CHOOKA PARKER - FINAL PERFORMANCE

Chooka Parkers final performance... Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94kRzYKpW6A

FOLD UP PIANO BENCH - ONLY $49.95

Check out our website at http://www.mobilepianoservice.com.au/ and take a look at our latest fold up metal piano bench, perfect for all ages, folds away for easy storage and comes with padded top. Available in black. Only $49.95...

SPREAD THE WORD - WE WANT TO ACHIEVE 1000 HITS TO THIS BLOG

If you know of anybody interested in pianos and the piano industry, send them the link to this blog, we are now 189 hits away from the 1000 mark!

DOG CAUGHT ON VIDEO PLAYING PIANO WHILST OWNERS ARE AT WORK

ORIGINAL RECEIPT FOR UPRIGHT SIEWERT PIANO

We recently tuned an upright Siewert piano and the customer had kept the original purchase receipt from when her mother had purchased the piano in 1961. The piano was second hand when it was bought in Adelaide from Bentley Pianos for 245 pounds.

VISIT TO KAWAI 'SCHOOL OF MUSIC' IN SINGAPORE

We recently paid a visit to Kawai's School of Music in Singapore and met with senior Piano tutors. Here, children from the age of four begin an intensive piano course. Some will continue on with the course for more than 20 years. In many asian countries, piano is seen as an important tool for a childs mental development stimulating a childs concentration, memory and co-ordination.

HOW NOT TO TRANSPORT A PIANO !

For those thinking of moving a piano themselves... Please make sure you secure it properly, refer the below video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcD9r3FYpD0&feature=fvwrel

CHOOKA PARKER - AUSTRALIA'S GOT TALENT SEMI FINAL PERFORMANCE

Must see - Chooka Parker's semi final performance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MKEdpmiqQU&feature=related

WORK BEGINS ON OUR NEW FULLY SOUNDPROOF PIANO SHOWROOM...

The photo above shows the framed up interior walls with thermal and soundproof woolen insulation installed.

The photo above shows the gyprock being oinstalled and the soundproof walls starting to take shape !

Hard at work !

AUSTRALIAS GOT TALENT - CHOOKA PARKER SEMI FINAL PERFORMANCE...

Chooka Parker take 2...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6f6mFZGQWM

CHINAS GOT TALENT, 23 YEAR OLD, ARM-LESS PIANIST

Armless pianist Liu Wei, 23 from China...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7CeoUZbW3Y

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FULLY RESTORE A GRAND PIANO?

A common question we are asked is how much does it cost to fully restore a grand piano?

This is a difficult question to answer given the variety of grand pianos, however in short, the majority of grand piano restorations we do generally cost between $2800 - $5500.

Below is a photo of another happy customer of ours shortly after taking delivery of her retored 'Zimmerman' Grand Piano.



HOW IMPORTANT IS THE TUNING / WREST PLANK OF A PIANO?

The tuning plank (or wrest plank as it is sometimes called) of a piano is a treated and often laminated piece of timber that sits behind the iron frame. The tuning plank is the structural component that houses the tuning pins which are wound into the plank at a slight upward angle acting as an adjustable string base. In hot and dry climates such as those found in many parts of Australia, tuning planks are prone to dry out and cause tuning pins to become loose. For those looking to purchase a secondhand piano, the tuning plank is an important structural feature to take into consideration when making your purchase.

Below is a photo of the beginnings of a recent re-pin and re-string job to a baby grand 'Baldwin' piano. After having removed all the old tuning pins, we install the new pins with tuning pin installation powder to ensure a smooth tuning feel.



HOW TO TELL IF A PIANO HAS AN IRON FRAME?

People often call us asking how they can tell if a piano has an iron frame. There are 4 easy steps that can be followed to tell you if a piano has an iron frame rather than a wooden frame. These are as follows:

1. With the top lid open, look down inside the piano.
2. Whilst looking down inside the piano and looking at the back section, you should see approximately 250 tuning pins exiting the tuning plank.
3. Have a look around the tuning pins, if you can see or feel a metal structure running the length of the piano (Usually a gold colour) around the tuning pins, the piano has an iron frame.
4. If there is no metal structure around the tuning pins, the piano is most likely a wooden framed piano and may not be tunable.

Below is a photo of what the inside of a 'Zimmerman' brand upright piano looks like with the top panel removed. Note, the large gold coloured iron frame surrounding the tuning pins of the piano...



ELI MATTSON - SEMI FINAL PERFORMANCE

Yet another must see piano performance by Eli Mattson...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcrnwliD7CE&feature=related

ANOTHER RARE FIND ON AMERICAS GOT TALENT - PIANIST ELI MATTSON

Another rare find on Americas got talent, Check out pianist and vocalist Eli Mattson...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-ULPv47e8U&feature=related

RESTORATION TO IRON FRAME ON AN 8FT GRAND 'PLEYEL' PIANO

In many cases, a full piano restoration will include restoring the iron frame and soundboard. Below is a photo from a recent restoration job on an 8ft 'Pleyel' grand piano. In particular, this photo shows the process of re-spraying the iron frame in the original 'antique gold' colour. This piano was also fully re-pinned and re-strung following restoration of the iron frame and soundboard.  



AUSTRALIAS GOT TALENT - 'PIANIST' CHOOKA PARKER - DONT LEAVE THIS BLOG WITHOUT SEEING THIS GUY...

Check out Chooka - It will leave you speechless!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ4mqmj3JuQ

LAUNCH OF E-ADMINISTRATOR - ONLINE BUSINESS SUPPORT WEBSITE

My wife Eloise is thrilled to launch her new business 'e-administrator', an online service to assist businesses with their administrative needs so that they do not have to hire new staff for short-term or ad hoc projects.

To celebrate the launch, Eloise is offering  a 10% discount on standard rates for all new customers until the end of June 2011. To get to the home page click on the following link...

www.e-administrator.com.au

RESTORATION OF AN 1875 FRENCH 'BORD' PIANO OVERDAMPER PLAYING ACTION.

 Below are the before and after shots from a recent job. This job involved the restoration of an upright playing action from an 1875 half iron frame, French 'Bord' Piano. This piano was a family heirloom left behind by a Great Aunt. Her dying wish was for part of her estate to go towards restoring the piano which she played on as a little girl. Although 'Bord' pianos are nearing the end of their usable lifespan, this was an important restoration job for the customer for sentimental reasons.

The restoration involved the following work:
          - Hammer Heads recovered (Treble only, bass were re-shaped)
          - Hammer butt flanges all re centre-pinned.
          - New Bridle Tapes.
          - New cushion felt.
          - Approximately 15 hammer shanks replaced.
          - New Hammer rest felt (Original purple colour sourced from another piano of similar vintage)
          - New damper felts.





 Piano Action before we started





 Piano Action after restoration

Mobile Piano Service proudly supports RSPCA and the Million Paws Walk

We are attempting to raise $100 before Sunday 15th may, 2011 for the RSPCA Million Paws Walk charity. All of the money will go towards finding a family for all the homeless puppies out there in Australia. To make a donation please visit the below link and follow the simple instructions.

http://www.millionpawswalkfundraising.com.au/joe_leaver

HOW MUCH DOES A PIANO COST TO REPAIR OR RESTORE?

A common question asked by most of our customers is; How much will my piano cost to repair or restore?

To begin with, these are very difficult questions to answer without physically seeing the piano. Pianos are like any piece of machinary with moving parts, the problems can range from very minor  to major. Just think, what response would you get from your mechanic if you asked; how much will it cost to repair my car...

What we can advise is that piano repairs and restorations generally fall into 3 or 4 categories, prices that can reasonably be expected within these 3 or 4 categories are as listed below:

General Service, making sure all keys work and the piano is tuned:          $150 - $300
Major Service, replacing broken or missing parts, fine tuning the piano:    $300 - $600
Restoration (Interior only, no cabinet work):                                            $600 - $1500
Restoration (Interior as well as exterior):                                                  $1500 - $3500

*Grand pianos can be significantly more to repair or restore depending on their size.

HOW TO TELL IF KEYS ARE MADE FROM IVORY

Piano keys can be thought of in two seperate sections. The front wider section of the key where the fingers touch is called the 'head' and the rear more narrow section is called the 'tail'. Ivory keys were almost always made from two seperate pieces of ivory. One piece for the head and one piece for the tail. If there is a join mark visible between the two sections, the key is most likely made from ivory. If there is no join, the key is most likely made from plastic.

NOTE BY NOTE: THE MAKING OF A STEINWAY PIANO

CHECK OUT THE BELOW LINK TO THE DOCUMENTARY: NOTE BY NOTE:THE MAKING OF A STEINWAY GRAND PIANO AS SHOWN BY ABC 1 ON 24/04/2011. I HAVE ONLY SEEN 3 STEINWAY PIANOS DURING MY PIANO TUNING CAREER AND WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE INVOLVED IN THE RESTOARTION OF AN UPRIGHT GRAND IN 2002.


http://www.abc.net.au/iview/?series=2598154#/search/notebynote

How much does it cost to transport a piano?

We often have people enquire about how much pianos cost to be transported. The following is a rough guides as to what to expect to pay in most capital cities around Australia:

Upright Pianos
Door to door, no stairs, up to 30kms                    -                     $150
Door to door, some stairs, up to 30kms                -                     $200
Door to door, up to 100 kms                                -                     $300
Door to door, up to 200kms                                 -                     $400

Grand Pianos
Door to door, no stairs, up to 30kms                    -                     $300
Door to door, some stairs, up to 30kms                -                     $400
Door to door, up to 100 kms                                -                     $500
Door to door, up to 200kms                                 -                     $600

What do I look for when purchasing a secondhand piano?

When buying a second hand piano there are 3 main factors to consider?

1. Has the piano got an 'iron frame'?
2. Is the piano 'over-strung'?
3. Has the piano got an 'underdamper' action?

1.Wooden frame pianos are now obselete and cannot be tuned to concert pitch. When inspecting a piano to determine whether it has an iron frame, lift the top lid and look down into the piano. If you see any iron framing around the tuning pins, the piano most likely has an iron frame.

2. With the top lid of the piano still open, have a look at the way the piano has been strung. If the larger double wound bass strings travel from left to right crossing over in front of the treble strings, the piano is overstrung. If the larger double wound bass strings travel straight down in the same angle as the treble strings the piano is most likely 'Straight Strung'.

3. With the top lid of the piano still open, have a look straight down into the piano action. If you see 88 white hammers (Approximately 2 inches in length) that travel towards the strings when the keys are depressed the piano has an 'underdamper' action. If you see a long wooden board approximately 3 inches wide and running the length of the piano, the piano most likely has an older style 'overdamper' action.

Aside from these three important factors, there are other more minor factors that are to be considered such as cracks in the soundboard and tuning plank. If you are at all unsure, contact Mobile Piano Service for a valuation / assessment of the piano.

Hot can I fix a sticking piano key?

Sticking keys are generally as result of moisture build up in the keyboard. The structure of a piano keyboard is primarily made up of the wooden keys as well as a number of paper and cloth felts. Sticking notes develop when any or all of these three components attracts moisture build up.

In climates such as those found in South Australia and Western Australia, piano keyboards typically remain free for most of the year due to the dry hot climate found in these states. When the weather is unseasonally humid or if there are long periods of rainfall, moisture in the air can build up which reulsts in the wood, paper and felt components in piano keyboards to swell. This is why keys start to stick.

In most cases, the following basic steps can be taken to temporarily repair a sticking piano key:

1. Identify the sticking key.
2. Depress the keys either side by using the thumb and index finger.
3. Grab hold of the sticking key by using the pad of the thumb and index finger.
4. Gently wiggle the sticking key from side to side for around 5 seconds.
5. Release and test the key.

If this doesn't work, the problem may well be somewhere in the piano action which will require a qualified piano tuner / technician to repair.  

Pianos in the streets - Come Out festival Comes to Adelaide!

Hi there piano lovers!

For those who are not aware, Adelaide's version of the worldwide 'Come Out Festival' has once again hit our streets. This annual event has attracted rave reviews with organisers this year placing 31 pianos on random street corners in and around Adelaide for anybody and everybody to play!

What a great Idea, Adelaide's Arts community has done it yet again!

Click on the below link for the Advertisers story.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/festivals/a-piano-on-ivory-corner-of-come-out-festival/story-e6free4l-1226025704949

Fellow Piano Tuners...

Are you a fellow Piano Tuner? Post a message on my blog and say Hi!

Piano Hammer Voicing

Today, I repaired a piano in Albert Park, a suburb of Adelaide, where the hammers had become dry and were producing a really harsh, metalic sound. To rectify this, I used a process known as 'voicing' which basically changes the physical structure of the hammer felt in order to give the piano a more nicer, mellow tone. Tonight I was playing around on youtube and found this really great short film on 'voicing' piano hammers, check it out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FQTabXCh3g&feature=related

Piano Tuning - a dying art, ABC short video

For those who wonder how us piano tuners spend our days, check out this fantastic 5 minute documentary by the ABC on the dying art of piano tuning...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/02/13/3137464.htm

Have we tuned your piano?

Have we tuned your piano? We value customer feedback, so post a comment on how you rate our service to you?

How often does a piano need tuning?

As a general rule, pianos need tuning anually, however its no big deal for a piano to go 3-5 years without being tuned. After 5 years, the pitch begins to drop sharply and the piano will begin to sound quite flat. We generally recommend home pianos be tuned every few years and if your playing every day, it should be tuned anually. When was your piano last tuned? Post a comment...

Beale Pianos - Their history, value and are they worth restoring?

Beale Pianos were originally founded by Octavius Beale in 1893, in Annandale, NSW. The Beale Piano Company rose to be the largest piano manufacturer in the British Empire at one stage, producing more than 90,000 pianos from 1893 to 1975. Of particular note is the unique 'steel tuning system' that Beale Pianos patented which was designed to withstand the dry, hot conditions found in many states of Australia. This system was so successful that many Beale Pianos have survived the test of time and are still being played today. Just the other day, I tuned an upright Beale Piano at Banksia Park Primary School in Adelaide, the tuning system was as tight as the day the piano was built.

Older style Beale Pianos are generally valued at between $250 - $1000 depending on their age, condition and model. Some later models (1970's and 80's) can fetch above $1250 and new Beale pianos start from around $3995.

Most older style Beale pianos are worth restoring. The relatively low value of some older styles in a way does the quality of these pianos an injustice as most had a full iron frame, were overstrung and had a quality underdamper playing mechanism. We find a common scenario is for people to pay up to $500 for an older style Beale and then spend $400 - $500 through us tuning and repairing the mechanism. In these cases, the money is well spent, because whilst the value of the piano may only be around $1000, the quality is well above most other older style brands on the market.

Mobile Piano Service's Piano information blog

Welcome to the Mobile Piano Service blog!

Mobile Piano Service operates out of Adelaide, South Australia. We are a small family business specialising in piano tuning, repairs, restorations, valuations and sales. Our advertisement and contact details can be found at www.mobilepianoservice.com.au

We recognise that the piano market is often a daunting place, whether its buying a new or used piano, tuning, repairs, restorations or valuations, our blog aims at giving you the information you need. In addition, we aim at providing useful information for fellow tuners and piano enthousists alike. 

We will be posting our first blog topic soon, so 'STAY TUNED'...