Piano Tuning

[mattscott306]

Does anyone have any guesses at about how much it would cost to get a piano tuned? I've had one sitting in my house for about a month that's in desperate need of a tuning, but I wanna make sure it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to do.

[MultiM]

A few hundred at least...past experience tells me so.....

[CanadaRAM]

A few hundred at least...past experience tells me so.....

Holy Cow!

Matt, why not just phone around? This market is intensely local and prices will vary. Call the piano shops and/or your local University music department, and ask who they recommend.

[mattscott306]

Holy Cow!

Matt, why not just phone around? This market is intensely local and prices will vary. Call the piano shops and/or your local University music department, and ask who they recommend.
I sent out a few emails, to different companies I found online, last week but got no replies.
I didn't think about checking at school (or uni as y'all call it) so I guess I'll do that. Really I'm just trying to get some price guesses, and I don't feel like dealing with pushy sales type people to get prices verbally.

[lilstewart]

Couple hundred? :eek:

More like $85 for me. Call around; look in your local phonebook. :)

[Leareth]

about $ 50 - $200 depending on competition in market, type of piano, level of tuning required and which day it is.

[adk]

You just need to find a good guy (or gal). It should cost you well less than $100. I believe my guy charges $55.

[iMeowbot]

So no one else is daft enough to tune their own?

[katie ta achoo]

Pianos aren't that hard to crack open. Tune the A above middle C and do the rest by ear. :)

[ErikCLDR]

I would say at least $100.

I think it was somewhere around there for our baby grand, that was probably like 8 years ago too. We moved and it hasn't been retuned since.

I don't really know though, we haven't done it in years.

[xsedrinam]

Piano Tuning Kits can be had (ex. Schaff) (http://www.vandaking.com/us-shop/index.html?loadfile=catalog8_0.html) for around U.S.$50 and up. If you have any kind of ear at all, and can settle on an A-440 (as Katie mentions), it shouldn't be that difficulst just using Tuning Hammers.

My oldest brother (concert pianist) used to drive us crazy with his tuning sessions, but it works.

[localoid]

Does anyone have any guesses at about how much it would cost to get a piano tuned? I've had one sitting in my house for about a month that's in desperate need of a tuning, but I wanna make sure it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to do.

Is this a new Steinway grand, a vintage Duo-Art Player Piano or just an old "common" upright? If the piano has some real value beyond a no-name upright or studio piano I wouldn't let just anyone that owns a tuning hammer tune it.

Piano Tuning Kits can be had (ex. Schaff) (http://www.vandaking.com/us-shop/index.html?loadfile=catalog8_0.html) for around U.S.$50 and up. If you have any kind of ear at all, and can settle on an A-440 (as Katie mentions), it shouldn't be that difficulst just using Tuning Hammers.

My oldest brother (concert pianist) used to drive us crazy with his tuning sessions, but it works.

Generally this is bad advice, unless the piano is virtually worthless. A novice with a tuning hammer can easy to break strings and other things. This page (http://piano.detwiler.us/) offers some good advice on the subject of tuning your own piano.

Most pianos are tuned 1/4-step flat out of the factory. Many old pianos have never been tuned to A=440. Bringing them up to A=440 should be done slowly, least old strings may suddenly snap. Esp. on say a 50-year old piano that's never been tuned. If the piano is worth $25, it's no big deal. I've seen people screwup some valuable pianos trying to do it themselves however...

[xsedrinam]

Generally this is bad advice, unless the piano is virtually worthless. A novice with a tuning hammer can easy to break strings and other things. This page (http://piano.detwiler.us/) offers some good advice on the subject of tuning your own piano.
Why would your same advice be considered good and the other, bad? :confused: You assume "novice" as a relative, catch-all term.

[mattscott306]

Is this a new Steinway grand, a vintage Duo-Art Player Piano or just an old "common" upright? If the piano has some real value beyond a no-name upright or studio piano I wouldn't let just anyone that owns a tuning hammer tune it.

It's a kimball upright a friend had no use for any longer. The friend was under the impression it was made sometime in th 50's, but I have no evidence of that.

[Doctor Q]

I was asking neighbors about piano tuners just last month, when I arranged for a piano to be donated to our school by a neighbor of mine.

I also read the Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_tuning) and learned there's a lot of music science behind it!

I concluded that local word-of-mouth is indeed a good way to find piano tuners.

[MacNut]

How bad is it out of tune. Can you play a song and still get the basic tune or is it so far out that you can't even make out a chord. Do the strings sound sharp and crisp or is there a pingy sound when the hammer hits. You might need to fix more then strings in an old piano. The hammers might not be striking right or the dampers might be out of whack. If you attempt to self tune make sure not to damage the sound board. That would be very bad.

I would say $75-150 depending on the piano and the work needed.

[steamboat26]

My dad does piano tuning as a part time hobby, he usually charges $75-$150 depending on the condition, time needed, etc.
You will probably have to spend a lot more if you hire somebody that uses computers to tune your piano. Get somebody who does it by ear, it will sound better.

[macmama]

My guy charges $90, but I've paid as much as $210 before (rip off). For a regular upright, it shouldn't be a large outlay of cash. Sometimes if it would be inordinately difficult to bring a very out of tune piano up to A=440, they can tune the entire piano flat (but in tune with itself) which is fine unless you have perfect pitch or you'll be doing any accompanying.

If you're unsure of who to turn to for a referral, you can ask your local church organist or school music teacher who they recommend. :)

[mattscott306]

How bad is it out of tune. Can you play a song and still get the basic tune or is it so far out that you can't even make out a chord. Do the strings sound sharp and crisp or is there a pingy sound when the hammer hits. You might need to fix more then strings in an old piano. The hammers might not be striking right or the dampers might be out of whack. If you attempt to self tune make sure not to damage the sound board. That would be very bad.

I would say $75-150 depending on the piano and the work needed.
It's pretty bad off- I can get out a few chords around middle c, but anything else is a bit off. I do know that Middle C is tuned correctly as I've tested it out with both my guitar and an electronic keyboard I have.
The actual sound of isn't as bright as I think it should be, but I figured it was just becuase it was an older piano. (Can you tell I don't have much experience with them...)
My guy charges $90, but I've paid as much as $210 before (rip off). For a regular upright, it shouldn't be a large outlay of cash. Sometimes if it would be inordinately difficult to bring a very out of tune piano up to A=440, they can tune the entire piano flat (but in tune with itself) which is fine unless you have perfect pitch or you'll be doing any accompanying.

If you're unsure of who to turn to for a referral, you can ask your local church organist or school music teacher who they recommend. :)

Since middle C is in good shape, I'm assuming it shouldn't be too hard to bring the rest up to a=440. As for referals, I don't know any church organists nor school music teachers. As for my Uni, they're out of session untill next week, so I can't ask them just yet.

[janey]

holy cow, a few hundred dollars? i think my tuner is <$100, but my piano doesn't really go out of tune but I do break the occasional string, and it's been a while...

otoh it's a yamaha upright. i want to get a steinway grand but there's no room...

[bartelby]

It's pretty bad off- I can get out a few chords around middle c, but anything else is a bit off. I do know that Middle C is tuned correctly as I've tested it out with both my guitar and an electronic keyboard I have.
The actual sound of isn't as bright as I think it should be, but I figured it was just becuase it was an older piano. (Can you tell I don't have much experience with them...)


Can you get away with saying it's a honky tonk piano?:)

[floriflee]

I spend about $85 to tune mine every year. Depending on how humid/how often your climate changes you may need to get it tuned more/less often. I'd say that you should be able to find some place to do it for under $100. If you know of anyone else that has a piano you may try to get a recommendation from them.

[iMeowbot]

It's pretty bad off- I can get out a few chords around middle c, but anything else is a bit off. I do know that Middle C is tuned correctly as I've tested it out with both my guitar and an electronic keyboard I have.
You probably want to get a real tuner then, if it's not evenly out of whack then it's probably been let go for a really long time and may take a few passes to get it into shape (the added tension from bringing up all the other strings will likely flatten the ones that currently seem to be in tune, and so on).
The actual sound of isn't as bright as I think it should be, but I figured it was just becuase it was an older piano. (Can you tell I don't have much experience with them...)
That can be addressed, but it'll cost you :p You may want to convince yourself that you like it that way.

[Doctor Q]

Depending on how humid/how often your climate changes you may need to get it tuned more/less often.Trivia: Wood must be dried when used to manufacture a piano. The amount it needs to be dried depends on the climate of the area in which it will be sold.

[mattscott306]

You probably want to get a real tuner then, if it's not evenly out of whack then it's probably been let go for a really long time and may take a few passes to get it into shape (the added tension from bringing up all the other strings will likely flatten the ones that currently seem to be in tune, and so on).
Hmm, I was hoping I wouldn't have to call them out more than once, but I was thinking I probably would have to. Oh well, I'd rather do that than have the piano just sitting unused.
That can be addressed, but it'll cost you :p You may want to convince yourself that you like it that way.
Well that sucks, would it require string replacement to get to sound brighter?

[macmama]

my piano doesn't really go out of tune but I do break the occasional string, and it's been a while...
Janey's quite right; if you keep up with tuning a piano regularly, it doesn't get as bad it probably is right now. When I acquired my piano, it had been neglected for a while, so I had it tuned every six months a few times. But now that it's being played regularly, it's doing much better.

My piano has a pretty awful timbre, btw. It's a player, and it really does sound "honky tonk" (and yes, the metal plate has been taken out). But hey, it was free, so the price was right.

[iMeowbot]

Hmm, I was hoping I wouldn't have to call them out more than once, but I was thinking I probably would have to. Oh well, I'd rather do that than have the piano just sitting unused.
It depends on how bad it is. It may be possible to get it all done in one session.
Well that sucks, would it require string replacement to get to sound brighter?
First the tech will want to get the mechanical action all smoothed out (they'll be calling that part regulation), and if it still sounds dead, next would be messing with the hammer felt to fix deformation and hardness changes (that part's called voicing). Voicing in particular is more art than science, and success is a hit or miss proposition, but possibly worth a shot if the sound really bugs you.

A good piano tech (try to get refs) will give you an honest evaluation of the instrument, and will warn you ahead of time if the value of the instrument is worth the extra work or not.

[mahashel]

$75 for a routine tuning of my 100 year-old upright.
The thing is ancient, relatively worthless, and goes out of tune in less than 6 months.
I should just let it decay, put my tuning money in a jar, and buy a new one in 50 years. :p
I have always visited the local primary school and asked the music teacher for the contact info of whoever tunes their school piano(s). They are usually elderly, inexpensive, and fantastic. Used this tactic in the last 3 U.S. states I've lived in and have yet to be disappointed.

[Dave00]

Does anyone have any guesses at about how much it would cost to get a piano tuned? I've had one sitting in my house for about a month that's in desperate need of a tuning, but I wanna make sure it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to do.
There's no point in having the piano if you don't tune it. It's like having a car but putting no gas in it. Usually it should be tuned at least twice a year. A good tuning, from a pretty bad starting point, runs about $80, depending on location. There are professional associations that can put you in touch with a tuner. Just google "piano tuner" or check the yellow pages.

Piano Tuning Kits can be had (ex. Schaff) (http://www.vandaking.com/us-shop/index.html?loadfile=catalog8_0.html) for around U.S.$50 and up. If you have any kind of ear at all, and can settle on an A-440 (as Katie mentions), it shouldn't be that difficulst just using Tuning Hammers.

My oldest brother (concert pianist) used to drive us crazy with his tuning sessions, but it works.
I strongly recommend against doing this. Good way to destroy your piano. Piano tuning is a trade, like carpentry or plumbing. Sure, you can saw a piece of wood in half, but does that mean you can build a house? And tuning a piano involves more than simply tightening/loosening screws.

The actual sound of isn't as bright as I think it should be, but I figured it was just becuase it was an older piano. (Can you tell I don't have much experience with them...)
The brightness is partially affected by the action of the keys (which can be regulated by a piano tuner) and partially by the acoustics of the room. A small room with plaster walls and hardwood floors is going to sound very bright; a piano on shag carpet with many wall coverings is not.

[mattscott306]

The brightness is partially affected by the action of the keys (which can be regulated by a piano tuner) and partially by the acoustics of the room. A small room with plaster walls and hardwood floors is going to sound very bright; a piano on shag carpet with many wall coverings is not.

While the room may effect the eventual sound, you can tell the sound coming off the piano itself is a bit softish.

[mattscott306]

I got a quote back from another round of emails I sent back. The tech said it would be between 95 and 150 depending on the needed work/time. I think I'm going to go with it, becuase he said he was working on a repair this weekend but would be able to slip away for a tuning, which is a better lead time than some of the others I have heard from.

[Cameront9]

Funny, I work in a music store and have been listening to them tune Pianos for the last three hours. And yes, it is maddening.

Anyway, I suggest contacting your local piano dealer/music store and getting referrals. A good shop will probably have 2 or 3 people that are experienced and at decent prices.

[mattscott306]

I schedualed an appointment for saturday, the guy does ear tuning, he said he'd ok any extra charges before he did the work. His base price is $95, and he said it wouldn't go over $150. So here's hoping i'm not entirely ripped off, I did call two of his listed references (music stores) and they both praised him and all that.

[MacNut]

I did call two of his listed references (music stores) and they both praised him and all that. Unless he owns both music stores.:rolleyes:

[mattscott306]

But you can't honestly know if you can trust that sort of thing ever. On a side note, I got back a quote from another tuner for $100. That makes one for 95 (that I'm using) one for 85, and one for 100. So this guy's prices are nearly median for my small market sampling.

[Pianotuner101]

First off Sorry for bumping an old thread.
i tune pianos here in the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington area.

Before i tune i check over the piano before i start to verify the condition of the piano. if it needs a repair before tuning that is factored in and discussed before hand.
yes, age and exposure to moisture is something to consider.

i have heard of some tuners as low as 60.00 and some as high as 200 i am mid pack at around 85.

hope you found some one good in the L.A. area other than that hello to all

73'
Mark.

[Doctor Q]

i tune pianos here in the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington area.How did you learn to do it?