Piano Repairs
Soft Pedal • Sostenuto Pedal • Sustain Pedal
Common Causes – Piano moving, degradation of the pedal felts and/or springs due to age, low or high humidity and/or use, obstructions. Pedals can become non-functional if parts of the mechanism fail, fall out of alignment or if the pedal rods become disconnected. Solutions – Adjustment, alignment of the pedal mechanism, repair or replacement of damaged mechanism components, repair of pedal brackets and/or other case components.
Sticking Keys • Stuck Keys
Common Causes – Excess humidity causing swelling of the front rail, keys, key bushings and/or keyslip, obstructions within the action or underneath the keys. Solutions – Reducing the humidity inside the piano through increased ventilation, installation of a Piano Life Saver System, adjustment of action and/or case components, removal of keys, action to examine for obstructions.
Damaged or Detached Keytops
Common Causes – Improper cleaning, age and/or use, piano moving. Solutions – Replacement of damaged/missing keytops with new acrylic or synthetic ivory material. Read More – Keytops by Glenmore Piano Service
Loose Keys • Rattling Keys
Common Causes – Key bushing felts shrinking due to low humidity, hardening, compression from age and/or use. Solutions – Replacement of key bushing felt, installation of a Piano Life Saver System.
Sunken Keys
Common Causes – Rough play, moving damage, age and/or use. Common problem in older spinets (short-back upright pianos). Solutions – Replacement of elbows within the action, regulation of the action.
Buzzing Sounds
Common Causes – Age and/or use, moving damage, objects falling inside piano, misalignment of hammers and strings, broken strings. Solutions – Adjustment, repair and/or replacement of action components, regulation of the action, replacement of strings.
Overly Bright Tone
Common Causes – In older pianos, compaction and/or degradation of hammer head felt through age and/or use. Also found among newer low- and medium-priced pianos that are not voiced by the dealer and/or factory as a cost-saving measure.Solutions – Voicing of the hammers, regulation of the action, replacement of hammer heads.
Overly Soft Tone
Common Causes – Some new pianos, particularly European pianos, have a mellower tone when new. In time and with use the felt will compact and the tone will brighten. Solutions – Voicing of the hammers, regulation of the action.
Difficult to Depress Keys
Common Causes – Piano moving causing action components to fall out of alignment, failed action components, obstructions. Solutions – Adjustment, repair and/or replacement of action components, removal of keys and/or action to examine for obstructions, action refurbishment. Note – If you must use the piano, avoid the area of the problem key(s). If a key is difficult to depress, do not attempt to force it or play it as you could damage the action.
Little or No Sound
Common Causes – Failed action components, obstructions, broken strings, failed pinblock, bridges or soundboard. Solutions – Adjustment, repair and/or replacement of action components, removal of keys and/or action to examine for obstructions, replacement of strings, replacement of pinblock, piano restoration.
Tuning Does Not Hold
Common Causes – Age, low humidity causing pinblock to shrink, self-tuning using improper technique. Failed pinblock is unable to hold tuning pins under sufficient tension to maintain pitch. Solutions – Replacement of tuning pins, replacement of pinblock, piano restoration, installation of a Piano Life Saver System.
Heavy Touch
Common Causes – Broken or worn action components, piano design. Solutions – Repair and/or replace action components, install TouchRail adjustable touchweight system (grand pianos), permanent touchweight adjustment.
Fallboard Lock Key Replacement
We carry most replacement fallboard lock keys, including for recently manufactured models. Contact us with your piano’s make, model and serial number for more information.
Damaged Finish
Common Causes – Piano moving, age and/or use. Solutions – Professional finish repair by Glenmore Piano Service. Contact us for an estimate.
Cost & Methods of Payment
All repair work besides finish repair is $130/hour for the first hour or portion thereof, and $130/hour thereafter, plus parts. Contact us for an estimate based on your description and/or photos. Contact us for finish repair estimates. Debit cards, credit cards and cash are accepted. Commercial and institutional clients can apply to pay by invoice.
Preparations Needed
For fastest service please select a time when the room will be quiet. Remove all objects from the piano and ensure all sides are accessible.
How to Book – Two Methods
Contact Form – complete the form below and we will follow up with availability. Phone – call 403-254-9544 (8:30 am to 7:30 pm daily).
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“There are eighty-eight
keys on a piano,
and within that, an entire universe.”
—James Rhodes