Grand piano keyframe

This is what your piano keys are resting on (viewed from the side). Sometimes you may not want to see it… But a deep cleaning is part of every good regulation job. This piano felt, looked, and sounded like a different instrument after a thorough cleaning and regulation!

Spills and drips in pianos

This dark line running across about 25 strings is corrosion – very likely from something spilling or dripping into the piano. Unfortunately, it’s an all-too-common sight. You should NEVER put beverages, flower pots, fish bowls, or any other liquid-containing items on top of a piano. Especially a grand piano!

Ben Patterson, RPT

I’m happy to announce that I am now a Registered Piano Technician (RPT) with the Piano Technicians Guild! It has been my pleasure to professionally service pianos for the last eight years. This year, I chose to join the Piano Technicians Guild and complete their certification process. The PTG is the foremost organization in the […]

Dampp-Chaser Piano Lifesaver system

This piano is a 45-year-old Steinway upright, which only seems half its age thanks to this Dampp-Chaser humidity control system. The Dampp-Chaser “Piano Lifesaver” system is a humidity control system designed specifically for pianos. It truly is a lifesaver, particularly for pianos in churches, schools, and other institutions where the climate is not controlled as […]

Hammer reshaping, before and after

Hammer re-shaping, before and after. You can imagine the difference in sound after all the grooves, grime and dust are gone! A before-and-after view of hammer reshaping

How many toolboxes does a piano technician carry?

Actually, I carry three with me for most appointments. And that doesn’t include many, many more tools at home. But one toolbag is typically all I need for a tuning. The extra materials are for those impossible-to-predict broken strings, regulation and voicing issues, broken parts, and miscellaneous repairs! And those extra toolboxes stay in the […]

Cardboard piano!

Saw this in the home of a piano student. Made by an 11-year-old, completely from cardboard scraps! He said he just worked off a picture… I think I see a piano technician in the making. To-scale cardboard piano

Voicing piano hammers – an incredible difference in sound

Did you know there are actually three categories of maintenance that pianos need? Tuning is the first that most people think of. But regulation and voicing are two other maintenence items that make an enormous difference in the feel and sound of a piano – sometimes more so than tuning. I’ve discussed regulation before, but […]

Henry Steinway’s workdesk

One last fascinating piece of history from the new Steinway showroom in Manhattan: this was Henry Steinway’s work desk from the 1800’s when he started making his first pianos. Like a lot of tools piano technicians use, it was completely handmade. And it has held up pretty well!