Rates
Prices include travel within the city. There is no call-out charge and no charge if I look at an instrument and conclude it is not worth working on.
| Standard tuning | £75 |
|---|---|
| Tuning with pitch raise | £110 |
| Regulation, upright | from £180 |
| Regulation, grand | from £260 |
| Voicing | from £90 |
| Condition report before purchase | £60 |
| Small repairs | quoted on inspection |
What each one means
- Tuning
- Bringing every string back to correct pitch relative to the others. This is maintenance, not repair, and it needs doing on a schedule.
- Pitch raise
- Needed when an instrument has gone more than about a semitone flat. The first pass moves the strings roughly into place; the second pass tunes properly. Skipping the first pass gives you a tuning that drifts within days.
- Regulation
- Adjusting the moving parts of the action so that every key responds evenly. This is what to book if the touch feels uneven, notes repeat poorly, or keys stick.
- Voicing
- Reshaping and needling the hammer felts to change the tone. Worth doing on an instrument that has become harsh with age, and worth leaving alone on one that sounds fine.
- Condition report
- An inspection before you buy a second-hand instrument, with a written note of what I found. Cheaper than discovering a cracked pinblock after delivery.
Frequency
Twice yearly suits most households. A school hall or a rehearsal room in daily use wants four visits a year. A concert instrument gets tuned before each performance, which is a different arrangement — ask and I will quote per season.
What I do not do
- Digital pianos and electronic keyboards of any kind
- Full rebuilds, restringing and pinblock replacement
- Case refinishing and French polishing
- Moving instruments — use a piano mover, not a general removal firm
For the first three I can recommend people who do this properly. Ask when you call.