OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

We have a very fine old piano. It's a Steinway. Certainly it would like to
be gently tuned. The E flat kind of makes my eye teeth cringe.
Since things change so fast I suspect that piano tuning has advanced to
levels beyond my comprehension.
How do I go about choosing a tuner? I don't want my precious treasure
harmed; won't even have her tuned if it would be stressful.
What do I ask or look for? Polly

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:32:15 -0600, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

We have a very fine old piano. It's a Steinway. Certainly it would like to
be gently tuned. The E flat kind of makes my eye teeth cringe.
Since things change so fast I suspect that piano tuning has advanced to
levels beyond my comprehension.
How do I go about choosing a tuner? I don't want my precious treasure
harmed; won't even have her tuned if it would be stressful.
What do I ask or look for? Polly

Call a couple of local churches and the local school music teacher and
ask who they use. You generally want references for your piano tuner
just like you do your doctor.

So far as I know the only advances that have been made are that some
few Tuners use electronic tuners now instead of matching by ear to a
tuning fork.

NightMist

--

Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister.

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

I would go first to the Steinway company representatives in the US.
They will probably have a list of tuners they can recommend in every
area. That's what I did with mine.
The cost might be more, but it is worth it.
Last time I had mine tuned the method used was exactly the same as with
my first piano when I was 5!
The last time for mine was 12 years ago - just before she was re-homed.
..
In message , Polly Esther
writes
We have a very fine old piano. It's a Steinway. Certainly it would like to
be gently tuned. The E flat kind of makes my eye teeth cringe.
Since things change so fast I suspect that piano tuning has advanced to
levels beyond my comprehension.
How do I go about choosing a tuner? I don't want my precious treasure
harmed; won't even have her tuned if it would be stressful.
What do I ask or look for? Polly




--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

You can't be the only piano in your area -ask for recommendations.
Piano tuners terrify me. Worse than dentists, worse than being sent to
the principal's office (no, he was never a "pal"). DH is a very good
pianist when he practices, but they terrify him too. So much that he
eventually traded in our upright for an electronic keyboard. Never
needs tuning, easy to move for cleaning, and the keys feel like a real
piano. And he can practice with earphones on so nobody can hear the
mistakes. Not quite as pretty to look at though.
Roberta in D

On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:32:15 -0600, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

We have a very fine old piano. It's a Steinway. Certainly it would like to
be gently tuned. The E flat kind of makes my eye teeth cringe.
Since things change so fast I suspect that piano tuning has advanced to
levels beyond my comprehension.
How do I go about choosing a tuner? I don't want my precious treasure
harmed; won't even have her tuned if it would be stressful.
What do I ask or look for? Polly

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

I would recommend you try Steinway first -- and see if they can help. If
not -- maybe a store nearby that sells higher end pianos (grands... baby
grands....) ... not your typical mall music store.

If that doesn't help -- maybe call the Music School at Ole Miss... I'm sure
they have dozens of pianos... and somebody has to take care of them!

--
Kate in MI

http://community.webshots.com/user/K_Groves


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
We have a very fine old piano. It's a Steinway. Certainly it would like
to be gently tuned. The E flat kind of makes my eye teeth cringe.
Since things change so fast I suspect that piano tuning has advanced
to levels beyond my comprehension.
How do I go about choosing a tuner? I don't want my precious treasure
harmed; won't even have her tuned if it would be stressful.
What do I ask or look for? Polly

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

I also have a very old, wonderful, lovely Steinway piano. I know EXACTLY
how you are feeling. I say good on you for wanting to get 'er tuned up.
And you are totally asking the right questions. I would do one of these two
things.

1. Make sure the tuner you use is a registered member of the piano
technician's quild.

2. Look up Steinway dealers and ask who they use for their Steinways. I
used a Steinway technician for years, and was so, so glad I did. No one
will take care of your Steinway like a Steinway technician.


Karen, Queen of Squishies
nothing sews like a Bernina
nothing play like a Steinway
grin

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

Polly Esther wrote:

We have a very fine old piano. It's a Steinway. [...]
How do I go about choosing a tuner?

Get a recommendation from a friend. I called
a very reputable dealer here that sells
Mason & Hamlins (my piano of choice) and I
really, really disliked the tuner they
recommended. I looked up the Piano Technician's
Guild website locally and called up another guy,
whom I absolutely love. I've recommended him
to friends, who love him as well. One of these
days, I'm going to get him to rebuild my piano -
he already rebuilt my friend's piano, to great
results.

It may take you a couple of tunings to find
someone you like. If one person doesn't do a
great job, your piano will not suffer for it,
so don't think you have to hit a home run the
first time you get a tuning.

-- Anita --

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

Well, you see, Anita, I'm not confident that this is certain -
Anita wrote If one person doesn't do a great job, your piano will not
suffer for it, so don't think you have to hit a home run the first time you
get a tuning.
My piano's had a very active life but she's not a kid anymore and I'm
concerned that a tuner could actually do some damage.
Polly

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

Polly Esther wrote:
Well, you see, Anita, I'm not confident that this is certain -
Anita wrote If one person doesn't do a great job, your piano will not
suffer for it, so don't think you have to hit a home run the first time you
get a tuning.
My piano's had a very active life but she's not a kid anymore and I'm
concerned that a tuner could actually do some damage.
Polly

Polly, I agree, if you overtighten it can pull the whole frame
supporting the strings out of wack and there are plenty of reasonable
pianos around where it's not actually possible to get a perfect pitch of
every single note without doing damage and a good tuner knows how to get
the best out of it and also leave it such that it won't go out of tune
ridiculously fast.
Cheers
Anne

OT v-e-r-y, to the piano players
 

Anne Rogers wrote:

Polly Esther wrote:

Well, you see, Anita, I'm not confident that this is certain -
Anita wrote If one person doesn't do a great job, your piano
will not suffer for it, so don't think you have to hit a home run the
first time you get a tuning.
My piano's had a very active life but she's not a kid anymore and
I'm concerned that a tuner could actually do some damage.
Polly


Polly, I agree, if you overtighten it can pull the whole frame
supporting the strings out of wack and there are plenty of reasonable
pianos around where it's not actually possible to get a perfect pitch of
every single note without doing damage and a good tuner knows how to get
the best out of it and also leave it such that it won't go out of tune
ridiculously fast.

The cast iron plate that supports the sound board
will support sufficient force even if the strings
are tightened a bit too much. The strings cannot
be tightened so much that it causes any kind of
change to the sound board, because if one was tightened
too much, it would break. I've broken strings before
because I pulled them too tight.

If your piano has been left alone too long, any
reputable tuner will tune it in a couple of sessions,
not bring it up to pitch in one sitting. You cannot
really damage a piano by pulling every string a few
cents too sharp. A will be around 440 Hz, even if your
tuner was deaf and A is tuned to 445 or 450 Hz, it
will not hurt the pinblock.

If your piano has been sitting anywhere near a heating
or cooling vent, an outside wall, or gets exposed to
any sunlight or any changes in humidity at all, it has
already been subject to more stresses than one tuning
will create.

I've owned old crap, bad piano-shaped objects,
rebuilt a piano, tuned falling-apart uprights and
consoles and grands, and now have a fine 100-year-old
Mason & Hamlin that is my treasure. Just tell the
tuner to be gentle and bring up to pitch in two
sessions and your piano will be good to go.

-- Anita --