We know that sometimes cash can be hard to come up with, especially during the holiday season when there are presents to buy and families coming in town to cook feasts for! But don't let stop you from having a properly tuned piano.
To ease your burden through the holidays Denver Piano Tuners now accepts all major credit cards.
You can now get you piano sounding and playing beautifully for between $85 and $125 in most cases.
Call today and start enjoying the sound of a well tuned piano playing all of your holiday favorites!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Holiday Season
The Holidays are upon us. The next few months will be filled with joy as many of us will be gathering with family and friends that we may not have seen in a long time!
Many of us will be able to enjoy hours around the piano, playing and singing our favorite songs... that is, if your piano is properly tuned!
Don't get caught off guard by an out of tune piano, call or email Denver Piano Tuners today to schedule your piano tuning by a professional expert piano tuner before the family comes into town!
Many of us will be able to enjoy hours around the piano, playing and singing our favorite songs... that is, if your piano is properly tuned!
Don't get caught off guard by an out of tune piano, call or email Denver Piano Tuners today to schedule your piano tuning by a professional expert piano tuner before the family comes into town!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Denver Piano Tuner... Why We're Different
With Denver Piano Tuners and Josh Lanier you not only get the combined experience if over 40 years of fine piano tuning and repair you will also experience quality business practices, customer service and workmanship guarantees second to none!
We take our business seriously!
Denver Piano Tuners is 100% committed to serving you with the excellence that you deserve and since this business is not "just a hobby" (like most "piano tuners" out there), you can rest assured that you will be treated in such a way as to earn your business and trust for years to come!
We take our business seriously!
Denver Piano Tuners is 100% committed to serving you with the excellence that you deserve and since this business is not "just a hobby" (like most "piano tuners" out there), you can rest assured that you will be treated in such a way as to earn your business and trust for years to come!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tuning A Piano By Ear
It has recently come to my attention that most piano tuners, yes even the ones that consider themselves "professionals", tune pianos with electronic piano tuning devices. This may be a viable option for some but the reality stands that a piano tuned with a tuning device cannot sound as good as a piano tuned by ear.
When a piano is tuned by a trained human ear, the tuner can take into account not only the "pitch" of the piano but also the overall acoustics of the instrument and the acoustics of the room/environment that the piano is in.
Denver Piano Tuners and Josh Lanier always tune by ear. Typically we begin by using a device for the 1st few notes just to make doubly sure that the piano is being tuned to proper A440 pitch and then from there we tune the rest of the piano by ear. This ensures the best possible tone and vibrancy of the sound board and strings.
All of this to say, make sure that your piano is tuned by ear if you want the best possible sound from your instrument as you play.
"A properly tuned piano resonates with the soul"
When a piano is tuned by a trained human ear, the tuner can take into account not only the "pitch" of the piano but also the overall acoustics of the instrument and the acoustics of the room/environment that the piano is in.
Denver Piano Tuners and Josh Lanier always tune by ear. Typically we begin by using a device for the 1st few notes just to make doubly sure that the piano is being tuned to proper A440 pitch and then from there we tune the rest of the piano by ear. This ensures the best possible tone and vibrancy of the sound board and strings.
All of this to say, make sure that your piano is tuned by ear if you want the best possible sound from your instrument as you play.
"A properly tuned piano resonates with the soul"
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Piano Moving
So you want to move your piano? Moving a piano can be a daunting task if one has never done it before or simply doesn't know what they are doing. Piano moving, done improperly, is also very dangerous! Imagine what would happen if the piano tipped over and landed on your cousin or brother-in-law!
Once again, we are brought to the fact that piano moving is best left to the professionals. Moving pianos has a lot more to do with technique, skills and proper equipment than it does with brute force.
Just because you have a trailer and can amass a few of your big strong friends to help you doesn't mean that you should go it yourself.
Denver Piano Tuners charges a flat rate of $250 ($350 for grand pianos) for a local move with no more than 3 stairs involved... money well spent to avoid a costly and unfortunate accident. For out of town piano moving quotes please call or email us and we will be happy to help.
Long story short, call a professional piano moving company and save yourself time, money, energy and stress.
Once again, we are brought to the fact that piano moving is best left to the professionals. Moving pianos has a lot more to do with technique, skills and proper equipment than it does with brute force.
Just because you have a trailer and can amass a few of your big strong friends to help you doesn't mean that you should go it yourself.
Denver Piano Tuners charges a flat rate of $250 ($350 for grand pianos) for a local move with no more than 3 stairs involved... money well spent to avoid a costly and unfortunate accident. For out of town piano moving quotes please call or email us and we will be happy to help.
Long story short, call a professional piano moving company and save yourself time, money, energy and stress.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Proper piano maintenance
Proper piano maintenance is a must if you want your piano to stay in great shape and be playable for years to come. Though it most likely sits in a corner of your living room and seems to be self sustaining, it is not.
Here are a few basic elements of piano care:
1. Clean it regularly to ensure that the case stays in beautiful like new condition. A light furniture polish, such as Old English, every couple of months will do wonders to keep your piano looking its best! Just be sure not to over soak it, use a damp (barley moist) cloth to dust it and then rub it down with a light coat of polish.
2. On occasion you may be inclined to vacuum/dust out the inside (especially if yours is a grand piano) . This will not only help it to look better and keep all that dust from escaping into your home but will also help to keep the strings in good shape. *Never get the strings/wires wet! This will cause severe damage if they begin to rust of corrode because of the moisture on them.
3. Have your piano tuned at the turn of the seasons. The most prevalent reason that pianos travel out of tune is a change in temperature and humidity. These two factors cause the wood and metal in the piano to contract and expand and in turn created varying amounts of tension on the strings which causes it to sound "out of tune" and may even cause a pitch change if not caught and remedied soon.
Here are a few basic elements of piano care:
1. Clean it regularly to ensure that the case stays in beautiful like new condition. A light furniture polish, such as Old English, every couple of months will do wonders to keep your piano looking its best! Just be sure not to over soak it, use a damp (barley moist) cloth to dust it and then rub it down with a light coat of polish.
2. On occasion you may be inclined to vacuum/dust out the inside (especially if yours is a grand piano) . This will not only help it to look better and keep all that dust from escaping into your home but will also help to keep the strings in good shape. *Never get the strings/wires wet! This will cause severe damage if they begin to rust of corrode because of the moisture on them.
3. Have your piano tuned at the turn of the seasons. The most prevalent reason that pianos travel out of tune is a change in temperature and humidity. These two factors cause the wood and metal in the piano to contract and expand and in turn created varying amounts of tension on the strings which causes it to sound "out of tune" and may even cause a pitch change if not caught and remedied soon.
Been a while since your last piano tuning?
If you answered yes, than your piano may require a "pitch raise" tuning. Most major piano manufacturers suggest that their pianos be tuned at least twice a year (every 6 months) and if you play hard or frequently maybe even more often.
the long and the short of it is that if your piano hasn't been tuned in a few years it may need a pitch raise. This type of tuning is required due to the piano strings/wires loosing tension after a while and therefore dropping off of proper A440 pitch.
A pitch raise tuning involves tightening each string and bringing it back to the proper tension. The reason that it is so important for your piano to stay at proper pitch is that there are certain "tension dependent" portions of your piano (such as the sound board, harp and even the case to a degree). These elements require that a certain tension be placed on them in order for them to stay as the manufacturers intended.
I have actually seen piano sound boards crack due to uneven and improper tension amounts being placed on the strings! This makes for a very expensive repair but is easily avoided!
The best bet is to have your piano tuned by a professional at least twice a year whether it is played or not. This ensures that your piano will stay in great shape for generations to come!
the long and the short of it is that if your piano hasn't been tuned in a few years it may need a pitch raise. This type of tuning is required due to the piano strings/wires loosing tension after a while and therefore dropping off of proper A440 pitch.
A pitch raise tuning involves tightening each string and bringing it back to the proper tension. The reason that it is so important for your piano to stay at proper pitch is that there are certain "tension dependent" portions of your piano (such as the sound board, harp and even the case to a degree). These elements require that a certain tension be placed on them in order for them to stay as the manufacturers intended.
I have actually seen piano sound boards crack due to uneven and improper tension amounts being placed on the strings! This makes for a very expensive repair but is easily avoided!
The best bet is to have your piano tuned by a professional at least twice a year whether it is played or not. This ensures that your piano will stay in great shape for generations to come!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Piano FAQ's
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!
Denver Tuning, Repair and Rebuilding
DenverPianoTuners is proud to offer piano services ranging from tuning to major rebuilding and everything in between! Scroll down the page to read more about each piano service that we specialize in.
We service all types of spinet, console, upright and grand pianos including:
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Piano Tuning-
Tuning is the most basic part of regular piano maintenance. Most piano manufacturers will suggest that you have your piano professionally tuned at least three times a year (every four months). This insures not only that your piano stays in tune as the seasons, temperatures and humidity change but also that no undue stress is placed on the sound board, case and other tension dependant portions of your piano.
Notes on your piano are made up of three strings each in the treble section and typically two strings in high bass and one in low bass sections. The process of tuning involves muting all but one of the strings in a note and tuning that note to pitch. After that string has the proper tension, the mute is placed to where two strings are free and the second is tuned to the tension of the first and finally the third string is un muted and tuned to the other two. This process is repeated across all 88 notes until the entire piano is tuned to A440.
Read more about tuning in our piano tuning FAQ area.
Piano Repair & Maintenance-
Piano repair & maintenance is basically everything between tuning and a complete rebuild. On top of replacing broken parts and repairing broken or stuck notes, there are some regular piano maintenance requirements. These maintenance items occasionally include procedures such as:
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Unfortunately, not all of these items can be replaced or repaired on site and may require your piano's action to be taken out and brought back to our shop for the procedure to be correctly carried out.
The good news is that your piano can be closed up while the action is out and these procedures will not typically take longer than a week to perform and can be expedited in special circumstances.
Read more about repairs in our piano repair FAQ area.
Piano Rebuilding-
Piano rebuilding is a large task that may involve the complete overhaul of the entire piano action, sound board, strings, and case. In most cases a complete piano rebuild will require our team to move the entire piano to our shop and may take up to a month to complete.
Pianos are built to last a lifetime but after decades of use and regular wear and tear a piano can become quite worn out as it's action is mostly made of wood and felt.
Lanier Piano offers a wide array of piano rebuilding options that involve everything from just getting your piano back up to par or restoring it to like new play ability and sound quality!
Read more about rebuilding in our piano rebuilding FAQ area.
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