My Piano Doctor

Q: "How often should I have my piano tuned, I don't play it very often"? 

Answer:  Tuning & servicing your piano is a normal part of piano ownership.  The main reasons a piano goes out of tune, are the atmospheric variations (temperature changes), and the nature of a piano's construction.   If the piano is new or newly repinned, it should be tuned 3 or 4 times in the first year.

A good rule of thumb for the average household in a moderate climate is to tune the piano when the heat goes on in the Fall, and again when the heat goes off in Spring. If you're sensitive to tuning or if you live in a very dry or humid climate, your may want your piano tuned  3 times or more each year.

To put the matter of tuning into perspective, remember that a concert piano is tuned before every performance and as the concert hall fills up, the temperature goes up, so it's usually tuned again at intermission.  A piano in a professional recording studio, where it is in constant use, is tuned 3 or 4 times each week as a matter of course.
If you leave your piano for years without tuning, moisture will collect on the strings, consequently they rust and lose their tone.

Q: "What are the correct names for the different sizes of grand pianos"? 

Answer:
5' 8" or smaller is a 'Baby Grand'
5' 9" - 5' 11" is a "Living Room Grand" 
6' - 6' 3"  is called a "Professional Grand"
6' 4" - 6' 7" is a "Drawing Room Grand"
6' 8" - 6' 10" is called "Parlour", "Artist", "Salon" or "Music Room Grand"
7' 4" to 8' 6"  is a "Half or Semi Concert Grand"
8' 11" and larger is a "Concert" or "Orchestral Concert Grand"

[Source: Arthur A. Reblitz Piano Servicing, Tuning & Rebuilding Book:]

Q:"Why does my piano tuner use one of those electronic machines to tune the piano? 

Answer: Many people think those machines tune the piano, they don't!  Your piano tuner does that job manually with his hands and his ears.  However, he needs to obtain the source of his pitch from a reliable point of origin.  Years ago, only tuning forks were used to obtain this pitch.  There are 12 forks, one for each note of the scale.  They're still available today, but thanks to modern technology, a tuner can now get his sound source from a 'Pitch Generator'.  This is a machine that electronically gives out the correct pitch allowing the tuner the use of both hands, which in turn speeds up the tuning process.  You'll find a technician tunes the first octave with the generator to set the 'temperament', and the rest of the piano is balanced according to the bearings obtained in that first octave.  A 'Pitch Generator' is also useful for some older pianos that cannot be brought up to standard pitch (A440).

Q:  "How much is my old piano worth?" 

Answer:   This is the most asked question we receive.  It's impossible for anyone to assess or appraise an old or antique piano without physically seeing it.
Don't be fooled by some of the 'self-appointed experts' out there who want to charge you money for appraisals over the internet or by telephone. You might be misled & then insure, buy, or sell your piano for the wrong value.  There have been more than 12,000 piano manufacturers around the world, who in turn made dozens of models of their pianos, and with up to 12,500 parts in a piano, there are too many variables that MUST be seen and touched to give you a proper appraisal.

Q:    "I need my piano tuned, but I live out of town... can I send the strings to you by courier, to be tuned?"

Answer: 
Uummmm.....We believe if you need an answer to this question... perhaps you should take up the drums!  :-)