How to Place Your Piano:
To preserve a pianos book value and play-ability it must be placed in a room with stable temperature and a moisture controlled environment (add moisture in the winter.) away from drafts and heat bursts.
The basics.
*Keep the piano in a room with a fairly constant temperature that changes slowly between seasons.
*Avoid keeping the piano in a winter hot room that will be constantly battling the woods natural moisture. If one room provides a majority of the heat to the rest of your house that is not the room to keep a piano.
* Place the piano on a Inside wall preferably with no direct daily sunlight to protect the finish as well as to maintain a consistent air temperature around the instrument. Tightly sealed modern gas treated double windows and drapes can make window locations possible.
*Make sure their is no heating/air vents or any drafts period located close or directly behind or under were the piano is going to be placed to protect the tuning block and internal mechanisms from drying out.
*Major temperature changes, lack of moisture in the winter, and constant drafts are the three major contributors to a piano holding poor tune. Change these conditions add a humidifier too the room and let your piano adjust to the atmosphere over a few months and it will be ready to hold tune in no time! We can reinforce your tuning block as well, but it is preferable to be done once the piano has adjusted to these changes sealing in the moister it needs to hold tune properly.
Damp chaser mechanisms are high maintenance and can harm your piano if left unmaintained. If your going to use or make an investment in a damp chaser system be prepared to check it as often as every other day. We recommend simply running a humidifier from November too April in the greater New England seasonal environment.
Maintenance to preserve its playing quality!
*With a grand you should help add moisture to the nearby area (never directly) with a humidifier every couple of days in the winter to help keep the instrument from 'dry shock' which causes loose pins and cracked sound boards. These issues can be fixed, but will reoccur if you keep the piano in the same atmosphere. A poor tech will blame the piano so do not get discouraged from what you have been told, be patient and call us! A grands sound board and internal mechanisms are much more exposed to the surrounding air then an uprights hall hugging enclosed design. A humidifier in the winter is the most logical way for a easy low maintenance happy piano. We find that a fish tank with an open cover works wonders for natural moisture year round.
(For instructions on how to maintain a low maintenance open air fish tank visit www.aquabana.com F.A.Q.)
Some facts about pianos and the quality of a hand made instrument:
*An older piano is built to survive the wrong atmosphere but won't be happy or hold tune if kept in these condition's. Allot of minor restorations may be needed as well due to misplacing instruments over long periods of time.
*Allot of today's piano brands bought new will last up to 10 years in the wrong conditions sounding fairly decent, but over an extended period end up endless money pits no matter how cheap or expensive it was originally. Today's pianos are unfortunately commonly built with cheap parts that weren't assembled by hand and with the care of a handed down set of traditions, the golden age of pianos was the predecessor to the television era inspiring the piano makers work effort to create something magical and more importantly endlessly entertaining for the greater population.
*Only a professional with a trained ear notices all the characteristics of a particular piano so if your a beginner invest in becoming a master of the simplest sounds, and simply enjoy something that will inspire you and your children too be inspired for generations!
Master Tech
Ryan David Bird Larson
To preserve a pianos book value and play-ability it must be placed in a room with stable temperature and a moisture controlled environment (add moisture in the winter.) away from drafts and heat bursts.
The basics.
*Keep the piano in a room with a fairly constant temperature that changes slowly between seasons.
*Avoid keeping the piano in a winter hot room that will be constantly battling the woods natural moisture. If one room provides a majority of the heat to the rest of your house that is not the room to keep a piano.
* Place the piano on a Inside wall preferably with no direct daily sunlight to protect the finish as well as to maintain a consistent air temperature around the instrument. Tightly sealed modern gas treated double windows and drapes can make window locations possible.
*Make sure their is no heating/air vents or any drafts period located close or directly behind or under were the piano is going to be placed to protect the tuning block and internal mechanisms from drying out.
*Major temperature changes, lack of moisture in the winter, and constant drafts are the three major contributors to a piano holding poor tune. Change these conditions add a humidifier too the room and let your piano adjust to the atmosphere over a few months and it will be ready to hold tune in no time! We can reinforce your tuning block as well, but it is preferable to be done once the piano has adjusted to these changes sealing in the moister it needs to hold tune properly.
Damp chaser mechanisms are high maintenance and can harm your piano if left unmaintained. If your going to use or make an investment in a damp chaser system be prepared to check it as often as every other day. We recommend simply running a humidifier from November too April in the greater New England seasonal environment.
Maintenance to preserve its playing quality!
*With a grand you should help add moisture to the nearby area (never directly) with a humidifier every couple of days in the winter to help keep the instrument from 'dry shock' which causes loose pins and cracked sound boards. These issues can be fixed, but will reoccur if you keep the piano in the same atmosphere. A poor tech will blame the piano so do not get discouraged from what you have been told, be patient and call us! A grands sound board and internal mechanisms are much more exposed to the surrounding air then an uprights hall hugging enclosed design. A humidifier in the winter is the most logical way for a easy low maintenance happy piano. We find that a fish tank with an open cover works wonders for natural moisture year round.
(For instructions on how to maintain a low maintenance open air fish tank visit www.aquabana.com F.A.Q.)
Some facts about pianos and the quality of a hand made instrument:
*An older piano is built to survive the wrong atmosphere but won't be happy or hold tune if kept in these condition's. Allot of minor restorations may be needed as well due to misplacing instruments over long periods of time.
*Allot of today's piano brands bought new will last up to 10 years in the wrong conditions sounding fairly decent, but over an extended period end up endless money pits no matter how cheap or expensive it was originally. Today's pianos are unfortunately commonly built with cheap parts that weren't assembled by hand and with the care of a handed down set of traditions, the golden age of pianos was the predecessor to the television era inspiring the piano makers work effort to create something magical and more importantly endlessly entertaining for the greater population.
*Only a professional with a trained ear notices all the characteristics of a particular piano so if your a beginner invest in becoming a master of the simplest sounds, and simply enjoy something that will inspire you and your children too be inspired for generations!
Master Tech
Ryan David Bird Larson
