What happens to a piano as it ages? | Piano Regulation And Voicing

 

In the short term, leather and felt compact, affecting the adjustment (regulation) of the parts. The action becomes uneven and less responsive, and the piano's tone loses dynamic range. Squeaks and rattles may develop. Routine maintenance such as hammer filing, regulation, voicing, and tuning will correct these problems and maintain the piano in near-new condition.

After extended or very heavy use, action parts become severely worn. Leather and felt to wear thin. Keys become wobbly, hammer felt gets too thin to produce a good tone, and the action becomes noisy. Regulation adjustments reach their limit. In addition, piano strings may begin breaking and the copper windings of bass strings lose resonance.

After decades of exposure to seasonal changes, the wood of the soundboard, bridges, and pinblock is weakened. This causes loose tuning pins, poor tuning stability, and further loss of tone. By this time the piano's finish will often be scratched or faded.

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Basic finish care of piano | Piano Repair

 Modern pianos are finished with a variety of materials, from traditional lacquer to modern polyurethanes and polyester resins. Whatever the material, a piano finish is designed to protect the wood from dirt and liquid spills, reduce the damaging effects of humidity changes, and -- in the case of clear finishes -- enhance the beauty of the wood.

Modern finishes are designed to do their job without the additional aid of polishes or waxes. In most cases, a piano finish is best maintained by simply keeping it clean and avoiding exposure to direct sunlight, extremes of temperature and humidity, and abrasion.

1. Avoiding finish damage.

• Your piano's cabinet, like all woodwork, is subject to expansion and contraction with humidity changes. Excessive wood movement can eventually cause the finish to develop tiny cracks and even separate from the wood. Moderating the temperature and humidity swings around the piano will help to preserve its finish as well as its overall structure and tuning stability.

• Situate the piano in a room with a fairly even temperature, away from drafts, dampness, and heat sources. ALWAYS AVOID DIRECT SUNLIGHT -- it will age the finish prematurely and cause color fading.

• To prevent scratches, never set objects on your piano without a soft cloth or felt pad. Never place plants or drinks on a piano, because spillage and condensation can cause major damage.

2. Dusting your piano

Dust is very abrasive and can scratch the finish if wiped off with a dry cloth. To avoid scratching, dust the piano lightly with a feather duster. Alternatively, wipe lightly with a soft damp cloth to pick up the dust, followed immediately with a dry cloth. The cloths should be soft cotton such as flannel because coarse or synthetic fabrics can scratch some finishes. Wring out the damp cloth thoroughly so it leaves no visible moisture on the surface.

To avoid creating swirl marks, always wipe with long straight strokes rather than circular motions. Wipe with the grain for natural wood finishes, or in the direction of the existing sheen pattern for solid-color satin finishes.

Because some exposed parts inside your piano are fragile, it's best to let your technician clean these areas.

3. Cleaning the finish.

To remove smudges and fingerprints, first dust using the damp/dry cloths as above. If heavier cleaning is necessary, dampen your cloth with a small amount of mild soap solution. A common product is Murphy's Oil Soap, available at most grocery and hardware stores.

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Piano Humidity Control

Humidity Control for your Piano

The next, and we think best, solution is to install a humidity control system directly in your piano. The Dampp Chaser company, makers of the Piano Life Saver system, is the only company making these systems. Over the past 74 years they have perfected their system and adapted it to work in all pianos. This system maintains the relative humidity of your piano within a few percent of the ideal level of 45% Relative Humidity. A humidistat regulates the humidity, similar to the way your thermostat regulates temperature. If the humidity is high, the humidistat activates low power dehumidifier bars to dry out the piano. If the humidity is low, the humidistat activates a humidifier - a gentle version of that which you might put in a room. Periodically, you must fill the humidifier tank with water. This can be disconcerting the first few times, pouring water into a tube that disappears into your piano!

In grand pianos, the system is installed underneath the piano, in direct proximity to the soundboard. An under cover will aid in the effectiveness of these systems. A dehumidifier bar is installed at either end of the underside of the piano, and a humidifier tank is located in the approximate middle.

In vertical pianos, the system is installed in the lower half of the piano, inside the knee board. There is one dehumidifier bar which runs the width of the piano, and the humidifier tank generally rests on the bottom board. A watering tube extends from the top of the knee board to underneath the key bed.

Routine care of the system involves replenishing the water for the humidifier tank, when prompted to do so by a discreet light panel mounted underneath the key bed. The system will be serviced by your technician when they comes to tune your piano; this involves replacing the humidifier pads and testing the system. The system comes with a five year warranty, which New York Piano Works will double to 10 years provided we continue to service the system.

Other than routine care by a qualified technician, a Piano Life Saver system is the best investment you can make towards the quality and consistency of your piano. 

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Piano Tuning And Repair Service Upstate New York

 Action Service $185 Regulation $135/hour

Your piano is made up of more than 10,000 parts, many of which move and all of which are subject to wear. An action service includes action removal and replacement, cleaning, lubrication of all action centers, and tightening of over 200 screws. Piano Regulation is where we can truly make your piano the best that it can be! We adjust 37 steps of movement for each note so that they play with optimal control, power, and dynamic range. Who knew that pianos were so complicated!

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