Tag Archives: piano repair

Announcement: Southern Piano Service (& Piano Tuning) 804-677-2416 (M-F 9-6)

kitten on pianoWelcome to Southern Piano Service, where we take care of your piano as if it were our own!

Please note: This is my welcome message, and it will stay right here for the foreseeable future. BUT… look right underneath this post for my newest blog posts about piano care and maintenance, and lots more. Or just keep reading… 😉

To get in touch, please TEXT me (or call) anytime from Monday to Friday between 9 and 6.

If you have a piano, no matter what kind of piano it is, and if you want a trusted expert to take care of it, you’ve come to the right place.

We at Southern Piano Service love pianos, and will be very happy to help you take care of your piano and keep it in top playing condition.

Check out the services below to see the range of what we do. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for, we STILL might do it. Just give us a call at 804-677-2416. Continue reading →

Central Virginia Piano Repair Expanding To New Kent County

piano repairBlanton Bendall of Southern Piano Service is now offering piano repair services in an expanding are, including New Kent County and Providence Forge. He also repairs pianos in Eastern Hanover and Highland Springs.

How do you know your piano needs repairs?

There are quite a few things that can lead to the need for repair of a piano. From felt that is matted to keys that are sticky or broken to pins that have come loose to broken strings. And that’s just for starters.

Fortunately, most pianos don’t need repair very often. Then again, major repair, including restringing a piano, can get expensive. So before you decide on a major repair project, you should consider the worth of your piano.

Should you have your piano repaired?

A high quality piano is often worth the expense, and so is a piano that has great sentimental value to you. I’ll be happy to make suggestions, but ultimately, the decision lies with you.

Continue reading →

Piano Tuning Hanover County

Piano Tuning HanoverCentral Virginia Piano Tuner Blanton Bendall of Southern Piano Service always had a soft spot for his Hanover county clients. After all, that’s where he grew up – in Montpelier, to be precise. And so he has decided to expand his services from mostly Western Hanover to offer his full range of Piano services to ALL of Hanover county, starting with Piano tuning in Hanover County.

So what does “full range” of piano services mean?  It includes just about anything piano-related you could possibly need, including piano cleaning, repair, and even piano restringing services. Blanton is happy to provide whatever piano services his Hanover County (and other) customers may need.

And that’s not all! Sometimes, it’s necessary to move and/or store a piano temporarily, for a range of reasons. Continue reading →

Piano Restoration

pinblock-old-and-new-smallSometimes, a piano may need more than just a good tuning or even minor repair. When it has been neglected for a long time, it may be a candidate for a full piano restoration – or piano refurbishing.

For example, you may have inherited a piano that has been in storage for years – or even decades. If it is a high quality piano, it will be worth your while to invest in a restoration project. If you’re not sure, just call me at 804-677-2416.

Other situations that may call for restoration? You may have stored your piano in the attic or the basement and rodents or other unsavory pests might have gotten into it (ugh!). Or it may have simply worn out. If it has a lot of wear and tear or similar damage, and you want it back in good working order, it’s time for restoration.

What Happens During A Piano Restoration?

During a piano restoration, the piano generally has to be taken apart and then rebuilt, depending on the damage that has occurred. Sometimes, the damage is mainly cosmetic. But other times, it may mean that various elements have to be refurbished or even replaced.

In the image above, for example, you see two pinblocks. The left one is the “blank” one that will eventually replace the damaged one (but before it has been worked on). You see the marks that indicate where the holes will have to be drilled. The right one has been finished and is ready to be installed in the piano.

As you can imagine, restoring a piano requires a lot of precision work. I LOVE restoring pianos to their old beauty, and their old functionality so they can be used once again to make beautiful music. I would be honored to work on giving your piano a whole new future.

I will expand this section and explain in more detail what I do when I restore pianos. I’ll also include more before and after photos to illustrate the difference piano restoration can make. You may barely recognize your “old” piano once it’s been fully restored and fixed up.

I have recently restored a piano that is now an absolute beauty! Please check back for the photos soon.

So if you have a high quality piano that has fallen into disrepair and could use a lot of TLC, or if you know someone who has such a piano, please call me to get more information about what it will take to restore it and bring out its true beauty once again, both in terms of sound and appearance.

And please don’t worry about your exact geographic location within Virginia. I will be happy to restore pianos even when they’re a little farther away.

Questions? Just call me at 804-677-2416.

Piano Repair – The Most Common Problems

To keep your piano in good working order, it may sometimes need more than just tuning – it may need fixing too. Here are some of the most common problems that require piano repair:

Piano Repair: Sticking/sluggish keys

The most common problem arising in a piano (besides being out of tune) are keys that either don’t work at all, or work the first time they’re played, but then fail.

Fortunately, better than 90% of the time (in my experience), this is something that is very simple and inexpensive to fix.

In the other 10% of cases, usually a part is either broken or missing. For example, a hammer may have broken off. However, these issues can also be taken care of to the customer’s satisfaction and in a reasonable timeframe. They just may require a little more effort.

Piano Repair: Buzzing and rattling sounds:

Almost as common an issue as keys not working are the strange and unsettling sounds occurring when some of the many hundreds of screws inside the piano have become loose.

Figuring out just where the errant sound comes from is the hardest part of this particular problem. Once the culprit has found, though, the solution is simple: Usually, tightening the loose screw(s) is enough to permanently banish the unpleasand sound effects.

Many grand piano customers have experienced the joyful sound of music coming from a pen or pencil resting on top of the strings. No explanation is needed for how that happens or how to fix it.

Damaged/chipped or dirty ivory keys

Many older pianos still have their original ivory key-tops on them. It is common for some to become chipped after decades of use. Southern Piano has a large inventory of recovered ivory key tops, which allows us to match most any set of keys. It is worth noting, however, that if a large number of ivories have been damaged it may be less costly to have all the keys replaced with new keytops instead.

Ebony key tops

A less common than ivory repairs but still a very fixable problem presents itself when any of the sharp keys on a piano become missing or damaged.

Dirty keys

After decades of use, the keys become dirty. Sharps become dull and covered in caked grit and grime. Ivorys darken at the edges and begin to yellow. Careful cleaning can help restore the keys to something resembling their original state. Even some of the yellowing in the ivories can be reversed.

As you can see, most piano repair needs are fairly straightforward and can be taken care of quickly.