The way each key plays can be summarized by how well a piano or a piano’s action is “regulated”.
When pianos are built, factory technicians are trained to adjust keys & their parts to work so that they function evenly and consistently.
As your piano breaks in, the parts slowly start to change. This will directly change how the keys’ responsiveness works and will eventually need “regulating”. And that’s where I come in.
9 out of 10 times, a regulation costs a great amount less than replacing it with a used piano and far less than a brand new instrument (see Pianobuyer.com for current retail prices).
Vertical pianos cost between $6,000 and $20,000 while grand pianos range from $8,000 to over $100,000. If your piano is structurally sound and still has good components in the action, I can restore its tone & playing performance with a series of comprehensive adjustments.
However, if your piano is old and has worn-out parts, it might be better to consider refurbishing, restoring, or replacing it.
When You Need To Regulate
Piano is difficult to play
Slow or sticking keys
Tone quality is not dynamic and may sound as if you’re always playing loudly
Difficult to play softly
How Often Should You Regulate?
In the first 5 years of a piano’s life, then once every 8 years +/-. One of the following options should suffice as a regulation for your piano:
concert prep
mid-level regulation
complete action regulation
What is done in a Concert Prep or Complete Action Regulation?
I work on correcting the timing of the inside parts, resetting the amount of friction between them, and correctly spacing them. I achieve this with large array of tools for every step of the way.
Pianos have 88 hammers made of wood & felt. When is one key is played, 60 action parts move to push a hammer into the string. The more you use your piano, the more the felt becomes impacted and develops grooves.
One aspect of regulation is shaping/filing/spacing/traveling/squaring the hammers to that the shape of the each hammer is returned to its normal state and that the hammer hits the strings as intended, or squarely.
I also level off the heights of each of the 88 keys and how far down they travel downward. This gives the pianist more control.
How Long Will It Last?
A concert prep or complete action regulation can last for years. Much of it depends on the quality of the materials, the amount of use the piano receives, & how consistent the humidity surrounding the piano is.
Key Removal
Each key is removed to set the right amount of friction and access the key ‘punchings’ that adjust how high or low each key sits, plus the front punchings that will determine how far downward a key ‘dips’, or travels before it bottoms out.
Uneven Keys
Uneven keys causes inconsistency and control in how your fingers depress each key. These keys will be ‘leveled’ by replacing, removing, or adding paper/cardboard/felts punchings below each key as one step of an action regulation sequence.
Leveled Keys
Each key has now been lifted and shimmed at the ‘balance rail’, or the fulcrum, in order to raise or lower it to the appropriate height. This will aid in a much more consistent action performance.
Hammer Filing
Each of the 88 keys engages a “hammer” to come into contact with a string or set 2 to 3 strings. Hammer felt is comprised of dense, resilient wool that can last for years or decades. As the piano is played over the years, stringing grooves develop in the tip of the hammers (called the strike point) which changes the tone quality of the piano. This is how pianos become ‘too bright’ or tinny sounding.
These hammers have been ‘shaped’ or ‘filed’ to remove the grooves in give the hammers the contour they need to ready themselves for years of more use.
Hammers Traveled, Spaced, & Squared
Since piano action parts are made mostly of maple wood chosen for its ability to withstand years of use and its dense but lightweight composition, they eventually need alignment adjustments.
In this photo, the hammers are being ‘traveled’, meaning we are ensuring the hammer shanks (wooden dowels attached to the hammer felt) rise straight up to meet the strings and not angled to the left or right.
The hammer heads are also “squared” so that, at their resting position, they are at a perfect 90 degree angle and not crooked.
Each of the 88 hammers is also spaced uniformly so there is clearance from one hammer to the other. Hammers too close to each other cause slow or sticking keys.
Action Corrected
All 5,000 parts are timed and recondition so that your piano plays at its peak level. This work takes about 3 days. Your piano will love you for it!
