Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Player piano tuning....newbie question

My daughter recently purchased a player piano for me...It needs tuning and the "blower" (that is what the original owner called it)..is very loud and needs to be replaced...It is that electric switch that allows you to play the player without pumping the pedals... So I called around town to find someone to tune and fix the player...I got a name of a person in Orlando who was a player specialist...but...he didn't return my call...a company called and said he was their "technician" and first they would send someone out (not the tech) to tune the piano (it might have to be tuned several times according to them) and then he would assess and they would make appointment for "technician"...oka so here are the questions...
1. Can ANYONE tune a player piano?
2. Why would I make separate appointments to have it tuned and the "blower" replaced?
3. What would be a reasonable cost for tuning? I neglected to ask...especially if it will take "several" and I don't want to call until I get an answer re: should the tuner be the tech?
Thank you for your help

1. Most people who tune pianos can tune a player.
2. Not everyone who tunes works on player mechanisms. (It's a vacuum pump, incidentally.) A player tech need not be able to tune.
3. Sorry, I'm not good with costs.

Congrats--what a great daughter! I'd find a good independant piano tech first. S/he will be able to address the "piano" issues. S/he will also have less overhead (can you say "lower price") than a larger company. If the piano hasn't been tuned regularly, it probably will need "several" tunings--what's called a "pitch raise". Some techs will do this all at one appointment (with an added fee, of course, it really is multiple tunings), and some prefer not to do it all at once (a lot depends on how low the pitch is). "Fair price" depends on your market--nationwide prices range, perhaps, from $75 to $150 for a base tuning, pitch raise might add 50%.

As BDB said, since the piano mechanism and the player mechanism are independant, but connected systems, a tuner doesn't have to be a player tech, and a player tech doesn't have to be a tuner. In truth, you'll be using your tuner/piano tech much more than your player tech (if they're not the same person). The piano tech should be able to recommend (or sub-contract) someone to replace the vacuum pump.

Thank you so much for your responses...BDB thank you for naming the "blower" lol...Now I just have to remember "vacuum pump"...sounds more professional...:}

John...thank you also...yes, great daughter...also got approx 200 rolls w/piano...some very old...much family fun...I will proably keep appointment with the "piano company"...seems difficult to find tuners where I am...I did call for cost and it is approx $85 per visit to tune...don't know till he comes what else will be necessary...tho piano seems to be in good shape (what do I know)...(Sounds in line $$$ wise with what you estimated). I got the impression from the company that one person was the tuner and the other the "tech"...but...the person who referred told me the "tech" was the one I wanted as he was knowlegeable and excellent w/player pianos. So...are they all called piano "techs"...? Sorry for my obvious ignorance...but what is the forum for huh? Will try to get someone to replace vacuum pump asap...as Xmas is coming and while pumping may be good for me...let me tell you...the old legs get tired mighty fast :}

Again, thanks

No, they are not all piano technicians. Some people just tune. Many are not very good "mechanically". Technicians are not always the best tuners. Sometimes you get lucky and the "right" person shows up.

Everybody has a bad day or comes across a piano that frustrates the beegeebers out of you.

kpiano