OLLIE CASE PIANO TUNING & REPAIR
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

Courteous Professional Service

Phone: (519) 337-7641

Service to most makes & models
Serving Sarnia since 1993
Dampp-Chaser Piano Climate Control System Field Expert

"By far, the main reason why pianos go out of tune is due to changes in humidity from season to season, affecting all pianos, new and old, played and unplayed. The best way to care for a piano is the professional installation of a Dampp-Chaser Piano Climate Control System and regular tunings (at least once yearly) by a qualified tuner."

Visit Dampp-Chaser: www.pianolifesaver.com

Consider the cost of not using the Piano Life Saver:

Greater tuning instability between regular tunings.
Cracking of the soundboard and bridges with the need for costly repairs.
Unresponsive keys and action which makes playing the piano much less enjoyable.
Rust on the strings and metal parts.
Harsh tones from flattened hammer felt in low humidity or the muffled tones from swollen hammer felt in high humidity.
Glue failure throughout the piano with costly repairs.
Depreciation of the piano's value due to physical deterioration.

DAMPP-CHASER SYSTEM IN GRAND PIANO

DAMPP-CHASER SYSTEM IN UPRIGHT PIANO

Buying a Piano? Buy a NEW Piano!

While finances surely will figure in deciding what kind of piano you will buy, at least consider investing in a top quality new Yamaha piano and order a Dampp-Chaser Piano Climate Control System to be installed immediately after delivery. After that, have your new piano tuned, inspected and maintained at least once each and every year by a reputable piano tuner and it will likely last a lifetime.

A piano is an extremely complicated mechanism that depends on the proper distribution of tremendous weight, choice materials, impeccable craftsmanship, and unflagging care to produce good music. Unlike some musical instruments, the piano has profited greatly in tone and performance as a result of recent technological improvements, and modern pianos are far superior in many ways to their predecessors. In purchasing a new acoustic piano in Canada, I recommend the Yamaha piano distributed by Yamaha Music Canada Ltd. and sold only through an authorized Yamaha Music Canada dealer.

Purchasing a "Used" Piano? Buyer Beware!

Never buy a used piano from a private party without first having a professional piano tuner/technician evaluate the instrument.
There are some good used pianos, but that is the exception and not the rule. Sadly, only a very small number of used pianos have ever received the regular care and attention that all pianos require.
If possible, purchase from a reputable piano dealer.
Exercise all the caution you'd take if you were looking for a used car.
Buy the best piano you can afford. Sticking a beginner with a junk piano is a recipe for failure. Experienced players can cope with mechanical and tuning problems more easily because they know how things are supposed to be. A beginner doesn't.
Avoid purchasing a drop-action, indirect-blow spinet piano of any sort. (Usually 36" high.) They are poorly designed and difficult/expensive to repair.
"Free" pianos are usually junk.
Do not purchase a piano that is located in a damp basement, unheated garage, etc.
Most pianos over 50 years of age have little musical or financial value. Pianos do not get better with age.
Many people will buy a piano based strictly on it's price and will mistake a low price with a, "good deal." Be aware, if there are truly any deals out there, most piano dealers will have purchased them before they are advertised.

REBUILT VS. RECONDITIONED PIANOS

There are a great many so-called piano "rebuilders" in the world. Most "rebuilders" are in fact just "reconditioners." Reconditioned pianos cannot be expected to give the kind of performance/lifespan of a new or truly rebuilt piano. A large number of reconditioning shops exist because they meet a much lower pricepoint than a truly rebuilt piano, and because most people don't see much beyond the cosmetics. Some of these shops do great work, some do average work, and a whole lot are dedicated to what amounts to primarily cosmetic work.

There are only a handful of rebuilders in North America who will fully and truly rebuild a piano in a fashion that equals the quality of a good piano factory. They charge top dollar and rightly so, because, in fact, there is not a lot of difference in the amount of work needed between "building" a piano and "rebuilding" a piano. The cost of the best rebuilding is about the same as buying a new middle quality grand piano. Therefore, it is usually only done to grand pianos with the highest market value like Yamaha or Steinway, because as expensive as rebuilding is, it is still somewhat less than the price of a new grand piano.

Because of the costs, it is rare to find a completely rebuilt upright piano. Generally, upright pianos are rebuilt for sentimental reasons. (eg. Grandmother's piano.)

There is one upright piano rebuilder and there are two grand piano rebuilders in the province of Ontario that I recommend. Please contact me should you wish a referral.

Consider the cost of not using the Piano Life Saver:

Greater tuning instability between regular tunings.

Cracking of the soundboard and bridges with the need for costly repairs.

Unresponsive keys and action which makes playing the piano much less enjoyable.

Rust on the strings and metal parts.

Harsh tones from flattened hammer felt in low humidity or the muffled tones from swollen hammer felt in high humidity.

Glue failure throughout the piano with costly repairs.

Depreciation of the piano's value due to physical deterioration.