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 through Friday with some Saturday appointments available.
Serving the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Appointments
outside the Bay Area or in certain locations may be subject to minimum appointment requirements. Please call or email
for more information.
Basic
Service Appointments are $160 and the appointment is scheduled for approximately one hour.
Basic service appointments are designed primarily as "tuning" 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.
Extended Service
Appointments are $275 and 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. Longer appointments are available depending on the piano's needs and booked in advance
recieve a slightly reduced hourly rate.
Additional
services may include regulation, voicing, repair work, cleaning and are determined by the needs of the piano or requests by
the customer.
For pianos that have not been serviced recently an extended service
appointment is recommended and may be required.
Generally, 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 otherwise billed on an hourly
basis at $120 per hour.
Please call
or email for rates on multiple pianos in one location.
Fees for concerts
and recording may vary due to the high level of performance 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.
Last minute cancellations and no-shows are subject to fees. If you must change
or cancel an appointment please do so at least 24 hours in advance so we may have a chance to reschedule our appointments
for that day.
Payment
Payment at the time of service is accepted in cash (preferred) or personal
checks. Credit cards and Paypal not accepted at this time.
Rebuilding and Restoration
Rebuilding and restoration services are uncompromising in terms of quality, thoroughness and attention to detail.
All work is individually tailored 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 modifications. 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 integrity 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.
