Environmental tips
Wood is a natural, live and constantly changing material, which reacts to the environment in which it is kept. Since the piano is mostly made of wood, the ideal location is in rooms where temperature and humidity do not fluctuate too drastically.
If room humidity is higher than suggested levels (humid regions and during intermediate seasons), we recommend you use any household dehumidifier to correct it. The humidity level should never be lower than 30% or higher than 70%.
If room humidity is too low (heated rooms during winter seasons), we recommend you use a household humidifier, again easily available. The piano should never be left in a dry room. We suggest you position your piano far from windows and external walls where the outside temperature is much lower.
In order to avoid case damage we suggest you do not place the piano in direct sunlight if possible.
It's also advisable to keep the piano away from direct sources of heat like radiators, underfloor heating/vents, fans etc. as rapid heating/cooling does the piano no favours.
We also suggest that you do not place any objects on the piano as this may cause vibrations. Please note that should any liquid fall on the piano or keys you will be risking serious damage and in the event that this happens dry as much as possible with a soft towel and contact your local tuner to inspect it.
Maintenance
Much like a car, purchasing a piano represents a long-term and substantial investment; maintaining its optimal performance will ensure your satisfaction and help maintain the value of your piano.
The lifespan of your piano greatly depends on the regular care and attention it receives. Routine maintenance should only be assigned to an officially certified technician.
There are three determining factors in the piano sound quality:
- Tuning
- Action
- Voicing
Tuning
Human hearing can adapt itself very easily. Often we are not able to recognize whether an instrument is out of tune. A piano does not go out of tune easily. Tuning is a condition that can be modified by gradual alterations to which our ears become accustomed. Human hearing is unable to perceive slight changes of frequency, especially if these changes occur across the keyboard. Pianos that are seriously out of tune are easily heard, however, and in
extreme cases may need tuning twice in a short space of time.
I always recommend a tuning visit at least once a year with modern pianos. This allows them to go through the heating cycle of a house before being prepared ready for the next one. This can either be, as I do it, in the summer ready for the winter, or in the winter ready for the summer - essentially the tuning of the piano must tally with the turning on or off of the heating of the house. For perfectionists or pianos which undergo heavy usage the recommendation is twice a year to correspond with the 2 distinct heating cycles.
Never arrange a tuning visit when you're about to turn the heating on or switch the heating off - the environment around the piano is going to change slightly, so you may find yourself needing to call the tuner out again sooner than you expected! Give the piano time to adjust to either cycle before calling the tuner.
Action regulation
As you do not play each note consistently the keyboard and action are subject to un-even wear and tear. This wear and tear triggers slight alterations in the uniform response of the keyboard action. Maintaining a well-regulated action is essential to preserving a fine touch and tone. This can normally be performed as part of your normal tuning visit and most tuners will do it without being asked. If you're unsure, talk to them - they're normally more than happy to help and explain what they're doing!
Voicing
The quality of tone on your piano is mainly determined by the density and condition of the felt found on the hammerhead. A suitably qualified technician will "voice" felt around the hammerhead with a fine three-needle voicing tool.
Hammerheads undergo changes as a result of normal wear and climatic variations, which results in an audible unevenness of sound. A suitably qualified technician will re-establish the evenness and beauty of the sound and timbre.
For the reasons mentioned above, even if your piano is rarely used, we recommend the following:
- Tune your piano at least once a year
- Check the action and voicing at least once a year
- Always assign the job to a highly qualified technician
Care of a Piano Cabinet
The piano components are finished with different treatments. Caring for these surfaces must be performed with great care.
To clean a matt-finish surface, we recommend using a soft cloth slightly moistened with non-abrasive detergent and applied with slight pressure in clockwise motion. To clean a high-gloss finish, we recommend dusting the surfaces using a soft cloth slightly moistened with non-abrasive detergent. Do not use any type of abrasive detergent.
To clean the keyboard, we recommend using a soft cloth slightly moistened with non-abrasive detergent. It is important to avoid excessive moisture on the lateral sides of the keys.
In case you need to store or move your piano, we recommend using a professional mover, especially qualified to move pianos. Using unqualified personnel can cause serious damage to the piano.