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
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Friday, 15 April 2011
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
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
Friday, 1 April 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
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.
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.
Friday, 25 March 2011
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
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
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
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
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FQTabXCh3g&feature=related
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