Consumers Beware...

In a field such as piano repair and restoration, there are few places for formal education and training. Many people learn the trade from their parents, hence the establishment of firms ending in " & Sons," which ran rampant in the piano industry. There used to be a surge in the education of piano tuners and technicians in the wake of war, where people who lost their sight could find themselves useful in society again, but now there are only a handful of schools offering such education. A piano technician must first be a musician. In order to be able to repair a piano to the specifications of the musician, especially for tone adjustment, tuning, and voicing, you must be able to play the piano very well. The Piano Technician must know what the instrument should feel like when it's properly adjusted, and in order to be able to communicate with and understand the customer who is a musician. Many technicians who call themselves professionals are simply amateurs who only have partial and limited knowledge. Here's an example of a recent letter to us from an amateur technician who's been in the field for what he claims is over 30 years:

"As a thirty year piano technician I feel obligated to comment on something you've written concerning hammershank repair for an upright piano.  You said it's an amateur's "quick fix" repair and "wouldn't hold up in the long run."  Well, in my experience that's totally wrong.  If the straw is used with a super glue (or even an aliphatic resin like tight bond )and the straw is of the proper diameter to ensure a tight connection of both shank segments it DOES hold up over time as I myself have discovered.  In fact, this splicing technique may be superior to using the brass sleeves that have been sold by supply houses.  The only time it would fail is if the shank break isn't clean and too close to the hammer.  In that instance, replacing the shank with a new one would be the only long term secure option."
- Mark Mandell,  msmandl@earthlink.net

If this technician was a pro, he would understand that in order to function properly, a hammer shank doesn't just have to be there, but it has to be flexible. It's true that if you dress it with a straw and some "super glue," it will exist for some time, but by no standards will it be able to perform its proper duty, hardening and dulling the sound, not to mention the ugly look of a drinking straw in your piano! Lets call it what it is, a quick fix, which is an amateur's way out of a situation. We say: either do it right, or don't do it at all! It takes the same amount of time for a professional technician to replace the hammer shank that it takes to put a drinking straw on it. Lets remember that a piano is more than some antique machine. It has to work, yes. But it also has to maintain its value and aesthetic look and sound.

  No Quick Fix Lubricants! If your piano technician is about to spray a lubricant into your piano, aside from pedal mechanisms and such, please stop them and ask what they're about to do. There is just about no reason for a piano technician to spray a lubricant into your piano's action. The mechanism is lubricated by graphite, a dry lubricant applied when the piano action is taken apart. Most types of other grease, such as WD40 will deteriorate action felt and wood and cause further sticking of keys, odor, etc. The worst effect of these sprays is that the damage on felt and wood is irreversible. Replacement of parts today is very expensive, especially on antique pianos. If your piano technician's reply includes: it will stop the keys from sticking, throw them out of your home immediately, and tell them that we said to do so! Sticking keys are a sign of a problem such as misalignment. The piano mechanism is not designed to be aided with such lubrication. If all parts are assembled and aligned correctly, the keys will not stick. The other potential cause of sticking keys is the change in humidity, which is not fixed with lubrication either.

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Rebuilding & Restoration

 

  Over time, the condition of a piano may get beyond that which is repairable through regular maintenance.  This depends on factors such as the age, use, and location of the instrument.  The piano may lose its sound quality, its ability to hold its tuning, its look, and ultimately its value.  There are many ways to restore or rebuild your piano.  The main objective in the restoration or rebuilding of a piano is to bring back the quality of the sound, precision and sensitivity of the action, and the look and value of the instrument.  Pianos are built to be individual in nature, and therefore age differently at their own pace depending on the various factors mentioned above.  While some people may think that there is no point to fix an old piano when there are many new, nice looking, accessibly priced pianos on the market - most professional musicians believe this to be a fallacy.  The prime benefit of old instruments are the quality of the wood with which they were built.  This wood was properly aged from 30 to 50 years, sometimes more, depending on the manufacturer.  Moreover, old pianos were built almost entirely by hand, emphasizing the individuality of each instrument.  Hence, the sound quality of a relatively inexpensive older piano can compete with the sound of the most expensive modern piano.  Our company is fully equipped and able to restore or rebuild your piano to the highest industry standards.

 

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Refinishing & Polishing

 

When considering the refinishing of your pianos, you should know about the various products and methods available to you, as well as what is appropriate for your particular piano.  Traditionally, the object of refinishing a piano is to restore the original look of the instrument.  However, some customers change the color of the piano to make it match the furniture in their homes.  While this is possible, professionals usually don't recommend changing solid colors (black, white, etc.) to wood finishes (mahogany, walnut, oak) since removing a solid base color may reveal some damages, imperfections, or mismatched patterns in the original wood.  There are many types of lacquers and finishes available on the market, such as:  regular lacquer, polyurethane, water-based finishes, and polyester.  For antique, highly-detailed, carved, or ornamented pianos, many prefer a French polish.  This is a hand-refinishing technique performed by applying and buffing out multiple coats of alcohol-based lacquers, the way pianos were finished many years ago.  Our customers are welcome to choose any type of finish they prefer.

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Appraisals & Estimates

 

Similar to wear-and-tear on automobiles, there are certain factors that affect the value of your piano.  These factors include the brand, age, location, service record, lighting, damage, use, etc.

If you would like to purchase a piano or sell your piano, then only way to know the exact value of your instrument is to have a piano technician perform a full inspection and written appraisal on the instrument - this service can be ordered by clicking the link below.  Your will receive a written copy of the appraisal, as well as a full estimate for any repairs, restoration, or refinishing that are deemed necessary during inspection.  As always, the prices are extremely competitive and we will honor them at any time.

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Buying & Selling

 

Are you looking to sell your piano - then list it with us!  Our listing service is $39.99 for a 3-month listing on our website.  We provide this listing service for our customers as an alternative to high-price consignment, where a piano dealer not only charges a percentage of the sale price as commission, but also maintenance and delivery fees after housing your piano - click here for more information.

Purchasing a piano privately can be an arduous task, and we can help!  Since a piano is usually a once-in-a-lifetime type of purchase, most people invite along a piano tuner or technician to see whether or not the piano is worth purchasing and what the necessary repair costs are, if any.  See Appraisals & Estimates above for more information.

See our own lineup of pianos for sale - simply click here to browse through new pianos, used pianos, even customers listing their own pianos.  We believe everyone should enjoy the privilege of owning a piano - so we offer flexible financing alternatives as low as $34.99/month* and rentals starting at $39.99/month*, call 1-800-33TUNER for details.

[* - pending credit approval // rates subject to change without notice // down payment may apply // call for details]

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Rentals - Short/Long Term

Short-Term Rentals:  whether you're renting a piano for a day, a week, or a month - we at Amadeus Piano Co., Inc. have a wide assortment of pianos available to meet your needs.  Unlike our competitors, when you call for a quote you get the final all-inclusive price including the instrument rental fee, round-trip moving fees, and on-site tuning - with no hidden charges.

Long-Term Rentals:  need a piano for 6 months or more?  Save money with our long-term rental rates - you get discounted maintenance & moving and we throw in the first tuning for free!  And unlike owning a piano, you'll never have to pay for major repairs or restoration - we cover it!  And if the instrument ever approaches irreparable condition - we will provide for a replacement.

With our "Rent w/ Option to Buy" package, we will apply up to 6 months rental fees towards the purchase of the piano.  Now you can not only try before you buy, but save on expensive financing fees as well!.

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Moving - Local/Nationwide

 

  At Piano Carriage, we pride ourselves on the safe transportation and relocation of all acoustic pianos (antique, player pianos, or other keyboard instruments).  Our Local coverage area includes the entire North East / New England area - New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia.  Our Long-Distance coverage area reaches far beyond just New England; we can now provide nationwide service from the West Coast to the East Coast, and anywhere in-between.   Piano moving is a complicated and technical task which demands a great deal of human strength and dedication to the art of transporting the value, beauty and essence of a piano.  All acoustic pianos are made from different selections of wood, therefore each instrument is “one of a kind” and cannot be replaced if damaged - we appreciate and accept that responsibility.  We understand the invested and sentimental value of your piano and always treat it like our own.  A safe trip is assured, as your precious cargo is secured within one of our fleet’s vehicles.  Your piano will be carefully packaged and carried, with no detail spared.  We are properly scheduled and dedicate ourselves fully to every job, moving one piano at a time.

Click Here for a Free Quote on your Long-Distance Piano Move

Click Here for a Free Quote on your Local Piano Move (North East / New England)

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Storage

 

Our new state-of-the-art storage and restoration facility is now open for business!  Because of the larger space, we're now able to offer climate-controlled piano storage starting at $60.00 per month, plus the cost of delivery.  Since we provide the moving and storage, greater discounts for piano restoration and repairs are also available.  Within the same facility, your piano can be restored and wait for you in our climate-controlled storage rooms.  While in storage, piano tuning is also available - to keep up the string tension at all times. 

If you're having home repairs performed or you're relocating, don't take the risk of piano damage.  Let us store your upright or grand piano in our brand new climate-controlled storage and warehouse facility.

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Lessons

 

Now, the same professional Tri-State coverage is available for music lessons as it is for quality piano service, and with the same quick availability and prompt scheduling.  Click on any item on the list below to find out more, or click on the Amadeus Conservatory of Music banner at the bottom of the page to be directly transported to the Amadeus Music Center website.

Our School Offers:

1. Professional, fully accredited teachers New York, New Jersey, & Connecticut availability Immediate teacher replacement if student is unsatisfied Student Recitals In-Home, yet Competitive setting School Newsletter Reduced Piano Maintenance Costs
2. Results, Results, Results!!!

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Climate & Humidity Control Systems

  Protect your piano from humidity extremes with the proven Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver System.  More than a piece of fine furniture, your piano is a precision instrument.  Its more than 9,000 individual parts are uniquely susceptible to changes in humidity.  Yet very few homes are kept at the constant 42% humidity level necessary for the maintenance of optimum sound reproduction.  Instead, high humidity can cause the keys to stick and the strings to rust.  Central heating reduces moisture to unsafe levels, impairing wood quality and causing rattling keys, slipping pins and, eventually, a cracked soundboard.  Under these conditions, it is impossible for even the finest pianos to maintain tuning stability. Because the piano mechanism is enclosed in a cabinet, it can be protected by a simple internal system independent of external conditions.  Now, with the installation of an automatic humidity control system from Dampp-Chaser, you can keep your piano in a safe, stable environment, and save hundreds of dollars in repairs and maintenance in the years ahead and double its life.

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How a Humidity Control System works:(as illustrated on a grand piano) The Dampp-Chaser Grand Piano Humidity Control System installs neatly and out of sight on all grand pianos, even on the concert stage.  The 5-part Piano Life Saver® System is controlled by the Dampp-Chaser Humidistat which regulates both the Humidifier and Dehumidifier as each is needed to maintain the piano manufacturer's recommended relative humidity.  The maintenance-free dehumidifier installs under the soundboard, circulating warm air to eliminate excessive humidity.  The humidifier combines a 1-gallon water reservoir with a silent evaporative system that releases moisture inside the piano when the environment becomes too dry.  A low water warning light alerts you when it is time to refill tank.  An Easy Fill Watering Kit is included.

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Amadeus Music Center  (NY, NJ, CT)

Your tri-state source for in-home music lessons, brass, woodwind, and string instruments,
complete piano service, local and nationwide piano moving.  An authorized Amati-Strunal
dealer - visit our online store today!

Amadeus Piano Co., Inc.  (NY, NJ, CT)

Amadeus Piano Co., Inc. - Our complete line of piano services include tuning, repair,
rebuilding, refinishing, buying, selling, renting, & moving all types of acoustic pianos.