventing damage from occurring to neighboring pieces.

In some cases its easy for a player to “hear” a problem. Run through a scale and when one or two notes sound “off”, you know you have a problem. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes the smallest of problems are difficult to hear, but without proper maintenance, a larger, more expensive problem is around the corner.

Not all piano tuners are piano technicians, meaning they might not be able to find and fix all the problems associated with keeping a piano in good working order. When you’re hiring a piano tuner, make sure he is experienced and can help you maintain your piano at its optimal level.

Regular tunings should start from the moment you bring your piano home. If it’s a new piano, or new to your home and its environment, it may take a few tunings a year to get it settled into its new location. As it ages, piano tuning frequency will reduce as well. The longer it goes in between tunings, the more severe the problems can be. If a piano goes two or more years without tuning, it may need things like:

Pitch Raising – a pre-tuning process that prepares the strings to be tuned. This takes expert guidance, as an incorrect process can negatively impact the piano’s timbre, impact the string vibration, and cause interference in the strings.

Double Tuning – a general tuning that is performed before a fine tuning process. The first tuning is crucial because if its not done effectively, it can cause weak strings to go further out of tune. Fine tuning is only performed when strings reach close to optimal level, and minor adjustments can be made.

No matter if you have a brand new piano in need of its very first tuning, or you’ve owned a piano for years and can’t remember the last time it was tuned, there is no better time than the present to start the process. Call us today; we’re happy to help you maintain your piano and keep it strong and healthy for years to come.

Filed Under: Buying a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
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