There are many questions that come up repeatedly when discussing pianos and the ownership of pianos with our clients. Below is a general list of the typical questions that come up. This list will continue to grow over time – please check back frequently. If you don’t find the answer to a question you have, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
‘I just bought a piano and had it moved into my home. How long should I wait before I have the piano tuned?’
Ideally, you should wait at least two weeks once you have had a piano moved before having it tuned. The reason for this is so that the piano can acclimatize to it’s new surroundings. A new home can mean a different level of humidity and temperature. The soundboard in a piano reacts to the levels of humidity and can alter the tuning. To read more on this subject, please check out the article on How to Care for Your Piano – Understanding Humidity.
‘How often should I have my piano tuned?’
Ideally you should have your piano tuned at least once per year. For those who play regularly, you should consider having it tuned two or more times per year. The need for tuning can also be based on how much of a change in humidity and temperature your piano undergoes – the more extensive the change in humidity (usually from changes in the seasons) the more frequently you will need to have your piano tuned. If a piano is not tuned for more than a few years, the metal strings will slowly stretch and the overall pitch can drop. Read the article How to Care for Your Piano – The Essentials for more details on keeping your piano at it’s best.
‘How can I tell the age of my piano?’
Your piano will be marked on the inside with a Serial Number that can be used to find out when it was made. This number is typically stamped onto the metal plate inside (near the top lid), or in the wood on the very top inside or on the wooden section that contains the tuning pins. if you have trouble finding this number, contact us and we can help. The age of the piano will not tell you how well the piano has been cared for or how much it has been abused through it’s life – Nor will it tell you what reconditioning or refurbishing work has been done. A piano technician can inspect your piano and give you a full assessment of it. Check out the article Used Piano Buying – The Inspection to learn more about what elements of a piano the technician reviews during their assessment.
‘Is my piano worth fixing up, or in other words, should I be spending money on my old piano?’
This question comes up very frequently. Someone has a piano and they would really like to have it working properly, or at least the best that it can, but they don’t have any idea if it’s worth fixing. To add to the complexity of this, there can also be a high level of sentimentality to the piano in question. The first thing that needs to be done is to inspect the piano to determine what condition it is in. Once your piano technician has assessed the piano, they will review the overall condition and provide you with the work required and the costs associated with getting it into working order. Bottom line is that it becomes the owners decision to have it fixed or not – the technician will provide their opinion unless there is certain amount of sentimental attachment. The article It’s Time to Let Her Go discusses the decisions to be made in situations like this.