Are exterior walls the bane of the piano? Any tips for getting rid of dust on the piano’s soundboard? How did Chupp’s Pianos get started? In today’s blog post, we cover a few of the piano-related questions we receive here at Chupp’s Piano Service!
Do I Need to Keep My Piano Away From Outside Walls?
Yes… and no. The old piano tech advice is to place your piano away from outside walls. Back in the day, this was very sage advice due to thin exterior walls and lack of insulation. The piano’s greatest enemy when it comes to structural stability and tuning stability are swings in environmental conditions, especially when it comes to humidity.* In more modern homes and buildings, heavier insulation and better-sealed windows, have alleviated this concern by a great deal. Although you still do want to keep your piano out of direct sunlight (this can cause finish cracking and fading) the concerns regarding placement near exterior facing walls is no longer as crucial as it once was.
- *We recommend the consideration of a Dampp Chaser Piano Life Saver System installed directly onto the piano. We have found that when properly installed, the addition of a Dampp Chaser significantly increases the stability of the instrument.
How Can I Clean Under the Grand Piano Strings?
As time passes, dust and grime can (and will) collect on your grand piano’s soundboard. Even with the top lid closed, dust always finds a way to sneak into the cabinet. Although it obviously doesn’t affect the piano’s playability, it can be quite unsightly. Some of the soundboard areas can be reached with a vacuum, but getting under the strings requires a bit more finesse.
We use a ‘soundboard steel’ a long, flexible piece of metal wrapped in a cleaning cloth, to carefully wipe away the dust from under the strings. Care needs to be taken not to scratch the soundboard or cast iron plate’s finish. Getting into all of the nooks and crannies can be a bit of a challenge, so if this doesn’t strike you as a fun job, you may want to ask your piano technician to add this to their to-do list the next time they stop by to tune the piano.
Can I Purchase a Piano from Chupp’s Pianos Online?
Rather surprisingly to many people, we have had a high number of clients purchase pianos based on our text descriptions and detailed photos and video pieces. Typically, the clients review the presented information and then discuss it with our team directly via both email and phone conversations. Although we always recommend that if you can, schedule an appointment and tour our Rebuilding Facility and Piano Showroom. We have had more and more people take advantage of the convenience of purchasing ‘online’ and having the instrument shipped directly to them. We partner with numerous nationwide piano delivery services in order to safely deliver and set up your newly purchased instrument. We strive to meet our client’s wants and needs in the method most convenient for them. [View our online Showroom]
How Did Chupp’s Pianos Get Started?
It all started with Dennis! Founded by Dennis Chupp, Chupp’s Piano Service has grown from Dennis himself as the single tuner/technician to a complete team of piano professionals who are experts in the entire piano restoration process. The interview below features Dennis discussing what inspired him to begin working in the piano tuning business and how his field of expertise steadily grew, thanks to continued study and the mentorship of many expert piano technicians.
Chupp’s Piano Service | Specializing in Steinway & Sons Piano Restoration | Service Since 1975
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