Amadeus Piano

Piano Services

A piano not only serves the art of music, it is a work of art itself.

Piano Tuning

Your piano is designed to sound its best when tuned to A-440 (A above middle C vibrates at 440 cycles per second), the international pitch standard. At this pitch, power and tonal range are optimum and your piano will match the pitch of other instruments. When your piano varies from A-440, pitch adjustments are required to bring it back to standard. By always maintaining your piano at standard pitch, you create long-term tuning stability because the strings and structure stay in equilibrium. You also ensure proper ear training because you always hear your music in the correct key.

The price for a standard tuning is $120. Make an appointment

Pitch Raising

When your piano varies from A-440; pitch adjustments are required to bring it back to standard.

If a piano has gone without tuning for an extended period, its pitch may have dropped far below A-440. This means that each of its approximately 220 strings needs to be tightened considerably, adding tremendous additional tension to the piano's structure. The problem is that as each string is tightened, the additional load causes the pitch of previously adjusted strings to change. Thus it is impossible to make a substantial change in pitch and end up with a fine, accurate tuning in one step. Instead, a process called "pitch raising" must first be done, in which all strings are raised to their correct average tension levels. (Likewise, when a piano's pitch is higher than standard, a pitch lowering procedure must be done to reduce string tensions to approximately correct levels.) Only then can the piano be accurately tuned.

For average situations, when a piano's pitch is noticeably different from that of other standard pitched instruments, a pitch correction procedure is necessary before tuning. Whenever exact pitch level is critical, such as in concert or recording instruments, any pitch deviation must be corrected before tuning.

Regulating

This is the adjustment of the mechanical aspects of the pianos to compensate for the effects of wear, the compacting and settling of cloth, felt, and buckskin, as well as dimensional changes in wood and wool parts due to changes in humidity. While tuning corrects the pitch of your piano, it is only one component of a complete maintenance program. Regulation attends to the touch and uniform responsiveness of your action, all vital to making each performance pleasurable.

Regulating work is $60 per hour plus the price of parts. Make an appointment

Voicing

Every piano has its own unique sound. One might be described as 'glassy,' another as 'warm'. One might have a 'full singing' tone, and yet another sounds 'thin.' Although the original design establishes the basic character of your piano's tone, Amadeus Piano Service can modify it to better suit your taste or restore its original tone if it has deteriorated with age. The process of modifying a piano's tone is called voicing.

Your piano may benefit from voicing if:

Voicing work is $60 per hour. Make an appointment

Piano Reconditioning

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This involves thorough cleaning, repair or replacement of damaged parts as needed, typically including such jobs as felt replacement, hammer filing or replacement, and partial restringing.

Piano Rebuilding

This involves complete disassembly of the instrument, repair or replacement of soundboard, bridges, and pinblock, as well as repair of any structural damage to the case and replacement of all strings and tuning pins. Thorough restoration of action and damper system, including replacement of hammers, many action parts, springs, and most felt. Rebuilding of the pedal and trapwork system, including replacement of all worn felt, leather, and metal parts. Refinishing of case and plate, polishing or replating of all hardware, and replacement of all decals, felt trims, and rubber buttons. Complete action regulation, tuning, and voicing. Multiple tunings to stabilize new strings. Adjustment, regulation, tuning, and voicing to return all parts to proper function, reduce mechanical noise, and improve tone. Finish touch-up or polishing.

Humidity Control

While not eliminating the need for regular piano maintenance, humidity control will allow more stable tunings by reducing the radical pitch changes your piano may experience through the seasons.

In addition, a stable environment will help to preserve your piano through the years. Wood parts, glue joints, metal parts and your piano's finish will all last longer if not subjected to excessive humidity swings. Maintaining the correct environment will preserve your piano investment for a lifetime of enjoyment.

A very practical and effective answer to humidity problems is to have a humidity control system installed in the piano itself. These systems consist of three parts: a humidifier for adding moisture to the air, a dehumidifier for eliminating excess moisture, and a humidistat or control unit which senses the RH of the air within the piano and activates the system to add or remove moisture as needed. These systems are designed to maintain the RH of the air within the piano at the ideal level of 42%. The components are installed out of sight, inside the case of a vertical piano or under the soundboard of a grand.

Systems can be installed for $150- $350.

Keytop Replacement

No one improvement is as dramatic to the appearance of a piano as a new set of keytops. Ted can replace the tops of the white keys and refinish the blacks of just about any keyboard. The work will all be done off site so that there is no mess or inconvenience for the owner. The keys will be replaced back into the piano in four days or less.

Replacing the white keytops and refinishing the blacks costs $250.

Amadeus Piano Service

524 Stewart Street, Fort Bragg, California
Phone: (707) 964.4198 or Toll Free: (877) 893-5537
Email: Info@piano-fixer.com

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