416.903.1871
GTAtuner@yahoo.ca

Taking care to the next level

Full day service $350
1/2 day service $250

Quality pianos will show tremendous improvement after a 1 day or 1/2 day in-home service to address action regulation and lubrication, voicing, cleaning, and adjustments to dampers and pedals. This visit will bring your instrument to a higher level of performance that is easy to maintain with ongoing tuning and voicing. It is your best value in providing on site maintenance for quality pianos. Specific tasks performed will vary based on my examination of the piano.
This service is also a great way to bring long neglected pianos back up to an acceptable level of performance.


touch adjustment - Action regulation

Price by quotation

Regulation is the adjustment of the mechanical aspects of the piano to compensate for the effects of wear, the compacting and settling of cloth, felt and buckskin, as well as dimensional changes in wood parts due to changes in humidity. If your instrument displays a lack of sensitivity or a decreased dynamic range, it's a candidate for regulation. If you notice that the keys are not level, the touch is uneven or the keys are sticking, the need for regulation is indicated.

tone adjustment - Voicing

$80 per hour

Voicing refers to adjusting the tone of the piano and is an often overlooked maintenance component. Your piano may benefit from voicing if 

You don't like the sound even after it has been tuned 
You piano sounds different than when you purchased it 
Tone varies radically from note to note 
You cannot achieve a range of tone (mellow to bright) at different volumes 
The piano has lost its ability to play softly

Piano Life Saver System





Full Grand system from $650
Full Vertical system from $550

Some pianos will benefit from these systems, which essentially create a micro-climate within the piano, improving tuning stability and extending the piano's life by protecting it from damage due to seasonal humidity fluctuations.

I am a Dampp-Chaser Certified Installer.

www.pianolifesaver.com 

Click here to learn more about humidity control from the Piano Technician's Guild.

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Finish repairs

Price by quotation

Scratches? Dents? Gouges? Water marks? Many of these blemishes can be repaired on site. I can repair damage to traditional lacquer finishes and also modern polyester finishes.

Other services

Repairs $85 first hour, $65 additional hours, parts extra

Squeaks and rattles? Sticking keys? Ringing dampers? Broken hammers?

Purchasing assistance $50

Thinking of buying or selling a used piano but would like an expert opinion on its value? Beware when buying a piano privately - a few extra dollars spent getting an expert to look the instrument over can save you dollars and grief in the long run. If you're new to the world of pianos, The Piano Book by Larry Fine is an excellent place to begin educating yourself about pianos and piano ownership. Do you have an insurance issue with a piano? I'll be pleased to evaluate any instrument you are considering.

Reconditioning

Pianos greater in age than 20-30 years, or even older, are often due for a major reconditioning or replacement of interior parts, which can prolong the instrument's life for many more years. This can include but is not limited replacing or reconditioning the strings and tuning pins, hammers, felts throughout the piano's action, dampers and pinblocks. See the Restorations page.

Piano cleaning - $100 for interior components, $200 for interior and exterior

Every 5-10 years the piano’s interior should be cleaned by a technician. Many people are shocked to see the amount of dust and dirt that collects in a piano over the years. Aside from being unpleasant this can create a health hazard in your home.
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Coverage area

  • Mississauga
  • Oakville
  • Brampton
  • Georgetown
  • Milton
  • Burlington
  • Hamilton
  • Etobicoke
  • Toronto
  • Woodbridge
  • Vaughan

The three T's: tuning, touch and tone

Much like your car, a piano needs regular professional care to function well. Most of the time we fill the car with gas and we're off, but at longer intervals we need to do oil changes, and change brakes, tires and other important components that wear with normal use. Your piano is no different. This page describes many other important maintenance steps that fall under touch and tone.

Humidity control

Maintaining a stable humidity pays both in the short term for tuning stability and in the long term by reducing stress to the wood components and finish brought on by humidity fluctuations. In Southern Ontario in-home relative humidity ranges from 30% or less in winter months to more than 60% in summer. Solutions to controlling humidity run from a simple dish of water inside upright pianos, to inexpensive room humidifiers, to full blown humidity control systems installed in the piano like the Piano Life Saver system described at left. 

I monitor humidity and temperature on every visit and record it on my invoice.

Want to keep an eye on it for yourself? Visit your local hardware or home improvement store and ask for a $20-$30 hygrometer to keep near the piano.