# Piano tuners & movers



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Yeah, it's a guitar forum, but this is a general music part.:smile:

We're getting a piano for free, but we'll have to pay for the mover & the tuning (it hasn't been tuned in about 15 years--possibly longer---from what I understand that may involve an extra trip or two by the tuner).

I've been checking out options online & will be calling some today & Monday. I'm also going to be checking with some piano owners I know.

BUT I'd also like to hear personal recommendations. If anybody here has had experience with either tuners or movers in Calgary--what were they like?

At first I wasn't sure if I'd take the free piano because of the cost of moving & tuning. Then I smartened up & realized I'd be getting a piano for quite cheap. (And I still have some money set aside that will go to a resonator eventually.)
I took 3 years of lessons when I was a kid, before I took guitar lessons, but I was always a guitarist in waiting and piano was a detour. And, it's another musical instrument in the house. (Good thing in my books.) It'll be fun to noodle around on it once it's here, settled in for a few weeks & then tuned.

Then I'll have to get pickups for it or a good piano mic or 2 and some recording software and write a guitar/bass/piano song or two.

Thanks for any comments, suggestions, recommendations, etc.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

The piano is still playable, it works fine.
It sounds good. No structural damage, etc.
It's been taken care of--it just hasn't been tuned for a long time.

I know all this because it's at my parents' house, and it's the one I used when I took lessons. It's been tuned since I stopped taking lessons, but it's been a while.

I've been reading up about it and know the tuner will need to make an extra trip or two--that's okay. And I'm prepared for it not to be able to be tuned to 440. I don't always tune my guitars to that as well, so no problem there for me. As long as it's in tune with itself. 

At one time I actually considered taking a course in piano tuning, but I didn't have the cash, especially since it wasn't local.

But thanks for the comments.


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## wnpgguy (Dec 21, 2007)

Our piano tuner was here a couple days ago, cost about $90 bucks. For an old piano he does really well and isn't fussy if your in his face asking questions. Our piano is probably like the one your getting: old, needs new strings, and has a character all its own. 

Who knows maybe its a jem in the rough.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

May be a good thing. I miss mine. It was a removal from a church basement. It had a few problems but actually stayed in tune fairly well if played. 

Yes the tuner may charge for a few trips to bring it up to pitch. I bugged my sister and she bought me a tuning hammer for xmas ( $25). It may be worth the cost for you to bring it up to pitch then bring the tuner to finish it up. 

Not really that hard to get it close enough. Usually it's only one or two strings in the set that are out. But I used to own an autoharp.

I do miss it but had to make a decision organ or piano. 

They aren't that hard to move either four guys a pickup and a couple of planks. There are piano dollies for rent to.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

wnpgguy said:


> Our piano tuner was here a couple days ago, cost about $90 bucks. For an old piano he does really well and isn't fussy if your in his face asking questions. Our piano is probably like the one your getting: old, needs new strings, and has a character all its own.
> 
> Who knows maybe its a jem in the rough.


Want to send him out here?:smile:



shoretyus said:


> May be a good thing. I miss mine. It was a removal from a church basement. It had a few problems but actually stayed in tune fairly well if played.
> 
> Yes the tuner may charge for a few trips to bring it up to pitch. I bugged my sister and she bought me a tuning hammer for xmas ( $25). It may be worth the cost for you to bring it up to pitch then bring the tuner to finish it up.
> 
> ...


I can't help move it--due to the accident I just had. My body's already sore from that.

I'll look into trying one of those tuning hammers. Once we get the piano here it will need to get acclimatized before tuning it--so it would give me some time to play around with that. 

Thanks...


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

couple of links....

http://piano.detwiler.us/

not sure what this is about but heck it's in your town 
http://www.buysell.com/root/detail/...00/PIANO_tuning_tools_supplies_books_for.aspx

I used to have a link for a store in Toronto that has some good kits but here is a start on Ebay 

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PIANO-TUNIN...2QQcmdZViewItemQQssPageNameZRSS:B:SRCH:US:102

opps found it 
http://www.pianosupplies.com/Mercha...ory_Code=tuningequipment&Affilliate=sdetwiler


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Thanks.
I have some other stuff that's come up, so this may be delayed again--but it could give me time to check into other options.


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