As we have gone about our business we have been asked a lot of common questions. On this page, we have tried to gather all of the major re-occurring questions. Please feel free to email any questions that you might have in addition to these and we will be happy to help you with the answers.
How often should I have my piano tuned?
Most piano manufacturers will suggest that you have your piano professionally tuned at least twice a year but in order to keep it in prime condition its a good idea to have it tuned every 4 months as is suggested by most piano tuners.
Why does my piano go out of tune?
Pianos go out of tune for a couple of primary reasons, both having to do with seasonal changes in weather. The first is temperature swings and the second is humidity changes. Pianos are made mostly out of wood and metal, that being the case, they are subject to contraction and expansion when the weather changes. This in turn causes the piano strings to either tighten or loosen and therefore causes the piano to travel out of tune.
This is the reason that most piano tuners will say that your piano needs to be tuned at least twice a year around major seasonal changes.
I am thinking of buying a new piano, what type should I buy?
What style of piano to buy depends largely on what you are going to be using the piano for. Most of the factors involved are sound, playablity, look and overall floor space required. Obviously, a grand piano takes up the most room and is the most expensive option, but it will have the best sound and also provide the best playablity and look. On the other end of the spectrum is the spinet piano, you can find some tremendous value in a spinet piano and it also does not require much space in your living room but you will have to sacrifice the quality of the sound and playability.
My piano is very old, can it be restored or should I just throw it away?
Before deciding to toss a piano out on the street or give it away, we suggest that you at least explore the option of rebuilding it. Even a very old and worn out piano can typically be restored to like new condition for a fairly reasonable price.
We offer a piano appraisal service and would be more than happy to come out and give you a list or suggested repairs and their related costs.
Also, before simply throwing it out or donating it, let us know your thoughts and we may have a customer who would be happy to buy it from you!
Can I tune my piano myself?
Tuning a piano is a very precise task and is best left to a professional piano tuner. However, if you get the itch to try it out for your self, you will need about $100 worth of tools and make sure that you are prepared to replace a few strings as it is very common for beginning tuners to break some strings in the learning process! At the very least it is a good idea to let a professional tuner make sure that it is up to pitch and then you can do some touch up tuning in between professional tunes.
What is my piano worth?
A piano's value has a lot more factors involved than simply money. Pianos for most families are considered heirlooms and have a lot of emotional value as well as monetary value. We offer a piano appraising service that allows us the chance to come out and evaluate your piano, make a list of all that needs to be done to get it into proper condition and then we can let you know how much we feel that you could sell it for in repaired or as is condition.
Also, we have a large customer base of piano teachers and enthusiast so we may have a buyer for you already... just give us a call!
Is there a way to find out how old my piano is?
Yes! We have resources that can tell us what year your piano was made in most cases even the month! All we need is the serial number off of it and we can typically fin that out for you in a very short period of time.
What are all the different types of pianos?
There are 6 main styles of piano, they are as follows:
These range in sound quality, playability and price from top to bottom.
I am on a budget, can I have my piano repaired/rebuilt in stages?
The good news is that no matter how old your piano is or much in disrepair it is, we can most likely break down a complete rebuild into affordable stages. Give us a call to schedule an inspection and we will make a list of all the repairs that need to be done to bring it to like new condition and then let you know which repairers can be broken into stages. The best place to start is simply to allow us to give you some feed back and then you can decide what is in the budget!
