Author: Piano Magic
How to shift a grand piano
To shift a grand piano, there is a strict procedure that I recommend following. If it's possible to get someone that knows what they're doing - take that choice. If you have a removalist that says they can do it, just check if they have a proper piano moving trolley in good condition. Wheels with steel rims, preferably with solid rubber wheels. Pumped up tyres can burst under the weight of a piano. See below an image of my piano shifting trolley specifically for grand pianos and uprights. &nb...
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How often should you tune your piano?
Have your piano tuned as often as you feel necessary, but a minimum of twice a year is the rule of thumb should you be an advanced pianist. If you have a new piano, we recommend tuning the piano twice a year for two years. Just remember: when you turn on the heat in the winter, and when you turn it off in spring, you’re about 2 weeks away from needing a tuning. These are the times of year when the humidity change starts to shrink or swell the wooden soundboard of the piano, and it starts to drift out of tune. So ...
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Guide to buying a second hand piano
An acoustic piano is a very complex item. A piano action has 5,000 to 10,000 thousand moving parts depending on the style of piano. If you decide to go it alone and buy privately, there is only one piece of advice we can give you, it is this: Take some photos inside of the action and where the strings end on the top of the piano. It’s also worth getting pictures of the outside, showing the name of the piano and the keys. If you’d like Gary to inspect it prior, then he is available for your convenience at a m...
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What to consider when purchasing a piano
Buying a piano can be a challenging undertaking if you don't know where to start, or what to consider. Luckily, we've compiled a few handy tips to provoke thought when you're thinking of buying! Gary can also help you along the way, so feel free to get in contact. Determine where the piano is to be positioned in the home. It needs to be away from sunlight and weather influences. Preferably on an inside wall in a room with moderated temperature. If this can’t be done, the piano may deteriorate at a fas...
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Part 2: Julius Feurich Upright Piano Rebuild – The Rebuild
Piano Magic was lucky enough to get our hands on a 133 year old Julius Feurich piano. We're keeping it in it's original condition but making great improvements so that it will play beautifully. After the strip down we take a pattern of the bass strings so they can be re manufactured. To replace the Bass strings they need to be re manufactured in Sydney. We are very fortunate to have in Australia one of if not the best bass string maker in the world. However we need a pattern so he has the length of copper to...
Find out more Gary’s 5 Top Tips for taking care of your piano.
1. Have your piano tuned regularly. The benefit of tuning your piano regularly is it will sound good every time you play it. I can also check if the piano is getting too dry or too humid. Nothing worse than a piano that is rattling through dryness or stiff hard to play keys because it’s too moist. Related Article: How humidity affects pianos. 2. Position. If you move you piano make sure it’s not in a draft. I recently helped my mother into a nursing home and luckily they had a room big enough for a piano....
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