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Barrie Heaton Dip. AEWVH, FABPT, FIMIT, CGLI (hon.), MMPTA (usa),

Barrie Heaton Dip. AEWVH, FABPT, FIMIT, CGLI (hon.), MMPTA (usa),








5 star(s) from 14 votes


I recondition, repair, and tune pianos in the Lancashire area of England. I cover all of Lancashire area, North Manchester, parts of Merseyside and South Cumbria. Why do I cover such a large area? I provide services that other tuners do not and for this reason manufacturers and retailers in the UK use my skills, one of which is one site polyester repairs .

I have been vetted by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and therefore approved to work in situations with vulnerable adults and children. (Previously known as CRB checks).


tuning-at-BBC-voice.jpg

Background:

I was trained as a Piano Tuner at RNCB back in the 70s where I received a diploma in piano tuning and repairing. I also obtained my City and Guilds String Instrument Design, String Instrument Repair, and String Instrument Tuning and Toning, parts one and two, in all three City and Guilds. I also completed Action Finishing and Regulating part one. As part of my training in 1978, I spent six weeks at Bentley Pianos on tuning and toning and one day a week out of the six in the action finishing and regulating department. During that same year, I was awarded the clothworkers' prize for the highest exam pass for City and Guilds for all of the UK. In 1979, I spent time at Kemble-Yamaha on voicing and toning. In 1979, I received the Layton prize for best piano repairer, and that prize was awarded to me byHRH the Prince of Wales. In 1980, I started to work for Hunt's Pianos in Darwen, at the time the largest restoration/wholesaler in the UK with over 2,000 pianos in stock at any one time. The following year I was promoted to head technician among five technicians and two apprentices. In November 1986 I set up my own workshop and tuning round, since them I have attended technical refresher

 

These are some of the towns and villages I cover (please see the map below):

Lancashire Towns and Villages




 

 

  • Abbey Village
  • Accrington
  • Adlington
  • Altham
  • Atherton
  • Ashton-in-Makerfield
  • Aspull
  • Aughton
  • Bacup
  • Balderstone
  • Bamber Bridge
  • Barnoldswick
  • Barrowford
  • Baxenden
  • Belmount
  • Belthorn
  • Blackburn
  • Blackrod
  • Bolton
  • Bolton-by-Bowland
  • Bretherton
  • Brierfield
  • Brinscall
  • Burnley
  • Burscough
  • Bury
  • Carnforth
  • Chatburn
  • Chapeltown
  • Chorley
  • Clayton-le-Moors
  • Clayton-le-Woods
  • Clitheroe
  • Cliviger
  • Colne
  • Coppull
  • Crawshawbooth
  • Croston
  • Darwen
  • Earby
  • Eccleston
  • Edenfield
  • Edgworth
  • Euxton
  • Fence
  • Formby
  • Freckleton
  • Fulwood
  • Garstang
  • Goosnargh
  • Great Harwood
  • Greenmount
  • Hiagh
  • Hapton
  • Haslingden
  • Haywood
  • Helmshore
  • Hindley
  • Hoddiesden
  • Hogton
  • Horwich
  • Huncoat
  • Hutton
  • Irwell Vale
  • Ince
  • Kearsley
  • Lancaster
  • Leigh
  • Leyland
  • Longton
  • Longridge
  • Lowton
  • Lum
  • Lytham St Annes
  • Mawdesley
  • Morecambe
  • Milnrow
  • Nelson
  • Newburgh
  • New Longton
  • Orrell
  • Ormskirk
  • Oswaldtwistle
  • Padiham
  • Parbold
  • Penwortham
  • Preston
  • Radcliffe
  • Ramsbottom
  • Rawtenstall
  • Ribchester
  • Rishton
  • Rossendale
  • Royton
  • Rufford
  • Samlesbury
  • Scarisbrick
  • Shaw
  • Shevington
  • Silverdale
  • Skelmersdale
  • Southport
  • Stacksteads
  • Standish
  • Swinton
  • Tarleton
  • Tockholes
  • Tottington
  • Turton
  • Tyldesley
  • Up-Holland
  • Waddington
  • Walton
  • Waterfoot
  • Westhoughton
  • Wheelton
  • Wigan
  • Withnell
  • Worsley
  • Worsthorne

Contact Information

  • 31 Wyre Crescent
    Darwen, Lancashire BB30JG
    England
  • Mobile: 07973 628608
  • Send Message vCard
  • Hours Currently Open

    Monday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Tuesday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Wednesday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Thursday:
    07:00 - 15:30
    Friday:
    07:00 - 15:30

Map

More Locations

Other Information

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Reviews

 STECK baby grand, 17-04-2017 03:33PM

By: Kevin Kearns

It is a pleasure to report that a service received exceeded one’s most optimistic hopes and expectations - Barrie’s work on the repair and tuning of an elderly STECK baby grand certainly warrants this accolade. The piano appears to be about a hundred years old and it had, to say the least, been neglected – indeed over the last six years it had been located in an unoccupied property. Apart from the many other problems which required attention, a large number of the keytops had become displaced and attempts had been made to re-fix them with an inappropriate adhesive.

None of this phased Barrie. He took the Action to his workshop; he replaced all the keytops and undertook all the required repairs. Within three weeks Barrie had completed this work; he then reinstalled the Action, cleaned the frame to its former glory and tuned the piano.

This was a challenging undertaking, which Barrie completed with consummate professional skill – and considerable good humour. To say that his client is delighted, would be a very substantial understatement. One was fortunate to have had him recommended by a professional in his own field. Barrie has earned appreciation and the warmest thanks of all concerned in this project.

Kevin Kearns

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Did You Know Piano Facts

1350
Towards the middle of the fourteenth century German wire smiths began drawing wire through steel plates, and this method continued until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Iron, gold, silver, brass, gut, horsehair and recently nylon have been used for strings on many different instruments. The earliest use of steel wire occurred in 1735 in Wales, but is not thought to have been used for the stringing of instruments. The Broadwood piano company stated that they were using steel wire in 1815 from Germany and Britain, but this has not been confirmed. According to the Oxford Companion, it was in 1819 that Brockedon began drawing steel wire through holes in diamonds and rubies. Before 1834 wire for instruments was made either from iron or brass, until Webster of Birmingham introduced steel wire. The firm seems to have been called Webster and Horsfall, but later the best wire is said to have come from Nuremberg and later still from Berlin. Wire has been plated in gold, silver, and platinum to stop rusting and plated wire can still be bought, but polished wire is best. In 1862 Broadwood claimed that a Broadwood grand would take a strain of about 17 tons, with the steel strings taking 150 pounds each. There had been many makers, but it was not until 1883 that the now-famous wire-making firm of Roslau began in West Germany. According to Wolfenden, by 1893 one firm claimed their wire had a breaking strain for gauge 13 of 325 pounds. The same maker gives some earlier dates for the breaking strain of gauge 13: 1867 - 226 pounds; 1873 - 232 pounds; 1876 - 265 pounds; and 1884 - 275 pounds. Wolfenden said:"These samples were, of course, specially drawn for competition and commercial wire of this gauge cannot even now be trusted to reach above 260 pounds."