Straight answers, from the people who tune it.
105 plain-English guides on tuning, care, buying, and fixing pianos across Toronto and the GTA. Each one ends in what to do next — and says when a tuning visit is the smarter first step.
- What applies to you
- What it costs
- What to do next
Buying a Piano as a Christmas Gift: What to Know First
A piano under the tree takes planning: where it goes, digital vs acoustic, delivery timing, and the first tuning. A GTA technician's honest guide for December buyers.
Buying & SellingBoxing Day Piano Deals: Are They Worth It?
Boxing Day digital piano sales are often genuine; acoustic "deals" need a closer look. What floor models, clearance and open-box really mean — and when a used acoustic beats the sale.
Buying & SellingSteinway Pianos: A Buyer's Guide to Models, Eras and Value
Steinway grands (M, O, L, A, B, D) and uprights (K-52, 1098) explained by a technician: New York vs Hamburg, what era matters, Boston and Essex, used values, and what to inspect.
Buying & SellingBaldwin Pianos: Acrosonic, Hamilton, and What Yours Is Worth
Baldwin built America's school and church pianos for decades. A technician's guide to the Acrosonic, the Hamilton studio upright, Baldwin grands, how to date one, and what it's worth in the GTA.
Buying & SellingNordheimer Pianos: Toronto History, Value, and Care
Nordheimer was one of Toronto's great piano names. How to identify one, what a Nordheimer upright or grand is worth today, and whether yours is worth tuning or restoring.
Buying & SellingYamaha Grand Pianos: GB1, GC, C-Series, and Older G Models
A technician's guide to Yamaha grands — the GB1 baby grand, GC series, C-series (C1–C7), and older G models: sizes, who each suits, used GTA prices, and what to inspect.
Tuning & ServiceWhat Is Piano Tuning? A Plain-English Explanation
Piano tuning is adjusting the tension of ~230 strings so every note sits at its correct pitch. What that means, why pianos drift, what a tuner actually does, and what it isn't (repair, voicing, regulation).
Tuning & ServiceHow Much Does Piano Tuning Cost in Canada?
Across Canada a standard tuning runs about $120–$250, with big cities at the top. What's included, why a first visit often costs more (pitch raise), what makes a quote too cheap, and how to budget by year.
Buying & SellingHow Much Does a Piano Cost? New and Used Prices in Canada
From free uprights to $200,000 concert grands: realistic 2026 Canadian prices for new and used uprights, baby grands, and grands — plus the costs that come with the piano (moving, tuning, bench).
Tuning & ServicePiano Tuner vs Piano Technician: What's the Difference?
A tuner sets pitch; a technician also regulates, voices, and repairs. Which one you need, what each costs, the "RPT" credential, and why most tuning visits already include technician work.
Tuning & ServiceIs Piano Tuning Worth It? The Honest Answer
$160 a year for a piano that sounds right, holds its value, and gets played — or skip it and let the instrument quietly decline. What tuning actually buys, when it isn't worth it, and the one case where skipping is right.
Piano Care & ClimateHow Much Does a Piano Weigh?
Spinet 135 kg, upright 180–300 kg, baby grand 250–350 kg, concert grand 450–600 kg — with pounds, common models, and what the weight means for moving, floors, and stairs.
Piano Care & ClimateHow to Make a Piano Quieter: What Actually Works
Too loud for the room, the neighbours, or the baby's nap? Every real option ranked — room treatment, lid and placement, the practice mute, voicing, silent systems, and a digital for late nights.
Buying & SellingKawai vs Yamaha Upright Pianos: A Technician's Honest Take
The two brands teachers recommend, compared from the bench: tone, action, durability, used prices in the GTA, and which suits which household. Spoiler: condition beats brand every time.
Tuning & ServiceGetting Your Piano Ready for the Holidays
The piano's busiest three weeks are coming: guests, carols, a cousin who plays. When to tune (late November, not Christmas week), what to fix, the party-proofing rules, and the gift-certificate idea.
Tuning & ServiceDo Silent and Hybrid Pianos Need Tuning?
A silent-system piano is a real acoustic with a mute rail and sensors — it needs tuning like any piano, plus care the digital side asks for. What "silent" means, what drifts, and what a tuner does differently.
Problems & RepairsA Water-Damaged Piano: What to Do in the First 48 Hours
Basement flood, burst pipe, or a spilled vase: the first 48 hours decide what's salvageable. What to do immediately, what a technician assesses, insurance-claim documentation, and honest odds.
Piano Care & ClimateHow to Clean and Polish a Piano's Finish Without Ruining It
Polyester vs lacquer vs satin — each cleans differently, and furniture polish damages all of them. Dusting, fingerprints, scratches, water rings, and whether to cover the piano. A technician's guide.
Tuning & ServiceNeed a Piano Tuner Fast? What "Urgent" Really Means
Recital tomorrow, guests this weekend, a piano that just arrived: the honest guide to urgent tuning in the GTA — what can be done at short notice, what shouldn't be rushed, and how to book a same-week visit.
Piano Care & ClimateWhy Your Piano Smells Musty — and How to Fix It
That old-piano smell is damp history: mould in felt, mildew on wood, dust in the action. What causes it, what actually clears it (and what doesn't), and when a musty piano is a warning sign.
Tuning & ServicePiano Tuning for Venues, Events, and Restaurants in Toronto
Wedding venues, hotel lobbies, restaurants, and event spaces: a tuning plan for pianos that perform on demand — timing before events, the "day-of touch-up," and what a venue piano needs between them.
Problems & RepairsRust on Piano Strings: How Serious Is It?
Light surface rust is common and mostly cosmetic; heavy corrosion means string breakage, dull tone, and a damp history. How to tell them apart, what to do, and what restringing costs.
Tuning & ServiceField NotesField Notes: The Teaching Studio Piano in Thornhill
Thornhill's home studios put 30+ hours a week on one piano. What a teaching instrument needs — termly tuning, tight regulation, honest voicing — and how teachers and technicians work together.
Tuning & ServiceField NotesField Notes: Coming Back to the Piano in Aurora
A wave of Aurora adults are returning to the piano after decades away. What a returning player's instrument needs — lighter touch, warm tone, a bench that fits — and how to make the first month stick.
No guides match — try ‘humidity’ or ‘pitch raise’.