Piano tuning, voicing and regulation in the middle region of the Netherlands
Welcome!
I am Frans Eerhardt, skilled piano tuner / technician from Amersfoort.
I am available on Wednesday morning, Thursday and Friday.
Piano tuning €90
I tune your instrument for €90, if your instrument is in Amersfoort, Leusden, Soest, or elsewhere within a radius of 10 km from Amersfoort centre. Further away from my address I charge €2 per km extra. To calculate the distance you can use Google maps.
Please consider the following:
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Piano tuning takes 1 hour on average. Additional small repairs / adjusting / voicing etc. are free of charge for the first 15 minutes. If the operations take longer than that, I charge €15 per 15 minutes extra.
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You wil get a discount of €10 if I tuned your piano less than 13 months ago.
- If I happen to break a string I will mount a new one, if there is time for it. This takes about 25 minutes extra. Costs: €30. For the spinning and mounting of a new bass string a new appointment must be made.
- Please check if you own an old overdamper. Tuning such a piano takes 1.5 hours, I charge €110.
- You can pay cash, I can send you a 'Tikkie,' or you transfer the amount due to my account:
NL34ASNB0709080638
Why must a piano be tuned regularly?
It's frustrating trying to play a false piano, or one with other shortcomings. Beeing an investment for life, your piano should contribute to years of joy in making music. Since it is such a complex instrument, it must be maintained with the utmost care. When a piano is neglected it tends to fall out of shape fast. Regular servicing by a qualified technician will preserve your instrument and help avoiding costly repairs in the future.
Because your piano is built with materials such as wood, felt, leather and iron, it is subject to swelling and contracting. This affects tone, pitch, action response and touch. To maintain optimal sound quality and feel, your piano should be tuned at least once a year. If your piano has not been tuned for years, mostly one tuning job will take 1.5 hours. Some piano's can not be tuned anymore, or only at lower pitch. Concert grands at theatres and concert halls are usually tuned before each concert. Most overdampers are horrible even after tuning.
Where is the best spot to place your instrument?
Keep it away from the kitchen or windows / doors that are opened frequently. Avoid heating and air conditioning vents, fireplaces and direct sunlight. Also, a poorly insulated wall that feels cold during winter should be avoided. If a cold wall is the only possible spot, protect your piano by placing styrofoam panels between the wall and the piano. Keep an inch of air between the back of the piano and the panels.
If a piano is moved, a tuning job should be postponed for a month, to let it acclimatize.
How to keep the climate at home optimal
Air temperature and humidity
If temperature and / or humidity varies strongly, your instrument will detune faster. So, your piano will perform best under consistent conditions, optimally at a constant temperature over 24 hours, preferably a few degrees lower in winter and a few higher in summer, and 35 to 55% relative humidity. If humidity drops under 30%, the soundboard may crack, or worse, the tuning-pins become loose. An electronic hygrometer is a cheap and reliable investment to check humidity.
Humidifiers
During winter, humidity often drops below 40%. A cheap remedy is a Hydroceel unit in the piano, but be sure to remove it when humidity in the room raises again. When you leave it in while heavy (=wet), there is a chance you will grow fungi in your piano, and give rise to rusty strings that snap while tuning. Don't place jars with water in the piano. A much better solution is a humidifier for the whole room. It's worth the investment: keeps your piano from drying out, and the piano requires less tuning-jobs. Also, a humidifier preserves the rest of your wooden and leather furniture and carpet, plus the home-climate will feel more comfortable.
Further tips
Floor heating can drie out your instrument. Place a carpet under your grand. This will also improve the sound! Or stick radiator reflective foil under it to protect it from the radiation. Also use an air humidifier.
Further tips: always keep a small hatch open, preferably away from the piano, to create a constant small flow of fresh air (but not a draft) in the room. This is a good remedy against mold. Also, try not to let the night temperature drop by more then 4 °F (2.5 °C). If the humidity climbs over 60% and you do not have a de-humidifier, turn the heating up. The humidity will drop.
And last but not least: play regularly!
Cleaning tips
Clean the outside with a dry cloth. No microfiber! A haze on polyester can be removed with a cloth moisted with benzene. Remove scratches on polyester surfaces with some Zweihorn polish (and patience) on a dry cloth. If your keys are dirty, use a wad of kitchen paper moisturized with benzene.
Over time keys turn yellow or brown. This is normal and some say it should be left as is. However, ivory keys can be bleached with hydrogen peroxide and UV (sun) light. Since ivory turns yellow in the dark, better leave the lid open.
Both vertical and grand pianos are susceptible to dirt. Dust and insects can get trapped inside for years. On strings as rust can arise under the dust. Use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush in one hand and an extra long-haired brush in the other. Try not to touch strings with your hands to avoid corrosion. Be extra gentle with the hammers, and better not touch the dampers at all. The black wood on top of the dampers in a grand-piano can be cleaned carefully with a long-haired brush.
Contact
Frans Eerhardt, piano tuner
Amersfoort
The Netherlands
