Piano Tuning in Gloucestershire.

Why does my piano need tuning?

In general, a piano requires regular tuning whether or not it is played. The ever-changing levels of heat and humidity in the average sitting room will cause a piano's structural components and strings to expand and contract at varying rates. Over time this will result in the tension of the strings changing and resulting in an out of tune piano.  Tuning twice annually can compensate for this, and is essential to maintain the piano's correct pitch. An experienced tuner can not only restore optimum tuning, but by equalising the tension in different sections of the strings can maximise the piano's stability.

Regular tuning also gives the tuner the opportunity to monitor the ongoing condition of the instrument, and can provide a valuable early-warning for signs of deterioration caused by atmospheric and environmental conditions, vermin and insect attack.  Moth attack, for example, appears to be on the increase and can destroy the felt in a piano rapidly.  I inspect for signs of insect damage at every tuning.

Piano Tuning

I specialise first and foremost in the tuning and on-site repairs to acoustic  pianos.  I normally tune in the traditional manner by ear without assistance from Electronic Tuning Devices (ETD) but recent developments and improvements make these devices ideal for some situations,  especially in noisy situations such as on-stage, or when tuning two pianos together, and I am fully acquainted in their use and operation. Some new clients are even requesting their use.

I cover the whole of the county and travel into the surrounding counties of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and South Glos. I operate a fixed-price policy based on distance travelled with no hidden costs. Please call for details of charges in your area.

Most of my workload is made up of tuning in the home for amateur and professional musicians, contract work for schools and colleges and the remainder is concert preparation and tuning. I tune for most of the major independent schools in Gloucestershire and the University of Gloucestershire. I also carry out installation tuning of new instruments for a number of dealers and also undertake warranty work for dealers and manufacturers alike.

Piano Repair

I am pleased to estimate for any repair, however small, up to a full rebuild. Small repairs can often be carried out on the road, and I carry a good stock of materials and specialist tools to reduce the need for transportation of items to and from the workshop.

For larger repairs or restoration I always give a firm quote and also a good guide to the piano's realistic value before and after the repair based on a thorough knowledge of the market. The cost is transparent and broken down into restoration costs for action, frame and stringing, damper mechanism and cosmetic work as appropriate. If I feel that the repair is best suited to another specialist, I will arrange for them to quote directly rather than subcontract work so the client is offered the best possible value with no additional mark-up.  All of the workshops that I recommend are in England, and where possible local. There is a growing trend of piano restoration being 'farmed out' to Eastern European workshops; a practice which is fraught with hazards and undermines local business.