I have a Wilhelm Steinberg IQ77 grand which I bought 2 years ago. The piano was made in October 2002 so is quite new. I love the sound and touch and when it's in tune it is incredible, I had my technician over on Monday and I can't stop playing it. However... it doesn't seem to stay in tune for long and my tuner can offer no explanation. At first I thought it just needed to settle in and acclimatise to my room which I am careful to keep at as constant a temperature as I can. It does seem to have been worse over the summer months although I live in the UK and it is never too hot. Does anyone know if this is a common problem with Steinbergs?

You say you keep the temp as steady as you can, that's not importent. The humidity is. The tuning swings in the summer are humidity related, as are the tuning swings you're hearing now in the fall. It's a problem with Steinbergs or any other pianos placed in an environment wher the humidity is not controlled. Try to keep a steady 45% relative humidity all year long.

Most tuning problems are caused by poor tuning technique.

Thanks for that. I think it's probably the humidity rather than the tuner as I have 2 other pianos (uprights) which do not seem to be a problem. One of the uprights is in the same room so I am surprised at the difference between them.

My experience with Steinbergs--I have been tuning one grand for a couple of years, probably similar vintage to years, and a tall upright--has shown that they are pretty stable.

If the unisons are going out on the piano, it's tuning technique. If the whole thing is going sharp or flat, it's humidity.

Nice pianos! I wish there were more around here.

Right, I've been to the DIY store and bought a humidity dial. At the moment the dial reads 60% which it tells me is at the high end of normal, edging towards damp. What can I do to reduce humidity?

I have an EMC chart in .pdf form
Equilibrium Moisture Content of wood

It is simply a graph of temp and humidity.
As curry points out, humidity is mostly the culprit and this chart shows that. It is a great visual reference for anyone wishing to stabilize their enviroment.

I am happy to email it to anyone interested.

Larry,

I'd be interested in it. Thanks!

Go here http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html for equilibrium moisture content in wood. You'll find plenty of info if you Google it.

Chris H.,

I have the same model of Steinberg grand, and it's of approximately of the same vintage (2002-2003). I live in the Chicago (Illinois) area, a region prone to wild variations in temperature and humidity. We use CAC in the warm months (we sometimes open the windows, but not in the living room/dining room area, where the piano is) and use forced-air heat in the cool months.

I have a portable dehumidifier in the living room, near the piano, and when the heat runs, a built-in humidifier kicks in. According to my hygrometer, which sits on top of the piano, the humidity USUALLY ranges from 36-45%. Sometimes, it falls to 26% or so or reaches 50%, but those are the extremes, and they do not last.

Since I've owned the piano, I've found it to be very stable under those conditions. My dealer, who tunes it once a year (he's out of state), has been very happy with its stability. My local tech, who tunes in between my dealer visits, says that the piano is a joy to tune and that it tunes very nicely. He also says it's very stable.

I'm surprised that the Steinberg would be less stable than the uprights you have. According to my dealer, Steinbergs tend to be pretty stable, in his experience. My previous piano, a Charles Walter studio, was less stable (but a great piano nonetheless), and it had a Dampp-Chaser. (My Steinberg does not -- my dealer was hesitant about installing one.)

Perhaps you should find a tech who is more familiar with Steinbergs or monitor your humidity closely to see if you have extremes. Does the tech say it's unstable? The Steinberg tone is quite rich and complex (as you well know!!), and so sometimes when I first sit down at the piano after not playing it for a couple of days, it sounds "different" to me -- I think the pianos tonal complexity "tricks" my ears initially. In fact, after a few minutes of playing, especially with the lid up, the piano sounds fantastic.

I'll be interested in following your experiences with your piano.

Kevin

Thanks for all the help and replies. A quick update.

I've had the humidity gauge for about a month now and have checked it regularly. Up until about a week ago it was reading quite high (60-65%). During the last week the weather has turned cold and the heating has been used more. The reading has dropped to about 40%. The effect on the piano has been remarkable. It is noticeably out of tune and on the F and G 2 octaves below middle C the dampers are not working properly as these strings continue to sound a fraction longer after releasing the keys!

40% seems to be a good level but I wonder if the fact that it was tuned when it was humid (65%) may be to blame for this?

I've been reading about 'piano life saver' systems which need to be installed by a professional tech. Are these really worth the money or does anyone know of a cheaper solution? I am willing to fork out in order to protect my piano but it seems that the climate here is generally humid so I'm not sure if I should just look at a portable dehumidifier.

The most unusual thing is that my Schimmel 120T upright (which sits next to the grand) doesn't seem to suffer these effects at all. My tech can't offer much in the way of explanation. I may be being paranoid but I know he loves the Schimmel and is not fond of the Steinberg (he hasn't said as much but I can tell from the way he talks about the two). Is it possible that he doesn't take as much care when tuning the Steinberg? (I know you can't really answer that!)

I would appreciate anyones views or advice on this matter.

The piano life saver system your mention is a Dampp Chaser. Most people heartily recommend them as do I. Most techs will be able to install one for you.

Get a DC system. Portable dehumidfiers eat a great amount of electricity.

Thanks everyone.

I spoke to another local tech about this. He asked if the mid range was going sharp at the end of the summer and is now flat as the heating is on more. This seems to be the case. He also said that sometimes grands can suffer the effects of humidity change more than a smaller well established upright which may explain why the Schimmel is not so bad. He is getting me a quote for the DC system and I think I will go for it.