FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  (FAQS)
I have a large old upright piano and I'm not sure what to do
How about that "FREE" piano in the classifieds?
How often should a piano be tuned?
Why does the piano need to be regulated?
Why is 'climate control' such a big deal?
How much does it cost to....?
What's the best way to protect the piano?
What does RPT mean?

I have a large old upright piano and I'm not sure what to do. 
Often, the costs of servicing these big old chestnuts goes quickly beyond their marketable value.  I like to describe it as an 'expense' rather than an 'investment'.    Sometimes, sentimental value will overrule the market value.  In either case, I strive to give you the best advice possible,  by combining your perspective with my technical knowledge and industry experience.  If you are in doubt, before spending money to move the piano, schedule a Piano Inspection.   We also provide a piano removal service for situations where the old piano just doesn't justify the expense required for basic service and tunings.  Upon inspection, we can tell you exactly what it will cost to maintain any piano, given your playing needs. 

How about that "FREE" piano in the classifieds?
If you feel that you've found a gem that just needs an inspection, you can hire me to check it out. Cost for this is $105 per piano, so it can add up quickly. To rule out some pianos on your own, read The Piano Book by Larry Fine.  http://www.pianobook.com

My experience is that there is no such thing as a $500 piano that doesn't end up costing you another $1000-$1500. The result is you end up with a $2000 investment in a piano that is still only marketable at around $500. Never having been through this, many unaware buyers can't resist the free or $500 piano they see in the paper. Unfortunately, piano technicians are forced to give an answer when asked for a quote on work, whether or not that work is really appropriate to the situation.

How often should a piano be tuned? 
Every 6 months for home use, or more often, depending upon your climate control situation. At bare minimum, get annual service. 

Why does the piano need to be regulated?
Your piano has 88 keys, with at least 50 adjustments to each key. Those 4400 adjustments are affected by time, use, climate and wear. Piano regulation is one of my favorite things to do, because it can make the difference between someone giving up on the piano entirely. It should be part of any maintenance plan.

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Why is 'climate control' such a big deal?
The wood in a piano is built with specific tension and moisture, which fluctuate wildly with climate changes. Left unchecked, the piano will play poorly, sound worse and cost more to correct problems, than if you had maintained climate control. You'll end up spending more money to pay for 'triage' work on a grossly out of tune piano, vs. spending less money over time, for increasing levels of refinement as the piano stabilizes. This is especially true of newer pianos, where the tension/crown in the soundboard is still as the manufacturer intended.  

The most informed piano technicians will urge you to consider a Dampp-Chaser climate control system for your piano in addition to the steps listed here.  Home heating systems that have humidifiers built in might seem like the answer. Although it must help to some degree, I have yet to see such a home where the piano is getting the proper relative humidity, especially during the heating seasons.    

Doing nothing about climate control leaves the moisture content of the piano to fluctuate with seasonal changes.  The piano wears and degrades in subtle ways that won't be apparent until many years later, when the damage is done.    Simply put, if you have a piano in the New England states, it does not stand a chance of staying reasonably in tune without directly controlling it's humidity.

How much does it cost to....?
Like everything in life, price alone does not reflect the whole story when deciding on value. Our approach is consultative/diagnostic instead of peddling the cheapest thing just to get a customer.  PRICING GUIDE

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TO PROTECT YOUR PIANO:

Take action to offset the seasonal climate extremes in your home. 
Add humidity during heating seasons, and remove humidity during humid seasons. 
Here are some specific things you can do, ideally under the supervision of your piano technician.

1. Maintain the piano room at 42-45% relative humidity 24/7.   This alone will give your piano the best chance of reaching it's potential as a musical instrument. 

2. Use a digital hygrometer to track min/max temp & humidity.   Learn the 'recipe' for controlling the climate in your home, in your geographic region, within your lifestyle.

3. Use a room humidifier, during heating seasons, to increase humidity in the piano room.  This decreases the need for heating energy, because it also allows your body to retain heat more efficiently. (You might find that 65 degrees with humidity is just as comfortable as 72 degrees with bone dry air.)

4. Use a de-humidifier or Air Conditioner, during humid seasons, to remove excess humidity.

5. Ask me to install a Dampp-Chaser piano climate control system in your piano.  

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What does RPT mean?  
The field of Piano technology is an unregulated trade. Therefore the Piano Technicians Guild has set its own standards of quality for piano technicians.   There are two types of members:

Registered Piano Technician -- RPT
The title of "Registered Piano Technician" must be earned by passing a series of examinations. Only an RPT can advertise with that title, and the logo designates that the member is an RPT.  

 

Associate membership is open to anyone with a "professional or avocational interest in piano technology."  The Piano Technicians Guild does allow Associate members to advertise as "Associate" members, but these members have not yet passed the exams.

 

To research on individual technicians, click to search the Official database of Registered Piano Technicians

About the RPT examinations
The RPT examinations are in three parts.

1. Written exam, testing knowledge of piano design, tuning theory, repair and general piano technology.  

2. Technical bench test. involving regulation of a grand action model and a vertical action model to specific geometric specifications.  Then basic repairs are tested, such as broken strings, key work, and broken action parts.  These repairs are time limited and graded on several aspects of quality, methods used.

3. Standardized tuning exam. At least three examiners, set up a "master tuning" by tuning a test piano until they are convinced as a group that every note is in the best possible place. This "master tuning" is then used as the standard against which the examinee is measured. Using sensitive electronic measuring equipment, the examinee's tuning is compared against the "master tuning."  The foundational part of the tuning test, (the temperament octaves in the middle of the piano), must be tuned by ear (aurally), to achieve a passing score.

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