r/pianotech

https://reddit.com/link/1uo20ys/video/c5smdau3webh1/player

when i play softly that happens

I’m just getting started with piano tuning and I’m looking to buy my first ETD. My budget is pretty limited, so I’m currently deciding between:
PianoScope (subscription)
PianoMeter Plus
For those of you who’ve used either (or both), which would you recommend for someone who’s still learning? Which gives the best value for the money, and why?
Also, is there another ETD around the same price that you think is a better buy? I’m not looking for CyberTuner or Verituner at this stage since they’re way outside my budget.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve actually compared these apps in real-world tuning. Thanks!

I have a friend moving from Ontario to Vancouver in a few weeks, and they are most concerned about their baby grand (with obvious reason). They've hired movers to move everything, but they want to prepare their piano for the move before the movers arrive. I thought we should come straight to the experts. So, as piano techs, how would you prepare a baby grand for handling by movers and a several-day ride across the country? Which parts would you remove? What would you leave together, and how would you wrap or secure everything? Is there anything important to tell the movers about handling and position in the truck?

*Edit: someone suggested shipping it. wouldn't it make just as much sense to pack it the same way as it would ship and put it on the truck?

Hi Guys!

(Context-I’m not musically inclined at all, but I am an engineer.)

My fiancée’s dad put us in a pickle. He got her a used baby grand piano but he put it in his trailer Monday. It’s been hot and humid as h*ll and my fiancée is extremely worried it’s ruined. Of course our best move would be to try to rescue it asap and get it inside but logistically it would be very difficult. Is it worth trying or is it ruined? We’ve been in the mid 90’s all week. And the relative humidity has been in the 90s as well.

Thanks for your expertise in advance!

Hello all, I have a beautiful mahogany Baldwin Model M grand piano that I have been slowly working on. It had a bold, dark sound that I love but has some ringing partials in a few notes in the treble. my piano tech says that new hammers, voicing, and damper felts will likely solve that as well improving its dynamic range and overall tonal quality. I had it restrung 2 years ago. Just wondering what you guys think about sinking another $2,200 on the hammers and felts.

Hello everyone!

I've been a concert pianist in Morocco for many years, and I've always wanted to learn how to tune my own piano. Recently, though, that interest has grown significantly as I've started to appreciate just how much a skilled technician can influence an instrument's tone, character, and overall musical potential.

One challenge is that here in Morocco there are only two piano tuners, and as far as I'm aware neither is a Registered Piano Technician (RPT), so finding local mentorship isn't really an option (And from what other pianists here have told me, they're generally not equipped to handle anything beyond routine tuning)

I've been researching different training programs and came across Piano Technician Academy. I know it's been discussed here before, but I'd love your thoughts given my specific situation. If I don't have access to an experienced RPT locally, would PTA be the best path to build a solid foundation? Or are there other online programs in a similar price range that offer stronger live mentorship or one-on-one guidance?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone with firsthand experience. Thank you!

Hi all,

I have a rich friend who collects rare instruments. One of them is a Kranich & Bach square grand from the mid-1870s. He wants me to play it at an event, but - big surprise - it's out of tune. I know how to tune pianos passably well - I've done it on my own modern grands (a Yamaha and later a Steinway). But this one seems like a different beast.

I told him he should probably have an expert look at it, but he's been burned by bad tuners in the past and says he trusts my judgement more.

So, anyone who's tuned a piano like this before - what should I look out for? What should I do to avoid damaging it? If you think I'm hopelessly in over my head, please explain why - I'd like to understand what I don't know.

TLDR; practical ways to get better at regulating?how did you get from learning/practicing to feeling confident in offering it as a service to people?

Im just looking for tips/input on how to improve with regulation. I feel like ive watched every video i can find on it and so i understand it from a theoretical stand point, but I wouldnt try it on someones piano, because i wouldnt be going into it knowing the outcome will work out i guess.

I have tried it on 1 of my 3 and it didn’t go so well. I was able to reverse most of what I did, but I definitely feel like the result was worse than where it was when I started, which was discouraging because I at least hoped I’d be able to even slightly improve the playability. The experience made me sort take a break from pursuing full regulation.

i did some samples before trying a bigger section and I remember feeling like I didn’t notice things about the playability with just 3 samples that came out more noticeably with more keys.

so im curious, people who’ve solely done correspondence courses, where you’re learning virtually, how’d you become competent in effectively doing regulation for customers?

how can I use my 3 pianos at home to my advantage? should I work on only making alterations to 3 notes for quite some time before even trying bigger sections? any input appreciated.

Hello, I am a piano technician from Germany from a family business that we have since 1888 i myself have 17 years of experience.We do tuning, repairs, restorations, concert services, etc. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask 😊

what spare parts do you think are absolutely essential to have on hand at any given appointment? I know ideally id just be prepared for anything, but im trying to get a list together of essentials (because of cost to buy all), bearing in mind likelihood of needing it as well as perhaps whether it’s something I could do on the fly vs make a follow appointment to do. if I have more time to plan for it, then I don’t necessarily need to have it then. thanks.