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Piano Questions & Answers Piano Tips |
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Shop Online Toll Free Order Line 1-800-791-7144 |
Piano Questions & Answers Piano Tips |
Free Shipping on many items. |
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Q: "How often should I have my piano tuned, I don't play it very often"? Answer: Tuning
& servicing your piano is a normal part of piano ownership. The
main reasons a piano goes out of tune, are the atmospheric variations (temperature
changes), and the nature of a piano's construction. If the
piano is new or newly repinned, it should be tuned 3 or 4 times in the
first year.
A good rule of thumb for the average household in a moderate climate is to tune
the piano when the heat goes on in the Fall, and again when the heat goes
off in Spring. If you're sensitive to tuning or if you live in a very dry
or humid climate, your may want your piano tuned 3 times or more
each year.
To
put the matter of tuning into perspective, remember that a concert piano
is tuned before every performance and as the concert hall fills up, the
temperature goes up, so it's usually tuned again at intermission.
A piano in a professional recording studio, where it is in constant use,
is tuned 3 or 4 times each week as a matter of course.
Q: "What are the correct names for the different sizes of grand pianos"? Answer:
[Source: Arthur A. Reblitz Piano Servicing, Tuning & Rebuilding Book:]
Answer:
Many
people think those machines tune the piano, they don't! Your piano
tuner does that job manually with his hands and his ears. However,
he needs to obtain the source of his pitch from a
Answer:
This is not a good idea! The proximity of water, to steel or copper
(the strings) encourages rust. Piano
Humidifiers are available for both Upright and Grand Pianos, or the
humidifier on your furnace may be sufficient.
Answer: Unless
you are in a recording studio with professional equipment, you'll find
that most consumer tape recorders and record players generally run either
minutely slow or fast, so the pitch will rarely be the same as your piano.
Answer:
Answer: This
is called 'sun checked' and it's usually caused by placing your piano in
direct sunlight. Perhaps in a window alcove... or by having your
drapes open near the piano. The finish on the piano begins to shrink.
There are products
that will diminish this problem...however if you want a perfect finish,
it would be best to have the piano completely stripped down and refinished.
Answer:
This is the most asked question we receive. It's impossible for anyone
to assess or appraise an old or antique piano without physically seeing
it.
There
is no 'blue book', 'guesstimate', or 'ballpark figure" for the worth of
old pianos. Although some manufacturers are superior to others, the
value of an older piano is judged strictly by its present condition as
assessed by a 'qualified piano technician'. There is also a difference
between an "Old" and an "Antique" piano. Most of the older pianos
are just that..."Old". A piano is said to have 'Antique' quality
if it was one of a 'very few' manufactured, or had special hand carving
on it, or perhaps was one of the original models built by a particular
company. However, you can discard the notion that an 'old' piano
is worthless. If it was a good quality-made piano to begin with, and it
has been well maintained over the years, restoring it to it's original
sound and beauty can give it more worth than some of the pianos built
today on an assembly line.
Be
aware that unlike electronic instruments, acoustic pianos 'appreciate'
in value. So if your piano is fairly new, and you've looked after it by
having it serviced regularly, just phone a store that sells your type of
piano and ask the current value. That will give you some idea what yours
is worth. Don't forget, the value of pianos will change with your location,
and in the end an old piano, like antiques, is only worth what someone
is willing to pay for it! Answer:
The interior of your piano should be considered
out of bounds to
you and your family. Any dealings with your piano's interior should
be handled by a qualified piano technician. However, we do
have a soundboard
steel, in our 'Online Shop' that you can use to get rid of everyday
dust under the strings on a Grand Piano!
Q:
"I've heard I shouldn't put a piano on an outside wall, why is this?"
Answer:
This
was a problem many years ago, when houses weren't so well insulated.
If your home is well insulated, you should have no problems. However,
your piano needs ventilation, so if you put it against any wall, make sure
that a 'Grand' has its lid opening towards the centre of the room.... and
an 'Upright' is 4 inches to 6 inches from the wall.
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SHOP ONLINE or Call TollFree 1-800-791-7144
Select a Piano-Tuner-Technician with care. It's not only important that
the service person be competent to perform tuning, regulation and repairs,
but also that the same person be someone you feel comfortable calling with
questions concerning your piano's performance. Hiring a Tuner-Technician
who is committed to comprehensive service for your piano and not just an
occasional tuning, is your best assurance.