Cleaning, Regulation, & Voicing

Cleaning, Regulation, & Voicing

by SJ Piano ServiceNo Comments
Tuning is not the only maintenance that pianos need! As dust and other debris accumulates inside a piano, age and routine use wear down moving parts, and hammers compact and form deep grooves, various other maintenance tasks become essential. There is no standard interval for these maintenance tasks; but as a general rule, the more use the piano gets and the more advanced the pianists using it, the more frequently they should be done. Many pianists are simply not aware of what a well-regulated and well-voiced piano feels and sounds like, and don't realize what they're missing! As a general rule, any instrument that is being used by an advanced pianist, or for any performance purposes, should have voicing and regulation touched up on an annual basis. A thorough cleaning and regulation will generally be necessary every few years. If these tasks are done on a regular basis, the costs and time involved are much more manageable. In other cases where general...
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Two different solutions for old, dead hammers

Two different solutions for old, dead hammers

by SJ Piano ServiceNo Comments
Top: before and after hammer reshaping. This can't make the hammers new again, but can restore some of the tone, even out the sound, and improve sustain. In this case, it was a helpful measure on an old piano where replacing hammers wasn't currently in the budget. In a perfect world, this should be done every few years on all hammers, especially on high quality or heavily used instruments. Bottom: new hammers on a 100-year-old upright. This is the ideal solution for this age instrument, where the original hammers really have nothing left to give. Many people do not realize that hammer quality and maintenance are some of the biggest factors in the tone quality of a piano! They are worth everything you put into them. ...
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Voicing piano hammers – an incredible difference in sound

Voicing piano hammers – an incredible difference in sound

by SJ Piano Service Comment Closed
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 voicing is the third element of piano maintenance and refers exclusively to the manipulation of the hammer felt. Over time, piano hammers get deep grooves, as well as the natural hardening and compressing of the felt with age and use. Voicing involves several different techniques to harden, soften, reshape, and re-texturize the hammer felt. It's called "voicing" because every change made to the hammer felt makes a significant difference in the tone quality of the piano. What may be perceived as a "sour" or "out-of-tune" note is sometimes a voicing issue. Lastly, it's worth pointing out that new pianos need this too! Technicians spend many hours voicing quality new...
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