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repair and piano tuning, piano moving and piano refinishing needs.
Many of the piano repair techniques we have spent decades refining are not
common knowledge. Actually, it has been our experience when it comes
to piano tuning and piano repair common knowledge is not so common... In regard to attempting moving or repairing pianos on your own we'd like to
add here that many aspects of involvement in the piano tuning & piano repair field
(particularly moving) are best left to a professional with the equipment
to accommodate every foreseeable eventuality, and the expertise
to accommodate every unforeseen eventuality. While we can appreciate
the ingenuity and desire of the do-it-yourselfer, please be extremely careful!! At Atlanta Piano Tuner we don't guess at what works when it comes
to acoustic pianos. We have seen and mastered almost all aspects
of piano tuning, piano repair and piano service, and it is our belief that an individual's
confidence in permitting our service will only result in one more
satisfied customer.... and hopefully one more satisfied referral, the backbone
of our continuing success. Take a look at our Service Defined Page
for further clarification of our intent when it comes to being
your #1 source for piano tuning & piano service in Atlanta and North Georgia.
Thank you. This site, though fully operational, is now and will continue to be
improved upon. Keep us in mind and watch for the changes!! 
Piano Tuning, Piano Repair, and Piano Rebuilding. The stages: Atlanta Piano Tuner tunes pianos with our primary concern being music. In our opinion piano tuning cost and accuracy is where the rubber meets the road when a player sits down to play a piano we have tuned. If the piano tuning is done well, then the individual's spirit will be ministered to as they play. When we repair a piano we are seeking to optimize the feel and sound of the piano to further the cause of music. Piano repair then becomes something of a mission. This is why we take piano repair so seriously. When we go beyond piano repair to piano refurbishment, we are removing the band-aid and going one step further down the road to restore your piano to its original ability to serve your musical needs. Many times we'll term a piano repair - 'piano refurbishment/ piano restoration' when we take old worn components and bring the original component back to the state of general overall good piano repair. Piano rebuilding involves piano repair, removing all worn components to replace or repair them. We bring your piano back to like new functionality, or as close as we can take your instrument to like new functionality. Piano rebuilding means just that... piano rebuilding, but we attempt to preserve as much originality in an instrument as we can.
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INDIRECT BLOW ACTION PIANO SPINET PIANO
Spinet pianos are most commonly characterized by their size. They range in height 36" to around 42" (give or take a few inches ). In technical terminology they are also referred to as drop action pianos or more correctly indirect blow action pianos ( the piano key pulls or provides an indirect blow which pulls the action into motion rods we call in the industry - stickers). They may be small in stature, but are complete pianos with complex escapement mechanism, piano key lengths ranging from just under one foot to over fourteen inches, an over-strung scale design for the piano wires, and last but certainly not least well over fifteen tons of tension on the structure of that tiny musical instrument when the piano is tuned to A440. The higher grade spinet pianos boast comparable tuning stability to larger piano designs, and no loss of sound resonance. The downside characteristic of medium to low quality spinet pianos is resident dissonance in the piano wires ( particularly in the bass piano wires ). Some also argue that because of the shorter piano key length, the dynamic range that makes expression possible in acoustic pianos is some what diminished in spinet pianos. In comparison to an electronic keyboard, there is none but that they both have ebonies and ivories. By far, most teachers will recommend a spinet piano over an electronic keyboard if an individual's primary concern is a balance between budget and not compromising seeking an acoustic piano. Because they are the smallest piano, they typically are the most affordable. They also are a favorite choice for constricted living conditions, and for individuals who move frequently ( with some difficulty they can actually be carried ... most weigh around three to five hundred pounds. Whereas larger pianos will be significantly over 500 lbs. and impossible to carry ). Grade as a starter piano? 9.5 out of 10. Back to top
DIRECT BLOW ACTION PIANOS CONSOLE PIANO
Console pianos are preferable to own over spinet pianos because they are the first class of piano that contains a direct blow action. In layman's terminology, a direct blow action means greater feel ( control ) over the loud sounds and soft sounds a piano is literally named for. Originally pianos were called 'piano-forte' which translated means 'soft-loud'. Console pianos also have a piano wire ( string ) length that is anywhere from four inches to over a foot longer than spinet piano wire lengths. This means more resonant sound, with longer sustaining tones. Also along with the bigger structure comes more stability for all the weight that console pianos support. A typical console piano will sustain somewhere just shy of twenty tons of tension distributed across 200+ piano wires at A440. There is a caution in regard to console pianos and some spinet pianos as well. This is a very attractive, decorative leg that supports the front of the keyboard. This 'leg' typically has almost no structural integrity. Put simply it will crack and break away from the piano with an amazing amount of ease. For this reason, when this piano is moved, great care should be taken to not allow this leg to receive side pressure from any angle. Some times, if I assess the risk to the leg is great enough, I'll actually remove it before moving the piano. Back to top
STUDIO/UPRIGHT PIANO
Studio pianos and upright pianos are quite similar overall. Both types of piano have direct blow actions. This type of action has a piano key that extends under the action, so when the key is depressed it literally transfers a direct blow type of motion to the action of the piano. The studio and upright piano types also have the longest key length of any vertical piano class. These key lengths will range from over a foot long to just shy of twenty inches ( give or take a couple ). This translates to the most controllable touch of any piano except grand pianos. These studio piano and upright piano types also have a much more stable frame and structure than any other vertical piano class, and the longest piano wire length. A studio piano ranges around four feet high whereas an upright piano is around three to five inches taller. More tuning stability, a more resonant musical instrument with longer sustaining musical tones, this is the preferable upright or vertical type of piano to own. Also because of the stable frame, these types are usually seen in classrooms of various schools or other institutions such as churches. They can be rolled around with some ease from room to room without the stability of the piano tuning being adversely affected. One may also find in the vintage upright pianos the only introduction of a sostenuto rail. Rarely occurring in a few brands of antique pianos is a version of a rail operated from a pedal that permits an individual to play and sustain one set of notes without having to sustain the dampers from the rest of the piano's notes. Around the turn of the century literally thousands of piano companies world-wide were producing mass quantities of upright pianos. The result in current times of this is large masses of upright pianos available at a fraction of their actual value simply because there are so many sitting around not being used. For this reason upright pianos are also available as an excellent starter piano. It is not at all unusual for an upright piano to be purchased for under one thousand dollars ( sometimes significantly less ). Many times an upright piano can be obtained merely by going and picking it up... no easy feat! Back to top
GRAND PIANO
 The inimitable grand piano is simply the standard of acoustic pianos. The "repetition lever" in a grand piano's action sets it completely apart from every vertical piano ever made. This lever catches a portion of the grand piano's action, enabling extremely fast repetition rates. While this is not a 'make it or break it' scenario for most piano players, what will translate to every player's touch regardless of skill or expertise is that this is the most accurate reproduction of the pressure used to play a key. Another feature of better quality grand pianos is the sostenuto pedal. This pedal allows a piano player to hold down one set of keys, depress the sostenuto, then go ahead and play away on the rest of the keys without worrying they will sound. This is a feature that only a more accomplished pianist will appreciate. A grand piano is also the most aesthetically appealing piano. Beauty in operation, beauty when it's sitting dormant in your room, this type of piano is my strong recommendation if an individual has the means to truly treat themselves to the best. When it comes to dynamic range (control of loud playing and soft playing), a grand piano having a key that is in some cases as much as a foot or more longer than some vertical piano gives even more control to the piano player. One of the biggest negatives with grand pianos is they have a tendency to take over a room (unless the room is very large). Having been in the piano business for many years, I've never seen grand piano prices lower. This is an excellent opportunity for a purchaser. I strongly recommend that any prospective piano shopper get at least a minimal education of what's available, then shop several different pianos before making a decision. I've said this before on this site, and I'll say it again. There are many fine quality vertical pianos available that pass the test of the most discriminating touch. Grand pianos are simply the best, and I mean to have nothing else inferred here. The addition of a definition segment of piano types is answering a question posed many times over in a technician's travels. Back to top
SQUARE GRAND PIANO
 Square Grand Pianos are the grandfathers of the modern piano. I italicized modern because amazingly in this the era in human history of mechanization, electrification, industrialization, and overall unmatched in history changes to the way we live and the comforts that technological advance has brought us, the piano stands virtually alone made almost entirely the way they were one hundred years ago. The first pianos were a technological advance from harpsichords. Harpsichords, while they were key board operated devices, were mostly characterized by their inability to produce a loud or soft tone. The advance Bartolomeo Cristofori ( 1655-1731 ) introduced was this new device called initially piano - forte ( we've since shortened it down to just piano). The ingenious introduction summed up into what we call an 'escapement mechanism'. This mechanism pretty accurately reproduced the firm touch of a finger into a loud sound, and a light touch into a soft sound. Whereas the harpsichord literally plucked the wire, this new escapement mechanism was able to strike the wire with varying force. The first ( what I'll call "primitive") pianos had pretty severe limitations to their longevity. Leather wrapped hammers ( the portion of the mechanism that strikes the wire ) wore out within a few decades. Leather hinges that supported the various moving parts cracked and split in an equally short period of time. Long and gangly mechanical parts were either extremely difficult or simply impossible to regulate. (Regulation or mechanical adjustments is one the advances where technology has had the most impact with pianos ). Structure designs for the first pianos were too weak to support the amount of tension that the piano wires exerted, shortening yet once again the lifetime of the first primitive pianos. The next era ( general consensus calls this the Victorian era ) saw many improvements to piano design. Leather hammers were replaced with felt padded hammers, and hinges evolved to the modern style of a pin ( originally brass ) inserted through a felt bushing. Mechanisms that couldn't be adjusted fell into obsolescence replaced with new and numerous ingenious designs of components that could be regulated, or adjusted. It is truly fascinating to watch the piano's history and to see how far engineering as a science has evolved as principles of nature were noticed, studied, and finally a science of some sort was developed. A few decades before the turn of the century, give or take a few years, we see the square grand piano lose prominence then gradually drop into obsolescence. They are big beautiful pieces of furniture first, an interesting oddity that you can play a tune on second, and a serious musical instrument that can be used every day..... never. Back to top
PUMP ORGAN
 Pump Organs still remain as an old favorite style of musical instrument, even though electronic organs have fallen severely off over the last few decades in their popularity. These pump organs are beautiful furniture pieces typically, and working properly can be a lot of fun to play. I'm certain that 150 years ago no one thought that the aerobic benefit to playing a pump organ would have significance, but if you own or have played one you know exactly what I mean. Pump organs utilize all pneumatic functions in their production of sound and vibrato. Ingenious minds developed interesting additions like octave coupling ( when you play a note, the octave higher or lower plays simultaneously ). And methods to reproduce a simile of horns or woodwinds through the pump organ's reed system. Uses of swells to increase volume, 'vox humana' to reproduce a vibrato sound, multitudinous (alot) ways to uniquely manufacture the stop panel mechanism, and an extraordinary attention to some of the most ornate cabinet styles you can get in any type of furniture, make these devices an almost must have for any antique collector to round out their collections. Even during a period in American history where veneer was being used more and more to make furniture, pump organs, for some reason, seem to have stayed with solid wood ( mostly walnut ). If you go back to this country's foundational years, many churches didn't have a resident pastor. Most of the pastors back then were itinerate, and would load up their pump organ ( much easier to carry around than a piano, for sure ) and traverse around the countryside with their trusty pump organs providing music in the churches they served. Does anyone out there have any relatives that were itinerate preachers during the formative years of this country? I'd love to hear stories and will post them up on this site. Back to top
Nelson Edwards.
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