Services
Tuning (including
historical tunings upon request), regulating, voicing, repairs, appraisals.
Custom action analysis, design, rebuilding and balancing using modern component balancing systems.
Use of Stanwood Touch Design tools and techniques and smooth weight methods are standard on all rebuilt actions.
Complete rebuilding including soundboard
design and replacement, pinblock installation, bridge design, layout and repair, damper systems repaired and installed,
pedals and lyres rebuilt and repaired, complete scale analysis and design, restringing, new keysets, key covering,
ivory repair and replacement, refinishing.
Sales,
piano finding services, brokering, consignment, inspection prior to purchase or sale.
David Love is available to piano groups and clubs for lectures and presentations on
various piano related topics and for Q&A to help pianists better understand questions on servicing, performance
and new directions in piano technology including touchweight dynamics, soundboard design and performance and elements
of tonal production. These presentations are generally designed for the lay person but are also available
to the trade.
Appointments and Fees
Appointments are scheduled
Monday thru Friday with some Saturday appointments available.
Basic Service Appointments are $160 and the appointment is scheduled for approximately one
hour. Basic service appointments are designed primarily as "tuning only" appointments, though there is usually
some time allotted to address other minor needs. Major pitch corrections or more extensive repairs and adjustments may
result in additional fees (see Extended Service Appointments).
Extended Service Appointments are designed for customers who want a more thorough detailing
of the piano at each appointment, for cases where the piano has not been serviced for some time or for the purpose of keeping
the piano functioning at a higher level on an ongoing basis. Additional services may include regulation, voicing, repair
work, cleaning and are determined by the needs of the piano or requests by the customer. Appointments are scheduled
for two hours at a total cost of $275. For pianos that have not been serviced recently
an extended service appointment is recommended and may be required.
It is our recommendation that all appointments are scheduled as extended service appointments in order
to keep pianos operating continuously at the highest level.
Additional
work is billed at $120 per hour.
Multiple
pianos in one location may be subject to discounts depending on the level of service required. For discount
considerations, all pianos need to be scheduled for service on the same day.
Fees for concerts and recording may vary due to the high level of peformance expectations
but are typically scheduled as Extended Service Appointments. Concert or recording venues that wish
to contract for regular and frequent servicing should inquire about service contracts.
Please call or email for information on appraisals, estimates and inspections.
Customers can insure the best quality service by
scheduling appointments when noise conflicts are minimized. It is appreciated if all personal and fragile
items can be removed from the top of the piano prior to the scheduled appointment.
Arrival for appointments should be understood to be plus or
minus 30 minutes. For example, arrival time for a 12:00 appointment may be anywhere from 11:30 to 12:30. Please
plan accordingly.
Rebuilding and Restoration
Rebuilding and restoration services are
uncompromising in terms of quality, thoroughness and attention to detail. All work is individually taylored to
the specific needs of the instrument and with the goals of the owner/player in mind.
We utilize the most modern technical methods and computer modeling for analyzing scale construction
and design, soundboard and rib design, action geometry and touchweight.
Our goals are to develop each instrument to its highest potential while insuring that services
provided are in line with customer goals and the value of the instrument. While we are sensitive to the tonal signatures
of different makes of pianos, we examine all original designs and executions to insure that the acoustical properties
and details of the piano are adequately addressed. Depending on customer attitudes and goals, we can
employ both conventional methods of rebuilding with original or new soundboards as well as incorporate what we refer
to as enhanced performance features where modifications to original designs are made and include soundboard,
scale and bridge redesign to improve transitions between sections, acoustical soundboard shaping, backscale modifications,
custom rib layouts and plate modificiations. Please contact us for further information on these options.
We
have extensive and ongoing experience with both New York and Hamburg Steinway pianos as well as many other vintage
American and European pianos.
We also specialize in the restoration
of heirloom pianos especially from the early 20th century. Many families don't wish to part with pianos that
have been handed down through the generations but are reluctant to undertake a full restoration project because of the
perceived limited potential of many of these instruments. They couldn't be more wrong. While the market may
not always recognize these instruments in terms of resale value, many of them have great musical potential that shouldn't
be underestimated. With great care taken to design and execution, these pianos (and there are too many names to
list) can perform as well or better than many of the more easily recognized name pianos and can be restored with musical
and structural intregrity to last several more generations.
Rebuilding projects are accepted from all regions of the United States and we
can help you to arrange transportation.
Buying/Selling/Consignment/Brokering
Go
to "Pianos for Sale" pages for our current inventory of available pianos.
If you are selling a piano we can broker and sometimes consign it for you.
We periodically purchase select pianos and are especially interested
in older Steinways in original condition.
References
Stanford
University
San Jose State University
Old
First Concerts, San Francisco
Berkeley Piano Club, Berkeley
Music
At Meyer, Temple Emanuel, San Francisco
Individual
references are available upon request.
