A+ Piano Tuning
We tune and move pianos. Affordable rates, reliable, and honest.
Please refer to the FAQS at the bottom. To book an appointment, fill out the form below and must submit a deposit of $50 towards to the total cost of your tuning using the PayPal "donation" button above.
Do you move pianos?
I move most pianos. If you help, then I don't have to pay someone else to help me. My fee is handled on a case by case basis which is a combination of time, locations, piano size/weight, and difficulty due to obstacles, stairs, and whatever.
Can I ask you questions?
After we have done business, I am happy to discuss with you at some point anything you would like to about our instrument. I will not, however, reveal my tuning secrets and methods. Some are traditional, some are uniquely developed to address issues with specific instruments in various conditions: skills I've developed over the years that you will not be able to reproduce on your own. Don't try this at home, folks, as they say.
Do you know any reputable piano teachers?
Absolutely! Just ask!
What do you charge?
In the best case scenario, you take care of your instrument well and have it tuned every 3-6 months. If I can come in and just tweak it and everything works well I can charge as little as $50. It goes up from there. Generally, if you haven't done anything to your piano in a long time and/or you have issues with it a general start tuning is usually 2-2.5 hours and I charge $150-$200 for that. It goes down from there. If there are other issues I will tell you honestly and upfront. I will not do anything without your permission. I will charge you less if a job takes less time and effort than I thought it would. If you want me to tune your piano every 3-6 months you can prepay for that and save yourself some money. This will be discussed after I have seen your piano and tuned it.
What kind of pianos do you tune?
I will attempt to tune ANY piano but if I feel something is beyond my expertise for whatever reason I will tell you honestly and recommend a course of action to meet your needs. My desire is to help you improve the playability and sound of your instrument. If someone else can do a better job on YOUR instrument, then my goal is to help you make that connection.
How often should my piano be tuned?
Maintenance and tuning of your piano should be viewed like your automobile: if you leave it neglected for a significant period of time, the overall life of your piano will be diminished and when you decide to address its issues they will be more costly in parts and labor to be serviced. A well maintained piano is tuned every 3-6 months. The more it is used, the more often it should be tuned. Also, the more it is subject to enviromental changes such as temperature and humidity or moves then it should be tuned more regularly. Most people don't tune their piano very often and call me to tune their piano after a few years of not being tuned and it can take me several hours over a few visits to really get it sounding good. Don't do this. But, I'm glad to help if it has been a long time since you've tuned your piano.
What can I do to prolong the life and tuning of my piano?
Create a consistent and stable enviroment for your piano. Control the temperature and humidity levels. Try not to move your piano around much. Beyond that, keep food and drinks off of it and away from it. Keep anything small that could fall into the piano or between the keys away form it. Treat your instrument like an instrument and not a piece of furniture. That will make it last a lot longer and cost you a lot less down the road. Tune your piano every 3-6 months as suggested. My visit will be more regular but it will cost you less each time I visit you and take less time.
Frequenty Asked Questions: In no particular order
Q: Do you move pianos?
A: Sometimes. We generally stick to smaller upright pianos with little obstacles. We have a professional moving company we recommend for larger instruments.
Q: How long does it take to tune my piano?
A: There are a few things to consider here. When was the last time it was tuned? Are there any mechanical problems with the piano such as keys sticking or hammers broken or bent or pedals not working? How long has the piano been sitting and not been played? Do you know if they strings are corroded or not? If you can look at the strings and see you tarnish or a brown rust looking color then your strings are corroded. In Florida, this is common. Also, even if the piano is out of tune, when you play the keys the strings will have a harsh sound to them like a whinning or growling sound. This is indication that the strings are corroded. All these factors impact how long it will take to tune your instruments. Instruments that are kept up and played and taken care of and tuned regularly can take 30 minutes to 60 minutes to tune but Iv'e found this to be rare. Most clients do not take care of their pianos and it ends up taking about 1-2 hours to get the piano in a decent place. A follow up tuning or 2 will be needed the worse off the instrument is but IT IS WORTH IT!
Q: Why are follow up tunings necessary?
A: Once your piano is generally tuned, it will "settle" meaning the strings will acclimate to their new tuning tension according to the enviroment of temperature and humidity of the place it is kept. When it settles, the strings may fall out of tune and need to be tweaked a couple weeks later. At this point, the instrument will likely keep its tuning save mechnical issues or being moved around etc.
Q: How often do I need to tune my piano?
A: Best case is every 3-6 months. The more it is played, the more it will need to be tuned but usually 3-6 months is normal. If youp lay less, once a year might be OK but it'll take a bit longer for the tuner to do the job and may cost more money if you are only servicing it once a year.
Q: How does playing my piano affect it's tuning and condition?
A: The more you play your instrument the better your instrument will become. I like to use an automobile analogy. If you have a vehicle and you just let it sit, the tires will go flat and rot. The battery will die. The gas tank will accumulate moisture. The engine may seize. The point is, if you don't use it it will stop working and you'll have to fix a lot of things on it. A piano is the same. If it just sits, then things will stop working and corrode. Keys won't move as free. Same with pedals. Etc. Another side fact is, just like the human voice needs to be warmeds up to sing at it's best sound quality, there are organic qualities to a piano that are the same. There has been a lot of science behind this in recent years. You can read more here from the Tone Rite website: http://www.tonerite.com/faq/
Q: How much do you charge?
A: I don't charge per hour. I charge more for my expertise and effort than time. An easy piano we can generally do for abour $100. The more challenging instrument could be $150-$200. Additional repairs could incur more costs but we generally fix general things a long the way and don't charge for it. In town we do not charge a travel fee. Out of town we may have to.
Q: Why is piano tuning pricey?
A: Most people can't do it themselves. Piano tuners are rare. Piano tuners spend decades continually improving their skills to provide the best product to you. The price shouldn't scare you off. You only have to have it done 1-2 times a year generally and if you keep up with it and play your piano regularly it's only about $10-$15 a month if you broke it down.
Q: What should I do to the piano before you come?
A: Please clean it and make sure all we have to do is open it up and do our job. If we have to move all your pictures and things from on top of it and clean the keys of spider webs that's just an inconvenience for us when we want to focus on tuning your piano well.
Q: What else do I need to know before you come?
A: Having a quiet enviroment is essential to doing a great job quickly of tuning your piano. You don't have to leave the house but please, lets schedule a time when there aren't kids playing and construction going on etc.
If you have any questions beyond these FAQS please let us know. We are here to help you.
