Pictured, is an 1892 square grand piano part way through a tuning. This obsolete design looks like a large coffin on four massive legs. The square grand presents a few challenges for the tuner. First, the tuning pins are located on the far side of the piano, a long reach away from the keys. This requires quite a lot of reaching, leaning, and stretching to tune the upper octaves. I’ve heard of technicians including the cost of a visit to...

After 102 years of dutiful service, this soundboard could go no further, in any fashion, as part of a musical instrument without thorough restoration. Fluctuation in humidity, causing many cycles of expansion and contraction, had created many long and wide cracks in this soundboard. As well, original glue joints connecting the bridges and ribs to the soundboard had been severely compromised. The sound such a piano would produce is easily...

Nathan Cook piano tuner and technician

Preparing new hammers for installation

Piano technician’s tool kit