Services

Adjusting Key Dip


The acoustic piano is musically satisfying because it is a living, breathing musical instrument. The following services will help keep it working and sounding well.

Tuning and regulation. Pianos stay in tune remarkably well when kept at same humidity and temperature levels year around, which is why you should do everything to control relative humidity and minimize temperature changes. Still, the piano will go out of tune from use and its regulation will change as the action parts wear. That's why you should have your piano tuned once or twice a year, and its action regulated every few years.

Voicing. As the hammers wear out, developing groves where they strike the strings, the tone becomes not only strident and aggressive, but less graduated in color between soft and loud playing. Or, the hammers may be too soft, sounding muffled and unfocused. In either case the solution is to have the piano voiced to reduce the harshness and restore the original tonal gradient.

Touch. The mechanical response of the grand action depends on multiple factors, from the weight of the hammers and shanks, to the weight of front segments of keys and the amount of leverage the action provides. Because the action parts and hammers are made of natural materials, it is not unusual for each of those elements to vary by 15% or more. In some cases the variations cancel each other out, but in others they get compounded, causing noticeable discrepancies despite the action being custom balanced with key leads. Learn about the options Mario Igrec offers for adjusting the touch response and, ultimately, the playability of the piano.

Rebuilding. When the hammers and action parts wear out and become brittle, strings oxidize, pinblocks wear out or crack, and soundboards lose their original compression and crown, it's time to restore or rebuild the piano. Mario Igrec offers comprehensive rebuilding services using exacting techniques and best quality replacement parts and materials.


Please send comments and inquires to info@igrecpiano.com