Piano Guides — Page 3
Summer Piano Care in Ontario: The Season Nobody Warns You About
Winter dries a piano; summer swells it. Why keys stick and pitch drifts sharp in July, the 60% line, air conditioning vs dehumidifiers, and the vacation mistake to avoid.
Buying & SellingYamaha U1 vs U3: Which Used Upright Should You Buy?
The two most-recommended used uprights in the world, compared by a technician: size, tone, touch, 2026 GTA prices, the grey-market question, and which one actually suits your home.
Buying & SellingBaby Grand vs Upright for a Small Home: The Honest Trade-off
A 5-foot baby grand vs a 48-inch upright: real floor space, sound in a small room, the "tall upright beats a small grand" rule, and how to decide for a Toronto condo or semi.
Piano Care & ClimateCan My Floor Support a Piano? Weight, Upstairs Rooms, and Condos
Pianos weigh 200–500 kg but your floor almost certainly holds one — here's why, what to check for old houses and second floors, and how to protect hardwood.
Buying & SellingThe House Came With a Piano — Now What?
Bought a home and inherited the previous owner's piano? A technician's plan: the 10-minute check, what the first visit costs, whether to keep, sell, or remove it — and the one thing to do before you decide.
Tuning & ServicePiano Not Tuned in 10, 20, or 30 Years? Here's What to Expect
It's almost never too late. What really happens to a piano after decades untuned, why the first visit needs a pitch raise, what it costs, and the honest odds it comes back.
Tuning & ServiceTen Piano Tuning Myths a Technician Hears Every Week
"It's not played, so it doesn't need tuning." "An app can do it." "Old pianos can't be tuned." A GTA technician sets the record straight on ten myths that cost piano owners money.
Tuning & ServiceHow to Choose a Piano Tuner in Toronto: The Questions That Actually Matter
What to ask before you book: credentials, by-ear vs machine, fair 2026 GTA prices ($150–$240), visit length, guarantees — and the red flags that should end the call.
Tuning & ServicePreparing Your Piano for RCM Exams and Recitals
Tune 2–4 weeks before the exam — not the day before. A GTA technician's guide to exam-season piano prep: timing, what the examiner's piano will feel like, and what to fix first.
Piano Care & ClimateGrand vs Upright: How Their Care Actually Differs
Same strings, different animal: how grands and uprights differ in tuning stability, action wear, humidity exposure, placement, and what each needs from its owner.
Buying & SellingThe Best Used Piano Brands in Canada: A Technician's Honest Tiers
A GTA technician's honest tiers for used pianos: the brands that hold up, the Canadian makes worth knowing, and the names to skip. What to expect to pay in 2026.
Problems & RepairsPiano Repair Costs in Toronto: What Common Fixes Actually Run
Honest 2026 price ranges for piano repairs in the GTA — sticky keys, broken strings, pedals, regulation, hammers, key tops — and the rule for when a repair isn't worth it.
Tuning & ServiceTuning by Ear vs Electronic Tuner: Does It Actually Matter?
Why pianos can't simply be tuned to a machine's "correct" pitch: stretch, inharmonicity, and unisons explained — and what to actually ask your tuner.
Tuning & ServiceYour New Piano's First Year: What to Expect and When to Tune
New pianos need MORE tuning, not less — 2 to 4 times in year one as fresh strings stretch. The first-year schedule, what's normal, and what voids goodwill.
Piano Care & ClimateHow to Clean Piano Keys — Plastic and Ivory — Without Hurting Them
Clean piano keys with a barely-damp cloth and mild soap — never sprays or bleach. How to tell ivory from plastic, treat yellowing, and what to leave alone.
Piano Care & ClimateAre Piano Humidity Control Systems Worth It? The Dampp-Chaser Question
An in-piano humidity system costs several hundred dollars installed. Who genuinely benefits, who's fine with a room humidifier, and the maintenance nobody mentions.
Buying & SellingDigital vs Acoustic Piano: An Honest Comparison From an Acoustic Guy
A piano technician's unusually honest take on digital vs acoustic: where digitals genuinely win, where acoustics remain irreplaceable, and how to choose.
Buying & SellingWhat Piano Moving Costs in Toronto — and Why the DIY Version Costs More
Professional piano moving in the GTA runs $250–$600+ depending on stairs and size. What drives the price, how to vet movers, and the tuning that follows every move.
Problems & RepairsSoundboard Cracks: How Serious Are They?
Most soundboard cracks are cosmetic, not fatal — a technician explains which cracks matter, what actually causes them, and when repair is worth it.
Problems & RepairsMice and Moths in Pianos: Signs, Damage, and What's Fixable
Pianos are five-star pest real estate: felt, wool, quiet and warmth. How to spot mouse and moth damage, what repairs cost, and how to protect a stored piano.
Buying & SellingShould You Repair an Old Piano or Replace It?
The technician's rule: fix wearing parts on a sound structure; don't fund structural surgery on an ordinary piano. How to decide, with real GTA numbers.
Buying & SellingBuying a Piano on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji: The Questions to Ask
The exact questions to message a piano seller before you drive across the GTA — and the answers that should end the conversation. A technician's field guide.
Piano Care & ClimateCan a Piano Survive a Garage, Basement, or Cottage?
Garage: no. Cottage: seasonal roulette. Basement: measure first. What unconditioned spaces actually do to a piano, and how to store one properly instead.
Tuning & ServiceHow a Piano Actually Works: What's Inside
Press a key and 5,000 parts respond: hammers, dampers, strings, soundboard. A technician's tour of what's inside a piano and why it needs the care it needs.
No guides match — try ‘humidity’ or ‘pitch raise’.