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Hello friends at Piano World Forums,

I just had my Steinway tuned first time by a piano tech (RPT) and I must say, he did an awful job. I think it's more out of tune now than before....Even the some octaves are not unison...

Anyone from the Bay Area, please recommend a good piano tuner that is competent and responsible.

Thank you.

You may want to take a look at the Tuner-Technician's FAQ forum. I started a thread there: How to find a good piano technician
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/35/74.html

You might want to give Callahan Pianos a try over in Oakland...I have heard good things about their work.

http://www.callahanpiano.com/

Call Russell Kassman -- he'll be a great help. www.rkassman.com
All the best,
Cathy

Tom Cole of Cole Pianos does excellent work. He's in Santa Cruz.

2nd for Russell Kassman.

Good luck!

?? i am curious how people from east coast know about Mr.Russell Kassman? Thank you for the referal.

Meow,

Jeez, I hope it wasn't me...

The RPT designation is no guarantee that you will get a great tuning. It DOES certify that one has passed fairly challenging tests in repair, regulation, and tuning. Whether a tech chooses to utilize those skills is nothing the PTG has control over.

There ARE techs who will do the least amount of work possible on the "free" or "warranty" tuning, if that's indeed what you just had. The dealers don't pay much for that service. Nonetheless, when a person gets paid to tune a piano, regardless of the agreed-on price, he/she should tune it, not just go through the motions and be outta there in 45 minutes.

How out of tune was the piano when the tech arrived? Was it way off pitch? Pianos can sound more or less in tune with themselves while the pitch is substantially lower than standard pitch. If a large pitch raise was required to get the piano up to 440, then it isn't likely to stabilize immediately, particularly if it's a new piano.

New pianos usually go out of tune quickly, whether it's a Hamburg Steinway or a Bargaindorfer made in Beijing. If the piano sounded good when the tuner left then it went south quickly, it is likely because of environmental change from store to home, and because it's a new piano.

For the record, Russel Kassman is a dealer, not a technician. I'm sure he knows many techs and can probably steer you towards one.

Not meant as a slight to anyone on PW, but IMHO, you're better off getting referrals from people in the Bay Area than from this website.

lol

It is a small industry - quality knows quality.

(Of course, bad quality knows bad quality, I suppose. )

To "DAVE STAHL"

For the record, I am a piano technician as well as a piano dealer. Believe it or not, the two are not mutually exclusive!

Russell,

Forgive me my error! I stand corrected.

Hi Meow,

I recently met a piano tuner that may meet your needs. His name is Peter Sumner. He specializes in tuning Steinways and tunes a large number of the pianos at Sherman Clay Steinway & Sons. I do not own a Steinway, so he has never tuned my piano, but I have played many that he has tuned at Sherman Clay and they sound great to me. I am considering the purchase of a Steinway and have had an opportunity to talk with Peter regarding many of the technical aspects of Steinways and he seems very knowledgeable. He also has been highly recommended to me by the Steinway sales person at my local Sherman Clay, and if I buy a Steinway, he is the tuner I plan to use. You can reach him at (510) 333-7809. Best wishes on getting your piano back in working order!

Cheers,
Mel

Yes, Peter is quite good. I'd recommend him as well, and he is indeed a Steinway specialist.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/branislav-radakovich---piano-tuner-walnut-creek#hrid:t8ujQf72QyCGhOCPlOE5XQ/src:search/query:piano

I second the recommendation of Peter Sumner, especially for Steinways. He's really terrific. He is located in the South Bay. If you are in the North Bay, I'd recommend Christopher Ris in San Rafael.

Dave Stahl he works in our entire high-end piano section. He is a dedicated talented piano technician.

I apologies to some of the others technicians we work with, but as I told them Dave is one of the few technicians that makes me WOW every single time he had prepped a piano for us.

I second the recommendation for Dave Stahl. He has expertly tuned my AF upright 3 times now and is always happy to explain what is going on and to share his knowledge. He has even shown me how to perform minor touch-ups (e.g. unisons) between tunings. Did I mention he is a super-nice guy to boot?

3 people tried to adjust my piano previously. Peter Sumner got it right. I would use him again for sure, despite the distance from the Bay Area to Redding, Ca. He's that good! Frank

If you are actually in San Francisco call David Love.

ddf