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TUNING AND OTHER FIELD SERVICE: The most frequently requested field service we receive is tuning service. That is as it should be, since a piano should be tuned regularly. Twice a year would be a normal maintenance, especially if the piano has a humidity control unit installed. Six or more times a year is recommended for teaching studios, church sanctuarys, and other venues. Tuning frequency will depend on many factors. See “Regular Maintenance” below.
Some clients understand that “tuning” is an all-encompassing service call covering any problem witht he piano. That is NOT the case.
The client should be prepared to discuss problems with sticky keys, voicing, or other field service at the time of the initial tuning request so that the time can be included in the technician’s schedule. We find that frequently the client does not realize that these problems are not the same as tuning. The customer needs to be clear about what service is needed - as best can be ascertained - during the telephone request for service. More information is provided below to help identify service problems and needs. In addition to obvious problems such as notes which do not work or work noticably poorly, nearly every piano - even apparently well-functioning pianos - will benefit dramatically from technical service in addition to tuning.
This page includes an explanation of the different kinds of service you may need on your piano, and how Shull Piano approaches that service. Links to PTG literature are included. I also recommend that every piano owner purchase the excellent book by piano technician Larry Fine, “The Piano Book,” now in its fourth edition.
First Time Appointments: Most first time tuning appointments in the East Inland Empire are $150. This is the fee for pitch adjustment, or what is sometimes called a “pitch raise” (see next section). The fee for pitch maintenance is $125. Repairs, voicing, and other service is extra, and should be arranged prior to arrival for the appointment, otherwise I may not have the time needed to perform this additional service. Please read our policies on fees, scheduling, and cancellations.
Pitch Raises: Frequently the first appointment involves a significant pitch adjustment because of the lack of tuning or humidity maintenance, and a return call may be needed in one month before a regular tuning interval can be established. For the PTG brochure on “pitch raising” click on http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-pitchRaise.php
Regular Maintenance: Shull Piano provides prescheduled tuning maintenance for most of the pianos he services, usually at 6 month intervals. For established clients whose pianos are regularly serviced, It is recommended that additional funds for minor voicing, regulation, cleaning, and other repairs be included in the piano maintenance budget. For pianos which see daily, heavy practice a tuning interval of every week to every month is recommended. For PTG and manufacturer recommendations on tuning maintenance see http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-howOften.php
Event-Related Appointments: If a tuning is being scheduled for an event such as a concert, recital, performance, rehearsal, or party, it is important to schedule the appointment immediately before the event. Weather changes and other conditions (see below) can work to destroy a rock-solid tuning in an astonishingly short period. The “day of” is best, the “day-before” is next-best. Please be prepared to pay an additional fee for last-minute, weekend and evening scheduling
Humidity control, tuning stability and piano longevity: Pianos which are not equipped with complete humidity control may suffer tuning instability which may be moderate or severe. Regular tuning maintenance is enhanced dramatically with the use of humidity control, and some pianos require humidity control for tuning stability. For these instruments the regular fee for tuning maintenance is more often going to be the higher, pitch-adjustment rate. Shull Piano installs DamppChaser Corporation units which meet the following criteria: Units with humidifiers use the “Smart-barTM”, which assures the proper cycling of the system even when pads are dry. Units which only use dehumidifiers are always installed with humidistats to assure that the piano is not damaged from dryness. For the PTG brochure on humidity control see http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-humidity.php
Click here for the current relative humidity in Loma Linda.
Voicing Care, Action Regulation: Voicing, or tone regulation, relates to he “color” of your piano’s sound, the evenness of tone from note to note, section to section and soft to loud. Your piano’s own personality, its optimum sound, is attained through voicing. A solid action regulation
http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-regulation.php
(click for the ptg.org site brochure on action regulation) is needed to provide the foundation for the the actual voicing process, especially when the action is significantly out of regulation. Then a set of skills is tapped into for the actual voicing process. Voicing is not a one-time event, but a maintenance procedure, and the intervals between voicing will depend on the type of piano hammer and the amount and type of playing. For the PTG brochure on voicing see http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-voicing.php
Repair: Occasionally a request for tuning cannot be met until repair work is performed. Sometimes that work can be done immediately, but the repair work might require an additional service call. The tuning service may not begin until this work is completed. If all of the notes work on your piano, and if each note is not so far out of tune that it sounds like two notes, there is a good chance that your piano can be tuned on the first service call. Repair work may still be needed, which will be discussed at the service call.
The Teaching Piano: Piano, voice and instrument teachers need a piano which is well tuned and maintained. ALL teaching pianos should have humidity control units, and should be tuned frequently - every few weeks to every two months - and voiced and regulated as needed, as well. Shull Piano is committed to the maintenance of the pianos of those dedicated teachers, both private and in schools and colleges. for more information on the maintenance of the teaching piano, see http://www.ptg.org/resources-pianoOwners-teachingPianoCare.php
Concert and Recital Service: Shull Piano has provide service for concert and recital venues since 1984. Click on “Concert Tuner-Technician” For CONCERT OR RECITAL SERVICE.
TUNING FEES: The typical first-time tuning appointment is $150, plus mileage beyond a 20 mile radius, weekend surcharge or extra time required for special circumstances. Regular maintenance tuning fee can be as low as $125, especially after the installation of a humidity control unit in the piano. Some unforeseen costs should be anticipated, such as string or action part breakage during tuning (repairs can often be performed immediately, and are billed at the normal hourly rate).
Cancellation, Scheduling, The “Appointment Time,” and the Basic Service Call Fee: The appointment time is scheduled not for a specific time (10:30 AM) but for an arrival period (10 to 11 AM), and the client should allow for additional time, particularly in the afternoon. This allows us to provide the highest service level possible for each client.
Cancellation or rescheduling should take place as soon as possible, so as to allow the technician to reschedule the time slot. Same-day cancellations (including voicemail messages left the night before) are billed at the minimum service call rate, $125, higher outside of a 20 mile radius from Loma Linda, CA; please exercise the appropriate courtesy regarding this. This $125 basic service call fee is charged for up to 45 minutes of basic consultation, and for when, after the technician’s arrival, it is ascertained that the piano cannot be tuned.
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Shull Piano Inc
