• Feel free to make a list of any problems or concerns (sticky keys, squeaks, etc.) you have about your piano.
• Please remove all items from the top of the piano. I have to open the top and remove the front on any vertical piano, or open the top and remove the music desk on a grand piano. I don't want to break your crystal vase or your dog's picture!
• Please be there! I will gladly wait for a little while, but the later I get started on your piano, the later it makes me for the next piano on my schedule. If you miss completely, it means a wasted trip for me, so I will have to charge you a nominal fee of $25 for my travel time.
When I arrive for our first appointment, I will first want to look at your piano and do a fairly thorough evaluation of its condition. I will point out areas of concern such as any sticky keys, squeaky pedals, broken strings (most notes have three stings, so one or two strings may be broken without you realizing it!) or other shortcomings in your piano. I have two reasons for doing this first:
• To insure that you are aware of pre-existing problems (and you know that I didn't do it!)
• So that we can discuss how much additional work over and above the tuning you might want to have me perform on your piano, possibly on the same day, but perhaps another appointment will be needed to do the work.
There are many, many reasons why a piano owner might have an instrument that has been neglected for many, many years. Sometimes it's a recently inherited family piano. Sometimes no one has played for years, but now the grandkids are coming. Whatever the reason, there are usually lots of little things that need to be attended to. Action screws need tightening. Hammers need to be aligned to the strings. The hammers may have deep grooves in them and need to be filed and shaped. And of course, it must be tuned.
Most pianos can be brought to a much-improved level of playability in one extended appointment. However, some pianos will require more extensive work than I can do in the home in one half-day session. If this is the case with your piano, I will inform you as early in the appointment as possible, usually within the first ten or fifteen minutes.
Sadly, some neglected pianos will be too far past their prime. Pianos stored in basements, garages, or barns may be encrusted with mold, or destroyed by small chewing animals who've made them their home.
The quieter the room is, the faster and more accurately I can work. I don't need total silence, but please plan to keep loud music, loud televisions, and loud talking nearby to a minimum.
Please be sure to call or email me at your earliest convenience.
The cost of a tuning varies by how far out of tune the piano is when I start. If it is only a little bit flat or sharp, I will only need to do a single fine tuning. If the piano is more out of tune than that, I will need to do "pitch correction." A pitch correction brings the piano very slightly over pitch. This is necessary in order to allow the string tensions to stabilize prior to starting the fine tuning, and it results in a far more accurate and far more stable tuning. However, a piano that has not been tuned for years will need to be tuned more frequently for a while before it will be truly stable. In such circumstances, I will normally recommend at least two additional tunings within the first year to attain optimal stability.
| • $35.00 | Minimum service call charge |
| • $90.00 | Fine Tuning |
| • $50.00 | Additional charge for each pitch correction pass (more than two passes are rarely needed) |
| • $225.00 to $350.00 |
The "It's Been A Very Long Time" appointment. This appointment may take up to a full day, and should return your piano to playable state. Please note, however, that this is not a restoration! |
| • $varies | Extra time/mileage charge may apply to appointments more than 25 miles from Stillwater. Please inquire! Always waived if you and a nearby acquaintance schedule for the same day. |
