SERVICES & pRICING

I offer an array of services to give you the pleasure your instrument was designed to achieve. Not every piano will need all of these services. But, I am qualified in the case your piano does. This should be discussed in our first conversation. Please scroll down to see which style of piano you have. This will help me to determine the most common needs of your instrument and how they should be handled. Please include this information in your contact form. It is always a good idea to have a regular maintenance schedule for your instrument. I will gladly set this up with you. This is not a contracted maintenance agreement, you can choose to forgo this service, or cancel any previously scheduled services within a reasonable time frame without penalty. But, if you wish to have your instrument tuned and regulated on a scheduled regular basis, I do recommend this schedule.

Discounts for churches, seniors, & tax exempt organizations

Cleaning = $12.00 per hour I will take the piano action out, vacuum out all the dust and grime, dust the soundboard, clean the strings of any rust or oils. Polish the keys, knobs and the exterior finish. It will look like you just brought it home from the showroom. However, I do not repaint the exterior.

Voicing = $12.00 per hour Voicing the striking hammers will bring back the warm tone they lose naturally over time, and by just playing the instrument a lot. The hammers naturally get hard and inflexible, causing an edgy, pinging tone. Voicing them will bring back the tone of new hammers without replacing them.

Regulation = $12.00 per hour I will tighten up and re-align the action to factory specifications, level and straighten the keys. Returning the action to factory specifications will help you enjoy the feel and sound of the instrument.

Tuning
If you play piano, or own one, you know it has to be tuned from time to time. Usually, I recommend having it done about every 100 hours of actual playing time, or at least once a year. Every six months is best, and having it tuned on a schedule makes it easy on the ear and the bank account. Letting a piano go without tuning for more than a year can cause a fall in the pitch over the entire piano, to a point that it can not be tuned in one pass through the process. It must be done twice. And, some pianos require a third tuning within a few weeks, after it stabilizes. (See the explanation of "Pitch Raise").

Serving Central and South Baldwin County AL. Also, North Baldwin, Mobile AL and Escambia, FL counties with a fuel surcharge of $40.00.

One time tuning fee = $120.00

Scheduled annual tuning fee = $100.00

Recurring scheduled semi-annual tuning fee = $80.00 

Recurring scheduled quarterly tuning fee = $60.00 

Any minor repairs will be done during the tuning process. Major repairs by estimate.

Call me today and have your instrument tuned, using the Equal Temperament, Aural Method used for centuries by technicians around the world as well as the TuneLab tuning system. A combination that guarantees perfection.

Pitch Raise = $180.00 flat rate

This requires the piano to be tuned twice in one sitting. and sometimes a third tuning within a few weeks. It is caused by very long periods without tuning, causing the strings to fall too far out of pitch to be tuned normally, being moved from it's environment, (moving the piano from one home to another), or a change in humidity levels. This can be avoided by regular tuning and maintenance.

Estimates = free or with travel expenses if more than 35 miles

All estimates are free of charge within 35miles surrounding Summerdale, Alabama. Outside that area estimates will be a minimum of fifty dollars, deducted from any services agreed upon and performed as scheduled.

Buy/Sale Appraisals = Free plus expenses

If you are planning to buy or sale a piano and you want to know the current value. Call for an appointment. I will come out and inspect it to determine it's condition and value based on the Piano Bluebook. Yes, there is one of those, too.

I do not move pianos, however, I know professionals for that service, so call me anyway and I'll take care of it. DO NOT try to do it yourself. Not only can you injure yourself, you could very well damage the piano.

Consultations = Free

If you have questions or concerns about your instrument, feel free to call. I can usually answer most questions, or at least direct you to the right professional.

Many times, with older pianos, the action really needs to be rebuilt and re-felted. Glue dries out, felts wear out or come off, rods and connectors move out of place or become lose and break. Moths and other vermin may sometimes have the opportunity to feed on the felts. Depending on the personal or sentimental value of the piano it may not be cheaper to rebuild, than buying a different one, but don't junk it. It most likely can be repaired. Call me and let's talk about it. At this time I do not have a shop to accomplish this. However, soon I will be doing this. So keep that in mind if your piano needs this service.