Tuning, Repairs and Restoration
Piano Tuning
When you purchase a lovely instrument it must be taken care of to ensure enduring value. This includes tuning and other long-term servicing like action regulation.
Most tuners will recommend that you tune your piano once or twice a year, and a piano can be affected by temperature and can go slightly 'out of tune' as the seasons change from summer to winter. In schools, or where an instrument is frequently used, it is common to undertake more regular tuning as required. Your tuner can recommend a service plan to take best care of your instrument.
Bernies Music Land has a team of qualified Tuners and Technicians to support your purchase. Each of the tuners on our listing has been chosen for their qualifications and experience and they are an ideal source of advice for taking care of your instrument.
Whether you are in the city, or in a small town in north Victoria, Bernies can connect you with a reliable Tuner to service your valuable instrument. To find the closest recommended tuner to you, please fill out this form or phone us at Bernies Music Land on (03) 9872 5122 and we will promptly arrange a booking for your next tuning service.
Alternatively, please visit the website of the Australian Piano Tuners and Technicians Association: www.aptta.org.au
Your piano tuner is invaluable for advice, so ensure a recommended tuner is contacted for all
enquiries.
In its
first year, your piano will be tuned twice; once at the showroom before delivery, and once in your home.
To look
after your piano and to ensure your warranty is effective, it is recommended that it be tuned twice
yearly or at
least once yearly, in your home by our recommended tuner. Please ensure that your tuner completes the
Service Record
in your Caring For Your Piano booklet. Your tuner will be happy to advise you on servicing and multiple
tunings for
pianos used for teaching, stringent practice or highly frequent use. Advising your tuner thoroughly of
any concerns
means that they can attend to items and be sure to attain your satisfaction and keep your piano playing
beautifully.
In addition to tuning, thorough maintenance includes;
Regulation
The inner playing mechanism, or "piano action", is an amazingly complex and sensitive machine. Like any
other
machine, it needs to be kept in adjustment so that it works the way it was meant to work when it was
built. Each key
on your piano has over 25 points of adjustment that need to work together to produce the sound you hear
when you
play just one note.
In order to compensate for wear, compacting of cloth and felt, and changes in
wooden parts
due to humidity, periodic adjustments must be made. Keeping the correct relationship between every part
will prevent
unnecessary wear, and will make the action "feel right" - that is, each key will function smoothly and
evenly
throughout the whole keyboard. Bernies Music Land recommends that regulation be conducted as part of
your piano’s
service plan at least every three to five years.
Voicing
Each piano has its own distinct sound or "voice". That is how it was built and that is its personality.
Over many
years, whilst the piano is played, the hammer felt strikes the strings thus compacting and wearing down
the felt.
This hardening can cause the tone to become too harsh or bright, and it's difficult to produce a wide or
even range
of tone, no matter how much you try to play using dynamics.
Either way, a technician can treat the
hammers in
various ways: by aligning, shaping, careful needling or hardening the hammers, in order to change the
tone
production. Voicing is a personal choice. Your tuner can discuss voicing with you, taking into
consideration the age
and potential of your instrument.
Adjustments
Maintenance including adjustments to fixing sticky or sluggish keys, adjusting or lubricating pedal mechanism and replacement of broken strings, are part of your maintenance and can be attended to by your tuner.
Piano Repairs & Restoration
Restoring an older piano or purchasing a new one can be a tough choice. If you have a special family heirloom or a unique instrument, it can be worthwhile restoring it to close to its former beauty.
If you have an instrument that requires some TLC, the team at Bernies Music Land can arrange for a Tuner to visit you to tune your piano and to provide you with a report of your piano's condition (charges apply). Then the Tuner can recommend appropriate repairs or restoration to you and provide you with a quote for your consideration. To arrange a tuning and restoration report, please phone Bernies Music Land on (03) 9872 5122.
Should you like to consider trading in your piano for a newer or more reliable instrument, Bernies Music Land would be pleased to offer you a good trade-in price so you can enjoy making music for many years to come. Please phone the team at Bernies today on (03) 9872 5122 for a balanced view of your options.