Pianos should be serviced twice a year. New pianos should be serviced at least 4x a year.
Because your piano contains materials such as wood and felt, it is subject to change with climatic conditions. Extreme swings from hot to
cold or dry to wet cause its materials to swell and contract, affecting tone, pitch, and action response or touch. You can reduce the severity
of these effects by placing your piano near a wall away from windows or doors that are opened frequently. Avoid heating and air conditioning
vents, fireplaces and areas which receive direct sunlight. Your piano will perform best under consistent conditions neither too wet nor dry,
optimally at a temperature of 68 degrees F and 42 percent relative humidity.
Regulation
Periodically your piano will require the adjustment of its mechanical parts to compensate for the effects of wear, the compacting and settling of cloth, felt and buckskin, as well as dimensional changes in wooden and wool parts due to changes in relative humidity. This series of adjustments is know as regulation which involves three systems of your piano: then action, trapwork and damper system.
Voicing
Your piano also may require periodic voicing. The process of voicing can adjust the relative brilliance of a piano and provide an even gradation of volume and tone over the entire range of the keyboard. Voicing procedures may involve reshaping the hammers, the use of needles on the hammer felt and/or the application of special softeners or hardeners in order to produce the best sound possible. I will discuss with you what changes in your piano’s tone are practical and together, we decide what steps should be taken to effect these changes.
Voicing can only be accomplished after a piano has been freshly tuned.
Reconditioning and Rebuilding
If regulation will not improve the performance of your instrument, or that your tuning may not hold for more than short periods of time, your piano may require reconditioning or rebuilding.
Reconditioning involves cleaning, repair, and adjustment of your piano, and replacement of parts only where indicated.
Rebuilding involves the complete disassembly of your piano. I will inspect and replace all worn or deteriorated parts which can include such major components as the pinblock, action, soundboard, and bridges. Thorough rebuilding will restore your instrument to its original condition.