Home Page Piano Tuning & Maintenance How often should my piano be tuned? What’s the real cost of keeping my piano tuned?

Acoustic Piano Facts What you need to know before buying a used piano Tuning: Pianos should be tuned every 6 months according to most piano manufacturers recommendations. In 2007, regular piano tunings are costing about $120. If a piano has not been tuned in several years it will require a "pitch raise" which will cost about $180 and will need up to 4 additional tunings over the next 12 months. Regulation: There are about 12,000 moving parts in a piano which need to be adjusted every five to ten years. A basic regulation starts at $300 and a full regulation can cost $600 or more. Case: This is probably the least meaningful part from a musical instrument standpoint, however, most buyers pay the most attention to how a piano looks or insist on a great looking cabinet. Touch-up and refinishing is expensive. Bench: Sturdy legs matching the piano is a definite plus. Replacement benches range in price from $200 to $800. Keys: Coverings should be in good shape, no chipping or cracks, bad discoloration or deep scratches. A new set of keys range from $300 to $600. Bushings: Movement from the front to back or side to side on the keys indicate worn bushings, these make the piano feel old and loose. New bushings are approximately $400. Hammers: Deeply grooved ends can be sanded to reshape the hammer however flat heads mean replacement, side movement is bad because it prevents correct striking. A new set of hammers are approximately $1200. Dampers: Dampers stop the sound when the key is released, check for moth problems, hard dampers make noise when the reset onto the string. Action: All notes should play with light, even uniform touch for consistency particularly or children and beginners, beware of plastic action parts eventually they must all be replaced. Also see "regulation" above. Pinblock: Tuning may be off but the piano should be in tune with itself, check for untuned triads (treble notes have 3 strings per note) as this is a sign of weakness and separations in the block itself. Replacing pin block can run well over $1000. Strings: Excessive rust and corrosion around tuning pins will cause the strings to pop while tuning, again this is an expensive repair. The copper windings on the bass strings can come loose or unwound and typically are only good for about 25 to 40 years. Also see "tuning" above. Soundboard: Solid spruce is superior. Check for cracks across bridges these may cause buzzing and rattles. Cracked soundboards usually render the piano worthless as it would cost more to replace it than buying a new piano. Bridges: Bass and treble bridges can come unglued from the soundboard and would be an expensive repair. Best Advice: Buying a used piano only to find out it needs hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs is not a good plan. Purchase a used piano from a reputable piano dealer, like Capital Music Center, who has already inspected all of the above; or hire a Registered Piano Technician to evaluate the used piano you are considering BEFORE purchasing it. The fee they charge is nominal and could save you from a very costly mistake. Find them in the Yellow Pages. Buyer Beware: Piano tuners and technicians can tell you costly stories about those hand me downs, cheap, beautiful, antique, pianos. And often the giver or seller of the piano has no idea how the piano is on the inside or functions as a musical instrument. The piano that was free or cheap often turns out to need hundreds or thousands of dollars spent on it to make it playable or useful as a practice piano.