Larry Benigno Piano Tuning
PIANO TUNING
The majority of my work is tuning pianos which involves raising or lowering some 230 strings in order for the piano to not only sound good by itself, but also to be in tune with other instruments. My preference is to always tune the piano to "A-440" concert pitch, which is a world wide standard.
CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEMS
I am an experienced Field Expert in the installation of Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Systems©.
These systems provide automatic humidity control ensuring a long life for your piano in the battle against the elements.
The Dampp-Chaser website provides an abundance of information on the product:
http://www.pianolifesaver.com/english/home.php
REGULATION
Pianos need to be regulated to compensate from the effects of wear over time.
The three main areas are:
1) The action (the mechanical apparatus which transfers the motion of the fingers to the hammers, which in turn strike the strings)
2) The trapwork or to put it in plain language, the foot pedals and the connections they make inside the piano
3) The damper system (dampers stop the strings from sounding when you release a key)
COMPLETE CLEANING
It's amazing the amount of dirt and debris that accumulate inside a piano. If you have a grand piano, lift up the lid and look underneath the strings. If it has never been cleaned before, chances are there's a good deal of debris inside. On an upright/console/vertical piano, this debris usually winds up on the floor of the piano and underneath the keys. Once the debris gets into the action, it will act as an abrasive and prematurely wear out the action parts. Not to mention health problems that can arise from the dirt, dust, mold. If you live close to any woods and you've ever had mice, chances are they've left a mess in the piano. They love it in there!