Frank French

Tuning, Repair, Restoration

What should I expect when my piano has not been tuned in recent memory?

The first time your piano is to be serviced after a long time with no service at all you should expect that that visit will take two hours or more. To stabilize the tuning of the piano at proper pitch two more subsequent visits will be necessary during the first year. After that twice a year tuning is recommended. When this schedule has been followed for a few years its sometimes possible to have the piano tuned only once a year to keep it stable.

In order to assess the overall financial impact of getting the piano in tune and keeping it there on an ongoing basis please look at the Fees and Services page. The general state of the piano should be taken into consideration before committing to a spending good money on it. After the initial visit the tuner will usually be able to advise you on the condition of the piano, recommend possible methods of improving it or possibly replacing it.

If the instrument itself proves unsatisfactory over time replacing or restoring the piano is necessary. Also, mitigating the the long-term effects of humidity and dryness should be considered. During summer months swamp coolers and other forms of air conditioning may cause fluctuations in the environment in which the piano as housed. See the page on Humidity Control for further information

Assuming the willingness to play the piano remains strong but the piano has had some wear through use and time there are various ways to accommodate the situation . See the page on Older Pianos for further information.