Frequently asked Questions

Can you assess a piano that I want to buy? Whether you are buying a second hand one or getting an old instrument from someone giving it away you need to know what the state of the instrument is and if it is affordable to bring it to a playable condition.

Please beware of old give-away pianos! They may be untunable and you may be paying for a removal twice (to get  it and to dispose of it). Get some help from any professional tuner or technician in advance. This does not mean all old instruments do not worth it, many do.

With a wide range of services that suit your needs and requirement, I put into it all the attention and care possible so I am sure your experience will be satisfactory. I love to hear from my customers, so feel free to contact me with your feedback or any question you may have.

​

Aural tuning or electric tuning?

I use a mix of techniques; modern technology helps with accuracy and the time spent, and aural tuning can give a personalised touch. In the past, using a ETD (electronic tuning device) was regarded as 'cheating' or as synonym of a mediocre tuner. Now the software and technolgy is very advanced and the best piano tuners around the world acknowledge their practical use.  There are many factors related to physics and mathematics (like the material used and the design of the scale or the effect of 'inharmonicity') involved in tuning that there is no 'standard tuning', so a decision still has to be taken for basically every piano and the tuner has to take some decisions in order to leave the piano in optimal conditions. The so-called electronic tuner does not tune, it is a sort of 'electronic ear' that help the actual tuner to take a decision. The correct use of technology is important and an advancement. I would not go to my doctor and ask them to diagnose me by saying 'please don't use your electronic aids like ultrasound, ECG'. Good software (apps) go from 500 to 1000 pounds to buy and they are clearly much more advanced than apps for 3.99 pounds. For early keyboards there is no software yet that can help to tune a whole instrument. Probably with time this will appear but because of the number of early pianos around is minimal compared to modern ones, it will not be easy to have one soon.

​

Maintenance

Why do I have to tune my piano every six months? It sounds like a business strategy for tuners...

This is probably what many people wonder. There is no yes-or-no answer to this. The reason is that through the year there are two bands of temperature in our latitudes. Winter-Sping have average Min-Max temperatures of 3-9 centigrades and Summer-Autumn have 11-20 centigrades. Changes due to climate affect the humidity in the air, and that affects all the wooden parts of a piano, especially the soundboard and the bridge. Not all houses are insulated equally, so some instruments may suffer more than other.

​

Normally, a piano tends to drop the pitch with time, but there are exceptions. It is very difficult to raise the pitch to A440 in one go, so the expense can be higher as basically the piano has to be tuned twice. Some tuners do a relative-to-pitch tuning, and that can be a solution for a piano that was forgotten for a few years but that tuning will not allow you to play with other instruments or to use Youtube tutorials, as the pitch will be lower. In that sense, regular maintenance is recommended similarly as is for a car, depending on its quality, conditions and use. A grand piano in a concert hall is not the same as the old upright that grandchildren play when visiting for Christmas, but both deserve some attention before its too late. Also, your piano technician will be aware if there are moths having a feast with the felt hammers or infestations of woodworm and recommend a solution to it. He may also suggest to put your piano away from the heater or to place a humidifier during winter, depending on the particular circumstances of your house.

​