UK Piano Page Piano Discussion Forums

JB · Member Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 3

Hello everybody.

I'm looking for some help with a question on tuning.

I bought a John Brinsmead piano around a year ago. My piano-insides knowledge is zilch, but it is - I think... - an overstrung, underdamped piano, ?made around 1900-1910. It has been beautifully restored.

Anyway, what I particularly loved about this piano was its beautifully sweet tones, mellowed like an old wine. When I moved a year ago I had it tuned. The guy who sold it to me, suggested that after I moved, I get him to drive the distance and tune it for me. But silly me, I let someone else do it. Now, I don't know what he did, but he changed the tuning. He bought it ?up. It's tone is just a bit shriller. Mentioned something about playing it with other instruments. Still sounds nice, but not AS nice.

I've moved again, this time much further. I'm going to get my piano tuned again, and want it back to the original tuning. From my vague story, can anyone give me a clue about what to quiz a tuner about. I don't know any tuners around here.

PianoGuy · Persistent Poster Joined: 21 May 2005 Posts: 1529

The second tuner did the correct thing. Sadly he probably just highlighted the deficiencies of the piano. He tuned it to concert pitch which is pretty much essential, and it's the pitch it should have been tuned to when it was sold to you. To me this indicates the vendor was more at fault than the tuner, especially as it was he who tuned it at an incorrect pitch at installation.

Of course your second tuner could have been poor or was having an off- day, or maybe he only had time to raise the pitch and not fine-tune it, so by all means try another tuner, but don't let him drop the pitch without good reason.

JB · Member Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 3

Right, thanks.
Slightly confusing, but good to clarify that.
I'll just get back to playing and enjoying my piano then.

sussexpianos · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:02 am Post subject:

The piano sold to you should have been at concert pitch. This means that the note "A" in the middle resonates at a frequency of 440hz. This is the pitch all instruments are tuned/made to unless they are purpose made for early music like 415hz etc. Unless the piano was sold to you with the understanding that the piano was old and couldn't go to concert pitch. Raising the pitch of the piano increases tension on the wire which increases the downward tension (downbearing) on the bridges which in turn forces the soundboard to go flater ( soundboards are concave/convex) and this will change the tone slightly but give you more volume. The piano would have been designed for concert pitch and as such the tuner did the right thing but unfortunately has given you a tone you don't like. You will soon get used to the tone ( like a new car). I tend to bring pianos up over time ( a few tunings) if the customer wants it at concert pitch as not all customers really mind.

Gill the Piano · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject:

The fact that it ought to have been at concert pitch and wasn't may have been why the vendor was anxious that you called them back to tune it!

PianoGuy · Persistent Poster Joined: 21 May 2005 Posts: 1529

sussexpianos · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:54 pm Post subject:

I've been smelling one all week, unfortunately I had to go up into the loft and get the dead rotting thing. It was putting my customers off from buying!

JB · Member Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 3

Helpful place this.

Hmm.....
The vendor had a very good reputation and I was happy to trust them.
I read it as just being courteous - he does travel to tune professional musicians' pianos around the place, so offered to do mine seeing as he reconditioned it.
It all does make me a little curious though...

Barrie Heaton · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject:

Gill the Piano · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:30 pm Post subject:

I just pick a pitch I fancy...! Twisted Evil

Sometimes we're lucky, sometimes we ain't. And for any customers reading, that was a joke. Honest...

pianobrereton · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:20 pm Post subject:

You all seem to be sumising that the fellow who sold the piano didn't tune it to pitch , but if the piano was moved some distance it could easily have gone out of tune and dropped from pitch due to the move and different environment .
Perhaps the new tuner didn't set the scale properly or didn't tune it properly or both. Or perhaps the accoustics in the new location aren't very good.
Pianos usually sound better when tuned to pitch not worse.

Gill the Piano · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:38 pm Post subject:

Could be that the new location is much hotter/drier than the original site.