Servicing

During the three decades I have been tuning pianos, I have acted on behalf of a number of suppliers, as the man between the customer and the retailer. This troubleshooting role has been the most rewarding part of piano tuning life. Resolving problems on so many differing pianos, both new and old, must surely be the very best way to learn.

The following quote from a text book of piano action design clearly sets a benchmark of quality which, in my experience, is not met with often enough: "The playing mechanism is that much closer to perfection, the less the player is aware of it…"

This is the 'gold standard' I always strive to achieve when working on pianos. If all pianos played as well as this, there would be many more pianists and fewer young players would want to stop their lessons!

I am convinced that a vast and noticeable improvement in both touch and tone can be accomplished for most pianos. The exceptions are the relatively few pianos that are bad by design. The process by which touch and tone are corrected is called 'regulation'.

Regulating is simply a series of adjustments made to the mechanism. The end in mind is freedom of expression for the pianist, a freedom uncluttered by the many mechanical imperfections that leave the player tired and irritable. Properly done, regulation can transform your piano!