Qualifications.
Joe Garrison is an
independent piano technician operating throughout all of San Diego County – from Chula Vista to Oceanside to East County. He apprenticed
at Acme Piano, San Diego’s oldest piano
shop, under the direct supervision of Paul Robinson. Joe has studied music at UCSD, Cal State
Fullerton and received a Masters in Music from the University of Colorado. He is an accomplished jazz pianist and
composer.
At
present he is proud to be associated with Greene Music, the sole dealers for
STEINWAY and YAMAHA pianos in San Diego. The service department, directed by Mark
Adams (Steinway Certified Piano Technician) is second to none.
Joe is
also an associate member of the Piano Technicians Guild. The PTG is a national organization devoted
to raising the quality of our industry by means of education and independent
testing and registration.
How often should my piano be tuned?
Frequent
tunings are a must. Due to the music wire stretching, frequent tunings are
important during the first year for the instrument to reach a point of
relative stability. Most piano manufacturers strongly recommend that the new piano
be tuned three to four times in its first year to help the instrument through
its “wire stretch” phase. Once the piano has gained some stability and,
depending upon the needs of the pianist, a regular schedule of biannual
tuning should suffice to help the piano through the seasonal changes in
relative humidity that generally effect a piano’s tune.
Why do pianos go flat? Many
people are surprised to find that the major cause of pianos going out of tune
is not how much they are played, but changes in HUMIDTY and other
environmental conditions.
Humidity
Control. Everything
that holds a piano at pitch is made of wood and changes in relative humidity
are what cause a piano to go out of tune. In some cases where climates of
desert dryness or coastal humidity exist, a humidity control system, made
especially for the piano called a Damp-chaser is a wise investment. These
systems help your piano resist the extremes in relative humidity and ensure
that your instrument will maintain its musical value through the years.
String Covers. We recommend Edwards String Covers which:
-
completely cover the
strings, soundboard, tuning pins and plate
-
Greatly reduce rust
– moisture does not get on the strings
-
Improves tuning stability
– moisture does not get to the soundboard
-
Keeps the piano
clean – dust and debris stay on top of the cover
-
Improve the benefits
provided by a humidity control system (we recommend Damp-chaser humidity
control system)
The covers, which are custom made
of the best woven wool, stay in place at all times and do not touch strings.
NOTE: A string cover combined
with a Damp-chaser System is most effective and tuning stability and rust
reduction are enhanced.
Computerized Tuning.
Joe
uses the latest version of the Reyburn Cyber Tuner
IN ADDITION to acute listening and aural checks, for consistently high
quality and stable tunings. Once
again, the best of both worlds…high tech combined with the human element.
Pitch Raise. If a piano has not been maintained
and drops too flat it requires special measures before it can be brought up
and tuned. As a rule, a pitch raise is
required when key A4 has dropped 5 or more percent.
Rates.
What does it cost?
Fine tuning: $145.00
Pitch raise: $210.00
|