[morag]

I bought a cheap piano (I think I paid about Ł250) a couple of years ago. I've had it tuned twice in that time. The first time, it seemed to hold the tuning fairly well for a few months, and then went. As it was winter-time and the central heating was pretty much always on (and I haven't got around to lessons yet), I decided to leave off tuning until the weather improved and the heating went off. The next time it was tuned it started sounding out again within a week, and continued to deteriate.

Am I likely to have this problem with any piano, or is it just because I have a cheap one? Would I be better trading up to another upright, or getting an electric piano instead?

Thanks,
Morag

[Barrie Heaton]

The price of the piano is not important it is the condition that counts. Was it
the same tuner who tuned it the second time and did they comment about the
tuning pins - when you have the piano tuned the first time the pins may have
been OK but with the CH on the piano may have dried out making the tuning
pins lose

This can be common with older pains I tend to recommend putting water in
the bottom or use radiator pans a full climate control system is the best but they tend to be more expensive that the lower end pianos I would have a word with the tuner see what they have to say

Fixing the problem if the pianos are lose

Restring will be expensive and costs more that the piano in most cases Pin tite can be used but at the moment the UK supply houses don't have any, in
stock. I do use CA glue for loos pins some times but the piano need to be in a well ventilated area that is a cheaper option


Barrie,
_________________
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page

[Gill the Piano]

Sounds obvious, but when you buy a piano it's usually been sold because the former owner didn't want it. If they didn't want it, they wouldn't have played it and certainly wouldn't have spent money on getting it tuned, so when you bought it, that could have been its first tuning in a long long time. Tuning a piano is a bit like getting fit; you can't do one session of aerobics and then say "That's it, I'm fit!" Similarly, the piano needs a regular regime of tuning to get it back in shape. Also, if you imagine what you'd feel like after an aerobics lesson if you hadn't exercised for ages, you have a fair idea of how your piano felt after its first tuning!
I'd say get it back into a regular tuning rhythm and ask your tuner for his opinion.
Good luck!
Gill

[Melodytune]

As a tuner myself, if I had any concerns about the state of the piano both from a point of view of how and where the piano is situated (i.e. next to a radiator) or the tuning pins were loose I would point it out to the customer and advise on measures as Barrie has already mentioned to combat the situation.

If a piano hasn't been tuned for some time, it may take several fine tunings to settle it again. It is important then to keep the piano tuned regularly.

Regards
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Chris Melloy
Piano Tuner