Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Keyboard Carriage & Walter Transport -- Hauling questions

I am having a piano picked up (i.e., Physis Piano V100 -- upright digital) from a New York warehouse which is Viscount North America via either Keyboard Carriage or Walter Transport (whomever gets to it first) and it is shipping 750+ miles and wanted to know:

1) Is there any way to track the whereabouts of the piano?

2) Whom exactly can I contact for shipping info?

I previously had a not so great experience with Keyboard Carriage when they had delivered a Clavinova CLP-990M and it arrived with damages to the pedal box and the cabinet.

I am afraid that Viscount (whom is shipping the Physis Piano V100) is only going to give me the ship out date and an estimated time frame but nothing else.

Here is the piano that is shipping:

http://www.viscountinstruments.us/physis-piano-v100.html

Any info is appreciated.

I'm not sure what you mean by "who ever gets there first"...

Do you mean you have requested that both companies pick up the piano, and whoever gets there first is the company you choose to do business with? I didn't think that is how long-distance piano moving worked. I thought you had to pay in advance or they don't pick it up at all? Maybe I'm wrong.

Also, I would imagine the only way you can track where the piano is while in route to its final destination, is to call the company on a regular basis and ask them. I doubt they have a tracking system like the USPS or UPS; but I could be wrong there too.

Good luck with the move!

Rick

No, it is Viscount North America (whom I ordered the piano from) that is handling the pickup on their end from New York as they have already been paid in full to do so. Viscount told me that it would be a 50/50 chance of either Keyboard Carriage, or, Walter Transport, picking up the piano, as it is going to go via the company that can get back to Viscount, first.

I figured not many folks here are even familiar with the long distance hauling process.

Will be looking up some info on them, now.

pv88:

You won't like my story/experience with Keyboard Carriage, but here it is:

I bought my second Estonia from Cunningham Piano in December of 2004, with the understanding that Cunningham would keep the piano for me until I moved from the Philadelphia area in June 2005. At that point Cunningham agreed to make all arrangements for the shipping of the piano to Victoria via Keyboard Carriage. That part of the plan went without a hitch.

In July, 2005, the piano was picked up by Keyboard Carriage. In August, I tried contacting Keyboard Carriage to find out an approximate delivery time for the piano but found out that there was no way of contacting them, or, if memory serves, they simply didn't answer their phone. They had (at the time) no website and no email address.

I contacted Cunningham piano several times between August and December, trying to find the whereabouts of my piano, but Cunningham was equally unsuccessful as I in getting any contact with Keyboard Carriage.

In desperation, Christmas 2005, I contacted Indrek Laul (president of Estonia Piano Company) and within days of doing so I had some information: the piano was in storage in a warehouse in San Diego (or some such southern California city), waiting for a truckload heading north to Canada. Word was that the piano would head northward around the end of January or beginning of February.

I had arranged for the piano to be delivered to a local piano dealer only to find out a couple of days before delivery that KC will not deliver to Victoria (on Vancouver Island). I then arranged for the piano to be delivered to Heritage Pianos, an Estonia dealer in Surrey, BC (thank you Norbert, I'm forever endebted to you for your willingness to accept delivery on my behalf).

A few more heart-stopping complications arose at the moment of delivery but Norbert graciously and efficiently resolved them. Then the piano sat in a Vancouver suburb warehouse for a couple of weeks waiting for delivery to Victoria. I eventually received the piano, in good shape in early February 2006.

Had it not been for the intervention of Dr. Indrek Laul and the help of Norbert Marten, I might still be wondering where Keyboard Carriage has my piano.

For what it may be worth, it cost me approximately $800.00 to have the piano shipped from Philadelphia to Vancouver via San Diego (no charge for six month's storage in California, it seems!!) and $750.00 to ship from Vancouver to Victoria. Go figure!

As they say, YMMV!

Best of luck.

Regards,

BruceD,

I am very sorry to hear about your problems with Keyboard Carriage although I am glad to hear the piano arrived in one piece!

Also, I do not have to pay any ADDITIONAL charges to anyone for whatever Keyboard Carriage decides to do since I already paid Viscount in full for both the piano and the shipping, as shipping was included.

I have agreed to to pay $400 on my end when the piano eventually arrives at my local store for delivery.

Question:

Do you have any decent contact info for Keyboard Carriage?

I expect a 6 to 8 week waiting period.

Extra note:

Since I do not know who has picked up the piano as of yet (i.e., could be Walter Transport) then the above question may not be relevant.

Please add any other info here that you might have.

pv88, I hope you are not a worry-wart like I am; I'd be a nervous wreck if I were you.

Here is the contact info I found for Walter Transport

Address: 2135 Industrial Pkwy, Elkhart, IN 46516

Phone:(574) 674-6139

Here is KC:

Phone 270.737.5797

Fax 270.737.6640 | 614.340.7224

rdawson@keyboardcarriage.com

(Source, Google)

I'd call every day or put their number on your speed-dial, until your piano arrived safely.

Rick

Rick,

Thanks for the info, although I bet I won't hear a word from anyone until the piano arrives at my local store, as the previous experience with Keyboard Carriage bears this out.

Well, I learned a long time ago that you really can't "make" anyone do anything, (except for maybe the Mafia ). But if I were you, and I was really concerned about the progress and status of your piano, which is a reasonable expectation, I'd call every day and be nice and ask about the status of your piano.

The worse they can say is they don't know, or stop calling; well, they could say worse, but they probably wouldn't.

Good luck, and keep us informed!

Rick

First: My experience with KC dates from ten and half years ago. Some things may have changed in the interim. They do now have a website (Spartan as it is) with a contact name:

Keyboard Carriage


Second: KC, at the time, had an excellent reputation for the handling of pianos, although they would not deliver to private individuals, but only to dealers. The reason for that, I was told, was that they have only a driver on the delivery truck and that they rely on the staff at the dealer at the point of delivery to unload the piano.

Regards,

I actually called Keyboard Carriage once and got a quote on a long distance grand piano move. They were very nice and told me pretty much the some thing: they said a dealer/mover needed to break the piano down, load it on the tractor trailer at pick-up. They said at the destination point (had to be a commercial address with a loading dock), they could unload/offload the piano with assistance, and it did not have to be a piano dealer/mover per-se; but it did have to have a commercial loading dock.

It's an economical means of long-distance piano moving if you can coordinate everything on both ends.

Rick

I've not had experience with Keyboard Carriage, but I have had very good experience with the folks at Walter Transport.

They brought my Estonia from up by the Great Lakes down to Florida.
And then later from Florida up to Boston.

Both times they were great to deal with and took really good care of my piano.

Frank, it sounds to me like Keyboard Carriage and Walter Transport would be great prospects for your marketing department to solicit and ask them to buy an ad here on Piano World.

They've already gotten a few freebies.

Rick

Will keep everyone updated as to the progress although I still do not know if the piano will be picked up via Keyboard Carriage or Walter Transport as this is now up to Viscount.

I am going to contact them (i.e., Viscount) to see if I have an option between the two shippers as I sure would prefer Walter Transport if it hasn't already been picked up by Keyboard Carriage.

My past experience with Keyboard Carriage has not been a good one, although I am fairly lucky there were only minor damages to the piano, i.e., Clavinova CLP-990M.

From what I hear and see Walter Transport gets better reviews.

Extra note:

Regardless of who ends up picking up the piano I only want to see it arrive "in one piece" as the Physis Piano V100 should be shipping in its own protective box and/or crating so at least it has a better chance of reaching me in good condition as compared with the CLP-990M delivery.

How strange -- I'd think that they'd have a major liability insurance issue with having non-employees help move heavy objects off their trucks.

This is from KC's website "Transport Booking" form:

Please note pick up & delivery locations MUST be full size 18 wheel tractor trailer accessible(75ft)**NOTE** (all trailers are equipped with lift gates). Also MUST be Commercial zoned and someone must be available & able to help assist the driver with lifting/loading and lifting/ unloading your instrument/s . All products must be brought to our trailer for tailgate pick up/delivery. Driver/s can not leave trucks unattended**

Regards,

Last we had to do with Keyboard, which was several years ago, we were told that they were specializing in moving Harleys, not so much pianos anymore. While having had good experience with them in the early years,their service later deteriorated to the point where we decided to do no longer business with them.
Not sure if this would merit reconsideration again or any change now.
Such was our experience back then anyways...
Good luck,
Norbert

Norbert,

Just did send a request to Viscount for them to consider using Walter Transport instead of Keyboard Carriage as I believe they were going to ship with whoever was able to pick up the piano first. Viscount seems to think that Walter Transport would take longer with the pick up and shipping although even so I would prefer a reputable company handling the piano.

Given a choice (if it hasn't already been picked up by Keyboard Carriage) it will ship via Walter Transport.

Hi pv88,

In reference to BruceD's story:

Keyboard Carriage has gotten much better in customer service and accessibility. In retrospect, the issue was going into Western Canada with a full truck. They could not afford to make the trip for just a few pianos.

I cannot explain the lack of communication but that was the reason. In the lower 48 you do not have that problem. Where are you located?

Update:

Will not be using Keyboard Carriage as I am now waiting on a reply from Viscount (North America) and Walter Piano Transport to confirm picking up the Physis Piano V100:

http://www.viscountinstruments.us/physis-piano-v100.html

Viscount should honor my request since the piano (including all shipping charges) have already been paid in full and they only need to confirm setting up pick up with Walter Piano Transport.

Extra note:

Several years ago I had a rare and hard-to-find Clavinova CLP-990M shipped (from a private purchase in New York) via Keyboard Carriage that arrived with a broken pedal box and also some other cosmetic damages including loose veneer on the lower left corner of the keyboard. This is why I will not be using them again.

I've used Keyboard Carriage on three different moves, all with great success. Each time, was about an 800-mile move from the East Coast to Chicago or vice-versa.

I'll second the comment that they only deliver between warehouses/loading docks. A separate, local company was used at each end for the breakdown and delivery to a warehouse/holding area.

Each time, the piano arrived in pristine condition. If I recall, there was insurance offered on the move, too, which I took for the replacement value of my piano. I wondered how the finger-pointing would go if there were damage, since the piano is actually handled multiple times in a long-distance move.

Given my experience (moves in 2005, 2011 and 2013), I wouldn't hesitate to use them in the future.

So they'd be perfect for moving this one:

http://pianosxxi.com/piano/custompiano/harley/

;-)

They shouldn't have taken the job if they were unable to complete it in a timely manner.

I ordered ceramic floor tiles to be installed in my theatre lobby several years ago. The date the installation was scheduled arrived, I moved all kinds of stuff out of the way the night before, and nobody showed up. I phoned to ask what's going on and was told, "Oh, we haven't ordered the tiles for that job yet."

I've now use a different outfit for tile and carpet, obviously.

Harley joke:

What's the difference between a Harley Davidson and a vacuum cleaner?

The vacuum cleaner has the dirt bag on the inside.

It's bad to say, but I think this is common with a lot of construction contractors. Another common tactic they use is, if they get the job (low bidder, etc...) they will start the job and then not show up for days while working on/finishing another job. That way, it is harder for the customer to fire them and get someone else.

I don't know, maybe that is why I try to do as much as I can around my house myself. Around my house, I'm the plumber, the painter, the appliance repair person, the HVAC guy, the electrician, the roofer, the grounds keeper, the pest control guy, the floor guy, the chief cook and bottle washer and the piano player (although I'm likely better at the former than the latter).

Rick

Just found out that the V100 will be shipping via Walter Piano Transport and all should be okay up to my local store.

Big question remains as to how the local guys are going to handle the last 75 feet from the truck to my house as I have requested that they use plywood boards in front of the dolly to make a quick temporary path as they roll the piano and the boards can be picked up and reused over the yard as it moves. Assuming they can do this much (at least) then the piano should arrive in good condition as I just didn't want to see a couple of goofs bodily carrying it as had been done with the Clavinova CLP-585.

Now, the wait begins -- could take 6 weeks to arrive.

I did this once with a studio upright piano I purchased from a couple selling their million dollar + home in Peachtree City Ga. The piano was in the basement, and they did not want me to drive my pick-up truck and utility trailer on their lawn and damage the sprinkler system.

So, I purchased a couple of sheets of 4'X 8' OSB plywood/particleboard, cut it in half long-ways and my oldest son and I made a walk-way/path with the sections of OSB to roll the piano across the lawn to the drive-way and then on to the utility trailer. We'd lay down the four 2'X 8' sections on the lawn, making a plywood pathway, roll the piano on the plywood to the end of the last piece/section, then move the sheets of OSB from the back to the front. It worked like a charm.

"I love it when a plan comes together" (The A Team)

Rick

It's scary how much we're alike. Scary.

I work at a small community technical college (5000 + students). We have a student break-room with vending machines. I got to know the guy who worked for the vending company and we talked whenever he came to service/stock the vending machines. As a side-job, he worked part-time for a jewelry store and sold jewelry while working for the vending company.

I had a nice gold-nugget ring that my wife gave me many years ago. I had lost weight and the ring was too big for my finger. So, I asked the guy about having the ring re-sized to a smaller size. So, he brought a ring-size sampler and we decided on a smaller size. I gave him the gold nugget ring to have re-sized.

Every week when he came to stock the vending machines, I'd ask about the status of my gold nugget ring. I did this for weeks and he kept saying the jeweler hadn't got to it yet. But I kept asking every week.

The guy finally got tired of me asking about my ring and cursed me out. He said I had worried the he** out of him about that ring. The next week he brought me my gold nugget ring, re-sized and all, though he never much spoke to me again.

Just call me Liberace...

Rick

Shipping order confirmed:

Have good news in that I just spoke directly with Walter Piano Transport and they have received the order from Viscount and the piano should be shipping out the week of April 3rd. I am really glad I have chosen them as I simply did not have good communication with Keyboard Carriage in retrospect.

It is possible I could have the piano in about 3 weeks or so as compared to 6 weeks with KC and the main point here again is the "communication" between the customer and company. It makes a difference and gives more peace of mind knowing they will be able to answer your questions.

And, to Frank -- thanks for the recommendation!

Extra note:

[Here is the purchase info]

DIGITAL PIANO "PRICES PAID"

Congratulations, pv88!

$400 is a great shipping price.

Rick

$400 = local delivery (not long distance haul)

1) $4,715 = [piano + WPT long distance shipping]
2) $400 = [local store delivery]

Let me clarify that $400 is the separate local delivery price only from the store to my house as the long distance haul with WPT was included in the total price of $4,715 and I was not informed of the specific long distance shipping charges since Whitesel Music added this cost in with the price of the piano. As I would guess that the long distance haul with WPT costs considerably more than $400.

The previous local store deliveries have been $250 (standard price) when the Clavinova's were delivered although the V100 is going to require more work to unload and prepare at the store when it arrives. They will also need to use plywood planks for rolling it to the house on a dolly (which is 75 ft. from truck to house through grass in a back yard) versus carrying it by hand as this is my request to do so. I believe the local store is going to be getting rid of all the boxing and crating materials and will deliver the already assembled digital piano. This is why it will cost $400 and not the usual $250.

The concern has been the last leg of the trip from store to house and more importantly from the back of the truck to the house, i.e., last 75 ft. or so, through a back yard.

Want to get this one here, safely.

The thing I like best about this thread is that it's shined a positive light on two frequent PW members:

• Rich, of Cunningham Pianos, and
• Norbert, of Heritage Pianos

Shipping estimate:

Have been given a pick up estimate for the week of April 3rd (to leave the New York warehouse) and then there is a good probability the piano can end up at a storage point somewhere along the way while the drivers unload and pick up other items on the truck. If this is true then a 3 week estimate can easily turn into 5 or 6 weeks transit by the time it reaches the final destination.

Take note that it took Keyboard Carriage a little over 6 weeks to haul the CLP-990M on what would be a 700 mile trip although actual distance driven was much farther (well over 1,000 miles) due to stopping at different locations along the way and it is never a direct trip from point A to point B.

Have nothing better to do now but to sit back, and ... relax?

Just received an update from Walter Piano Transport as they have received the piano in the northern part of my state and I have now asked if it is going to arrive to my local store as of the next shipping phase or if it will just sit in storage.

This has been faster than expected so far as I thought the piano was only going to be "picked up" from the warehouse in New York during the week of April 3rd (original estimate) -- and, it has already arrived in my state.

However, there is no telling how long it might sit in the current warehouse before shipping out again so I am waiting on a reply to get more specific info.

Piano may end up sitting in storage from March 27 - April 3 unless I hear otherwise.

Tangent alert;

I have been involved in only TWO Piano moves, they both went very well.
The first was with ALL amateurs and the second had semi-professionals (household movers)involved.

The first was over 30 years ago, I helped a friend's parents move to their retirement house and a small Baldwin spinet was a part of that.
Other than taking great care to not scratch or drop it we didn't do anything special.

The second was a few years ago with a tall upright Story and Clark.
In my "semi retirement" I move horses for people.
This was a client that I had done vet runs for a few times, so this wasn't our first encounter.
As often happens with house & barn moves I showed up with a trailer bigger than the furniture truck and I have AIR RIDE !
I don't know if they didn't like the movers that showed up that day, but in what seemed like a last minute decision the owners asked if I could take the piano in my trailer's tack room.

Well SURE, but I normally only carry "walk on freight"
If the movers can load/unload it I can certainly drive it.
The mover guys went along with it.
So, the piano went in first and was secured against the wall, then saddles and other tack.
Then horses in the back and I set off.
All went well, with standing horses in the back I do drive gently, though not always slowly.

The tack room is a separate room with its own ramp for rolling tack trunks, it is 8 ft by 6 ft, so I had saddles and trunks in there as well. There is NO chance of any "liquids" seeping through from the horse compartment

$400 for a very local move involving two workers for a few hours seems very reasonable to me.
From MY perspective.
I work alone, there is no "lift and carry", but there is probably comparable "meet and greet" overhead time, sign off and settle the account time, empty miles return trip, etc.
Sometimes there are loading problems, usually not.
I had a very scared little pony one time who took 3/4 of an hour to pluck up the courage to get OUT of the trailer. He may have smelled something unusual as I drove into the property that was to be his new home, I'll never know.

I often get horses about the same weight and value as a tier one concert grand.
They can be easier to move, or a lot harder.
Five 1200 lb horses can get on board for a day show if they've traveled together before - about as fast as five humans can get into a car.

One thing I don't see mentioned in threads about piano moves is truck details.
The Cunningham movie shows a truck with a lift gate and there is a movie somewhere of a Bosendorfer getting dropped from a ramp unload - quite a disaster, I think it actually ROLLED when it hit the ground.
There is never any mention of climate control in the van/truck, or of air ride(a GREAT selling point for ME).

I feel almost embarassed to relate my story.

1,740 miles from Leeds in UK to my house in Bulgaria, door to door cost me, from memory, UK£450. Only other expense was a fork lift at the house which cost me a derisory sum and I was so pleased with the job I also tipped the truck driver.

Forgot to mention, that was a 9' Bluthner model 1.

Embarrassed you should be indeed.
I can only ASSUME that they stashed some other "export goods" inside your piano to "defray the costs"

Did you get unusually HAPPY when you played it the first few times after the move ?

That was in January. It is still in its box as the room is not, yet, ready for me to unpack it. I simply checked that it was all OK and took out the legs, lyre and a couple of stools that were packed with it, but left it otherwise untouched.

I hope to get it unpacked in early July.

Have to wonder when a piano is sitting in a truck or warehouse if either location offers any "climate control" as you mention and if things get cold at night and warm up again during the day wouldn't there be a potential problem with condensation affecting the piano?

Mine may be in a warehouse for the next week or so before it ships again and have no way of knowing if it is sufficiently protected from cold air issues.

I believe that the Physis Piano V100 ships like a fully assembled upright piano whereas many other digitals ship packed into two separate boxes with the console keyboard section in one box and the furniture stand in another box.

Would appear that the already fully assembled piano is more likely to face exposure to the elements if not properly wrapped and covered up as compared to the boxed items that have to be assembled upon delivery.

Richard, I really think you worry too much. I get that you've been burned once before with your Yamaha, but it's very unlikely to happen again - and it's a different company this time. Digital pianos are VERY tolerant to weather extremes. Yours will by fine. Just think about something else for a while. Your piano will be here before you know it, and it will work!

Best wishes.

$400 for local delivery of a digital upright? Is it me, or is that outlandish?

Can you employ two people for 1/2 a day and support the overhead of insurance and a truck for LESS than $400 ?
I doubt it, IMO this is a loss leader, i.e. it "supports" other parts of the business but within itself and if ALL associated costs are properly allocated such a move is a loss.

Short hauls are the WORST, there is little/no opportunity for multiple deliveries or back loads.

So, I don't think it is outlandish, you can decide if the only alternative is that "its You"
100 years ago in the "Golden age" of piano building and owning when business was a hummin' you could probably load up the van with 1/2 dozen pianos every day and bring back the trade-ins.
Ooops, in 1916 - - there was a major incident underway, try 90 years ago instead
It didn't end all wars and for the moment I had forgotten about it.

If you want to pay a fraction of the cost for shipping cross country then use Keyboard Carriage. The reason why it is cheap is because they wait to fill up a trailer shipping to your area so you need to wait a few days to couple weeks longer. During that waiting period they will not be able to confirm the exact ship date, but what's the trailer is on the road they will be able to track it directly with the driver. They were able to let me know on the day of deliver the time my piano would arrive, this was in 2013

When I purchased my Casio piano last November, it was on sale from the Costco website -- $1099 on sale, regular price $1499. The truck driver arrived with it and said, "Good deal on these pianos from Costco!" while he was dragging the box out of the back. I asked him how he knew that and he said that this is the third piano that he's delivered today in this town.

Wow. I live in a town of 5000 people. If that many people ordered this piano in a town this small, there must be an unbelievable number of them being delivered across Canada.

There's definitely something to be said for buying stuff on sale from Costco.

@ando,

Perhaps you are right and the most current update from Walter Piano Transport is in reference to the week of April 3rd:

It'll leave here early that week. I don't know yet if it will be at the beginning of the route or the end. So it'll arrive to their store either that week or the following.

Could arrive at the local store by April 8th, 9th, and if not, during the week of the 10th.

I'm waiting on delivery of a Clavinova and chewing my nails every day, LOL. We've got about the same time frame for delivery. Maybe we can make this into a hearty drinking game!

I had my old Roland digital piano, full size small upright piano case, really nice, delivered locally to friends, about 30 miles, by a well known Vancouver piano moving firm, several years ago - cost me $100 plus. My new grand was about $400 to move, by another great firm specializing in grands, also picking up my previous grand. Both firms provided wonderful prompt service, good care. I think one of the men had actually delivered my former grand many years previously!

$400 seems a pretty high price to me for a local move of a digital.

Local delivery cost is higher due to the extra work that will be required to remove crating and prepare the piano.

Why don't they use a crate which can go direct onto a pallet truck? It needs only 2 rails underneath. Everything heavy that I have delivered comes like that. It is pretty much standard practice in many places especially for bulky electrical items.

My post above must look a bit strange. It was in response to a post which has been edited out.

OT:

Hope your delivery goes well and the only reason I had damage with my older Clavinova CLP-990M was due to a very small pedal cable plug (that connects to the pedal box) which had been crushed up into the pedal box due to use of skid board or dolly that broke both the plug and the circuit board it was connected to:

[Pedal cable plug is white with multi-colored wires in it]

http://imgur.com/yxvrpgT

[The photo above was one the seller had sent me after I requested to see if it had the pedal adjuster bolt/screw that lowers to the floor for stability -- which was missing as the seller never had this part -- although I later purchased one from Yamaha after the piano arrived.]

Note that the repair was done by a local Yamaha tech and I also touched up some loose veneer on the left front corner of the keyboard with just a spot of super glue.

The CLP-990M is one of the best Clavinova's available as for authentic feeling solid wooden key action (with escapement simulation) and realistic piano sounds.

You'd better let the two piano moving companies that have delivered two upright pianos for me for $160 each and one grand piano for $250 that they don't know what they're doing

There are a lot of baseless assumptions in this post. $400 for half a day is plenty - especially when they combine with other deliveries in that day. There are companies that run piano moving as business completely unattached to a piano shop. We've got a few of them here in Melbourne. They do fine. They know what they are doing. They book multiple pianos on a lot of their trips, unless there are no other deliveries at all that day.

Let's be really generous and assume that the truck takes one quarter of their profit. Even if they had only one piano, that's $300 for the business. Let's give $100 of that for the administration and operational costs. That leaves $100 for each guy for half a day. A whole day for $200. That's a $1000 working week. You don't think a guy can survive on that?

The reality is, they usually charge much less than $400 to move a piano within 50km of your home. It's normally $200-300, depending on size and distance, and they do roughly 6-8 moves in the day. It's a good earner for those who set themselves up and stick at it.

The most I've paid for a piano move (grand piano) is $350. The least I've paid (for an upright) is $50 (20 miles round trip). I've moved a few uprights myself, with the help of one of my sons, both of whom are bigger and stronger (and smarter) than me.

I got an estimate for a long distance move (800 miles one way), door to door set up, for a grand piano for around $1500. (forgot who the mover was; it may have been Walter).

The pros make it look easy...

Rick

That's the ballpark here, as well. This was my quote from Buffalo NY to can't remember what city in Georgia.

Yes, this is true as my local store had charged only $250 per move on all of the previous pianos (have all been digital upright models) although the current Physis Piano V100 will be $400 as this is what the store owner is charging and was not given any choice as for cost.

As a confirmed control freak, I wonder if anyone has ever rented a truck and driven their own piano. The whole idea of my piano "who knows where" would make me nuts.

I read somewhere that Krystian Zimerman does this. Not that he just plays on his own piano for all his concerts like Horowitz did, but that he actually drives the truck himself. Of course now that I'm looking for the article, I can't find it.

Update: found the article http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cul...king-walt-disney-concert-hall-debut.html

Better yet, here is a video of my case in action:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NddXDaaEb2Q

I am often in a similar position with horse moves.
Clients want to rent my truck and trailer, but load/unload their own horses and do all the driving.
Other similarities - even medium size horses are similar weight and often similar value to a concert grand.

These are people who have ZERO experience trying to get large panic prone animals into large metal boxes and have never driven a truck.
They THINK they will be safe because they will drive ever so slowly, but they have no idea how an articulated vehicle short tracks when the trailer is nearly 40 ft long.

I usually respond with; "My insurance wouldn't cover that"

The halfway is "Can I ride in the truck with you ?"
response; "I am not insured or licensed to carry passengers".

Sometimes it gets to them trying to "lead the way", which translates to trying to keep my speed low by driving so slowly that we are passed at dangerous places by impatient drivers.

I always get "Please drive carefully" - - as if I am going to take any undue risks with so much weight behind me

So yes, I am SURE there are piano owners who are just as concerned and protective about their piano move - though they probably don't insist on providing their own special hay for the trip.
Blankets and extra padding - maybe, but not hay.

Wow, watching that video made my day Thank you.

Is Walter Piano Transport related to Charles Walter pianos?

What ever happened to the guy who used to haul pianos, then went back to school to study music and got an MBA? Is he still moving pianos?

We used D&E Movers. They charged $675 to move my Baldwin from the Philly area to Northern Virginia (about 200 miles). First floor removal; first floor delivery. They picked it up one day, delivered it the next and made it look easy (three guys).

I tend to be a do-it-yourselfer, but decided against trying to move the piano (and think it was a good decision--unlike Rickster, I have two delicate daughters). That said, if it was long distance, and was gonna take an inordinately long time, I think I'd move it myself, emphasis on move. I'd hire professionals to load and unload it at each end. I just don't think I could buy a piano and then wait that long for shipping!

No, as here is Charles R. Walter's info:

http://www.walterpiano.com/profile/

However, here is who I am now using:

http://walterpianotransport.com/about-us/

It is Kevin & Hope Walter that runs the business although I am in contact with Ariel Askren as for all details regarding the move.

OT:

Wanted to lighten up the mood just a bit, below:

1)

Child to mother:

"Momma, I'm Hungary and want some Turkey fried in Greece!"

Mother:

"If you stop your Wales I'll give you Samoa."

2)

What do you get when you cross the world's strongest hero with a TV announcer?

Hercu-Leeza Gibbons

3)

Which football player has a dual personality?

Walter (Payton/Peyton) Manning

The answer would probably be censored,

What do you get when you cross an onion with a donkey ?

Here is a very good way to move a piano, by yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppjf9--Sfcs

Wow, this is really brilliant!!!! "Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!"

The first time I watched that I stopped it at the end.
Then I showed someone else and let it run through to 2 more piano mover automaton movies.
Cute, inventive, etc. European too

At a guess it wouldn't take a LOT of effort to cobble up something like this with an arduino, a couple of motor drivers and some standard parts.
The power capacity probably doesn't need to be more than a truck battery, although you would probably want a marine deep cycle type.

Then a couple of Steinway D crash test dummies for the debug runs

I wonder if they walk CLOSER than the videos show, to catch it if/when a topple starts - things could get ugly FAST !

Looks like the Physis Piano V100 will be arriving at my local store as of tomorrow (on Tuesday morning) and after it has been brought into the store, inspected, and prepared, I will soon be given a call to set up the delivery day.

That's great news! You'll probably beat me, I haven't heard anything yet about my piano. Enjoy, you're almost there!

Okay, thanks, as I just received a call today from the movers and the piano is being delivered on Thursday, this week.

I just got my call, you'll definitely beat me, but at least mine's coming on Friday! Cheers, we're both going to have an excellent weekend!!

Piano Movers

Piano delivered:

Piano did arrive today and local delivery went fine although I am now sorting out an issue with a number of keys that are not spaced properly and several are nearly touching one another.

Will add further details in the Physis Piano thread although for now this is my last post, here.

Sounds like me... the perfectionist syndrome.

Thing is, it's caused me a lot of grief over the years because perfection is more theoretical than practical.

Sort of like absolute zero (0 degrees Rankine), or -460 degrees Fahrenheit; the point where all molecular motion stops and heat energy ceases to exist. It actually doesn't exist in nature or anywhere in the universe.

Call the seller and tell them to send out a tech to fix your key spacing under warranty.

Rick

Where I come from, we use Kelvin... Rankine is for hillbillies.

Sounds like a cold day in you know where!