Pianotech

  • 1.  problem with grand piano drop in pitch after move across all keys

    Member
    Posted 6 hours ago

    My Customer has a 5' Howard grand I tuned for the last three years and before she moved on April 20, 2026 I checked it and tuning was OK( Normal)

    So I told her we would tune it after she moved it (approx. 20 miles, simple move).

    Here is the problem: After it sat in the new place for two weeks I came in to tune it and the A440 was at 417 and all the the other keys dropped the same amounts

    across all the keys (all very consistent).

    I called Nate at Cyber tuner thinking something was wrong- All was okey there.

    Other Notes:

    Both houses were air conditioned

    Both houses had Dampp chasers plugged in.

    Time from one house to other house, 30 min.

    all solid smooth roads (no gravel/bumpy) 

    Customer stated, move went very good on both ends.(did not drop piano, etc.)

    Any suggestions,

    Thanks and Bless

    Proteck Chuck

    Florida 



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    Chuck Dempsey
    Sebring FL
    (863) 446-0272
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  • 2.  RE: problem with grand piano drop in pitch after move across all keys

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 5 hours ago
    A lot has to do with where in the house the piano is located compared to where it was before. Rooms that have a lot of humidity can greatly affect the wood in the piano, like the kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry room. Or an outside door or window that is open more than usual.

    Did you check the pitch several different times, over several days?

    Other than that, I have no clue.

    Wim
    Sent from my iPhone




  • 3.  RE: problem with grand piano drop in pitch after move across all keys

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 5 hours ago

    Chuck,

    In all my decades as a piano technician, this is the first time I have heard of a piano changing pitch that much is such a short amount of time. Even more amazing (to me, at least) is that it changed pitch uniformly, like what a wammy bar does to a chord played on an electric guitar.

    Hmm…



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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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  • 4.  RE: problem with grand piano drop in pitch after move across all keys

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 40 minutes ago

    Hi Chuck,

    I'm also puzzled. It's almost like it baked in one of those PODS storage units for several weeks. Is it possible that the bridges, soundboard, or ribs may have come loose?

    Were you able to tune it? If so, how did it respond? 



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    Benjamin Sanchez, RPT
    (256) 947-9999
    www.professional-piano-services.com
    www.FromZeroToSixFiguresBook.com
    www.PianoCraftTechnicalSchool.com
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