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).
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
Hours
preston
Preston, Lancashire, PR1
England
07973628608
http://www.a440.co.uk
piano@a440.co.uk
Map
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
Music Festival for performers and guests Our 10th
18-06-2022 12:30PM
The Morecambe Bay Piano Group was set up to extend
11-12-2021 01:00PM
The Morecambe Bay Piano Group was set up to extend
08-01-2022 01:00PM
The Morecambe Bay Piano Group was set up to extend
12-02-2022 01:00PM
What is Piano Voicing or Toning?
Voicing is an extremely difficult area. It's subjective in the extreme, and has caused endless discussion in piano maintenance circles. But the final goal of voicing is to have the hammers striking the notes of the piano to offer a uniform sound from the bottom to the top of the instrument. Goes without saying that evaluating this capability is governed by the capability of the piano, and the construction of the action parts. But, often a technician will find extremes in voicing, such as a particularly hard hammer, which may result in a note sounding louder than the rest. But, this too can be laid at the door of regulation. This is where the tuner's skill comes into play here. Voicing can be accomplished by pricking the hammer with a set of needles. This pricking changes the structure of the felt, and softens the hammer to a degree.
What is toning?This is the reverse of voicing, and accomplishes the inverse sort of thing. May be necessary to bring up a particularly soft sounding hammer, and bring it into line with its neighbours. This is accomplished by applying a special material to the hammers or ironing with a special tool.
