The field of piano technology is as broad in scope as it is old, which gives opportunities for technicians to specialize in different areas.

In general, I do home service work (tuning, maintenance and general field repair) for modern acoustic pianos.

The following are examples of work that fall outside the scope of my business (not an exhaustive list):

troubleshooting and repairing mechanical or digital player systems (though tuning OK)

antique square grands

repairs to spinet drop actions

"birdcage" over-damper systems

major overhaul and rebuilding

piano finish repair

Pre-arrival:

Do you have a noise, click, or squeak in your piano that bothers you? Recording a video of it from your phone and sending it to me ahead of our appointment can be very helpful in diagnosing a problem!

Removing everything from on top of your piano before I arrive will save valuable time.

No need to move uprights away from the wall—just the ability to open the lid without hitting any pictures or items nearby.

At your tuning:

I like to talk with the person playing the piano most when I first arrive to get a sense of what you've been experiencing—and if you can show me, all the better! Armed with that information I can get to work.

Piano tuning is a little mysterious to most people, but it’s primarily a matter of careful listening which requires long stretches of concentration that usual in-home jobs might not. In that spirit, here are some helpful hints to smooth the way for doing my best work:

"Library quiet" is an apt description that allows me to hear very subtle differences in pitch.

Conversation, playing music, the television/radio, vacuuming and devices that beep (like a microwave or video games), while fine for a quick minute, can be distracting if going on in the background. A tuning will only be as good as the environment in which it’s done…

Ceiling fans running in the room with the piano have an uncanny ability to distort sound waves coming from your piano, so those will need to be turned off.

I love pets (I have 2 rescue dogs) and generally I enjoy their company even while I work, but if you know your dog has a lot to say even after the normal excitement of meeting a visitor wears off, it might be better to have them in another room while I'm working.

I keep myself vaccinated/boosted with the latest vaccines, and am happy to provide my card to that effect and wear a mask in your home as you see fit. However if you or someone in your home is feeling under the weather (be it COVID, the flu or other illnesses), please contact me and I will be happy to reschedule when everyone feeling better—I, too, will do the same to ensure all of our health and safety.

My service area extends a radius roughly 40 minutes out from the San Diego International Airport. The online self-scheduler will help you determine if you’re within my service area by entering your address.