Here are a few of the questions I get asked frequently.
A: Contact me for a quote. Once I find out more about your piano and the current condition of your instrument, I will be glad to quote you a price!
A: Many times, older pianos probably will need what's called a "Pitch Raise." A pitch raise brings the piano up to A440 pitch it was designed to be at after many seasons of slipping below pitch. It costs more than the price of a regular tuning, mainly, because it takes longer, is physically more work, and takes more passes to compensate for the string tension fighting back. A Pitch Raise usually needs a follow up done a few months later to ensure stability.
A: Your piano should be inspected,
prepared, and tuned before it comes to your home. After acclimating to its new surroundings, I should come out to tune and inspect the piano making sure it is in
perfect playing condition, adjusting for any changes that may have taken place
because of moving or humidity. It has been our experience that regular tuning and service when the
piano is new will greatly increase the tuning stability and long term
performance you will receive from the instrument. We suggest having your piano next tuned three
to four months after our initial service call, then again four to six months
later. After that, almost all manufacturers
suggest a minimum two times a year to keep your piano in good shape. Following
these simple instructions will bring you years of happiness and good service
with your piano.
A: Yes, and Yes! Again, contact me and I will ask you some questions regarding the problems you are experiencing. Then we will decide what to do from there. I can come to your home for an inspection, which usually yields the most precise information on repairs and cost of repairs.
A: Especially for schools, churches and studios, I do give discounts for 3 or more pianos located in the same building or institute. Contact me for a quote!
A: Yes. There is a wonderful music instruction company, Impromptu Music, serving our community through private, in-home lessons. For in studio lessons in Fishers, Michele's Studio is a great pick!
Other Questions:
Q: How long does it take to tune a piano?
A: It takes a normal tuning about an hour and a half, and sometimes up to two and a half if it needs a pitch raise done. Ideally, if it is regularly tuned, or you keep a controlled level of humidity from 40-60% in your home, sometimes less time is needed.
Q:Do I have to be present, while tuning is in progress.
A: Yes, and no. I have had many different circumstances where people have left in the beginning, middle, or end of the tuning. Its really up to you and how comfortable you are with having a piano technician in your home. I have been asked to let myself in, to tune while a customer shortly leaves the house, or to lock up when I leave. As long as I have ample time and information to write up a bill and a check is left, it is really up to you.
Q:Does my piano really need tuned every 6 months? Or at all?
A: Many times a piano will fall out of tune consistently. It may sound in tune still, but it has more than likely dropped below concert pitch every time the humidity has fluctuated, which is multiple times a year here in Indiana. Tuning a piano every 6 months keeps your piano at the pitch it was designed to be at, letting its scale resonate at the levels it was engineered at. Imagine a guitar tuned with loose or flat strings, it wont resonate and sustain as much as it would at the right tuned pitch.
Q:How long have you been tuning? Who did you learn from?
A: I have been tuning since 2004 when I learned from my father, Bill Scharbrough. Bill has his own piano service as well. He now runs The Piano Merchant.
Q:Why should I choose you?
A: I have been building my business since 2004. Being young, many people automatically think, "inexperience." But, I have worked hard to get to the place I am at and have honed my skills to the level where I am at. I now tune pianos for one of the best fine arts institutes, Butler University, in the midwest. There, I tune for the Jordan College of Fine Arts, including professor's studios, practice rooms, and Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis. I also tune for Meridian Music in Carmel, IN.