| FAQ |
Frequently Asked Questions Contact us
How is my piano delivered?
What brands do you carry?
How Should I Care for My Piano's Wood Finish?
What is the Piano's Action and Why Does it Need Maintenance?
How does Humidity Affect my Piano?
What is Voicing?
How Often Should I Have My Piano Fully Serviced?
How Do I Find a Qualified Person to Service My Piano?
Your piano is delivered by our very own delivery crew. We employ our own staff of CDL Certified drivers. This means they take extra care of our customers and their pianos. Having our own delivery department is one of the unique ideas we find important. This also means extra saving to our customers by not having to hire outside companies to take care of our piano moving needs. We provide free delivery within the Metro Detroit Area, if you are outside our delivery area we are able to set up other delivery options .
Our inventory is always changing, so if there is something you would like please inquire promptly. We always have numerous brands to choose from... such as Yamaha, Kawai, Bosendorfer, Steinway & Sons, Estonia, Young Chang, Pearl River, Ritmueller, Schimmel, Baldwin, Kimball, Chickering, Knabe, Mason and Hamlin, and many more.
How Should I Care for My Piano's Wood Finish?
As with any piece of furniture, keeping drinks off finished wood surfaces is a simple rule always to follow. New piano finishes generally require only occasional cleaning with either a dry or damp cotton cloth. Older piano finishes may benefit from an occasional polishing with a good quality polish, but frequent polishing is not recommended.
What is the Piano's Action and Why Does it Need Maintenance?
When you look inside your piano, you'll find a cast plate or "harp" strung with steel and copper-wound strings over a large expanse of wood which is the soundboard. If you look closer, you'll discover an intricate system of levers, springs and hammers connected to the keyboard.
The complex system which causes a hammer to strike a string when you press a key is called the piano's action. It is a marvel of engineering composed largely of wood and wool felt. This mechanism needs to be responsive to every nuance of the pianist's touch - from loud, thunderous chords to soft, delicate passages.
When a pianos leaves the factory, each of its parts is adjusted to a tolerance of a few thousandths of an inch. This process is called action regulation. Because the wood and felt parts of the action may change dimension due to humidity and wear, the action must be serviced occasionally to maintain its responsive qualities.
How does Humidity Affect my Piano?
Extreme swings from hot to cold or dry to wet are harmful to your piano. Dryness causes the piano's pitch to go flat; moisture makes it go sharp. Repeated swings in relative humidity can cause soundboards to crack or distort. Extreme dryness also can weaken the glue joints that hold the soundboard and other wood portions of the piano together. Moisture may lead to string rust. A piano functions best under fairly consistent conditions which are neither too wet or dry.
A piano also periodically requires a service called voicing. Because the tone changes as the felt hammers wear, periodic voicing of the hammers is necessary so that your piano will have an even, full tone throughout the entire scale, and produce the widest possible dynamic range.
How Often Should I Have My Piano Fully Serviced?
The three components of musical performance that need to be adjusted periodically are pitch, tone and touch. Tone is maintained by voicing, and touch by servicing the piano action. Piano tuning is the adjustment of the tuning pins so that all the strings are of the proper tension (pitch), to have the correct sounding musical intervals.
How Do I Find a Qualified Person to Service My Piano?
The Piano Technicians Guild, Inc. (PTG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the knowledge and skill of professionals in the piano industry. The largest organization of its kind in the world, its membership includes piano technicians, rebuilders, piano designers and manufacturers, enthusiasts and retailers. PTG certifies Registered Piano Technicians (RPTs) through a series of rigorous examinations designed to test their skill in tuning, regulation and repair. Those capable of performing these tasks up to a recognizable worldwide standard receive RPT certification.
For more information on how to contact a Registered Piano Technician, write to us at the Piano Technicians Guild, Inc., 3930 Washington, Kansas City, MO 64111 for a list of RPTs in your area.
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