My piano won't stay tuned
Moderators: Feg, Gill the Piano, Melodytune
My piano won't stay tuned
I recently bought an old piano. A Wagener/Wagnes of Berlin seriel numbers stamped inside are 48002 / 5117. I had it tuned a week after it was delivered but even though that was only about 6/8 weeks ago it sounds terrible now. The tuner said that the bit that the tuning pins go into is worn out and that they keep turning themselves back around. It sounded great for about 3/4 weeks but now it is virtually unplayable. I have never heard of this before and although the piano is very old, candlesticks and everything, my last one was just as old and it was fine. Do you know if it can be repaired and if so will it cost an absolute fortune. I spent all my savings on this piano and am beginning to think I made a big mistake.
Quinie,
Slack tuning pins are, unfortunately all too common in older pianos that have been kept in centrally heated rooms.
The wrest plank (the wood the tuning pins are screwed into) dries out and shrinks, leaving the pins too slack to hold in place.
My understanding is that such damage is irreversible; though there are some short term treatments. But if the whole piano is failing to keep its tuning (as opposed to odd strings) I'm afraid you're looking at an expensive repair job.
More experienced hands may be able to offer some hope, but I doubt it
Slack tuning pins are, unfortunately all too common in older pianos that have been kept in centrally heated rooms.
The wrest plank (the wood the tuning pins are screwed into) dries out and shrinks, leaving the pins too slack to hold in place.
My understanding is that such damage is irreversible; though there are some short term treatments. But if the whole piano is failing to keep its tuning (as opposed to odd strings) I'm afraid you're looking at an expensive repair job.
More experienced hands may be able to offer some hope, but I doubt it
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Gill the Piano
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Is the piano action an overdamped action? In other words,when you look in the top of the piano, is there a long strip of wood running from left to right across the top of the hammers (bits that hit the strings)? If so, I have managed to revive a couple of 'untuneables' by standing old (small) margarine tubs (emptied, obviously 
) on top of said piece of wood, with oasis flower-arrangers' foam cut to fit put inside. The oasis should be completely soaked until it can absorb no more water. Pop it in, balanced on top of the piece of wood and close the lid. Then cross your fingers... 
The piano has probably been dehydrated - no old piano likes central heating much, as it's not made for it - and by putting the water in the top and perhaps an old ice-cream carton of water on the floor inside you might be able to rehydrate it a bit. I'm afraid it's a long shot and you should give it a couple of months of this treatment at least before asking the tuner to come again and redo it. If there is no strip of wood inside, just place a carton of water on the floor inside it. If the piano action starts to feel heavy, or the keys stick, remove one carton of water.
Make sure the piano isn't near a radiator or any other source of heat; if it is, either move the piano or turn the radiator off.
These are very primitive methods and are possibly only delaying the inevitable. Perhaps a different tuner might have a different opinion - try to get a tuner who isn't linked to a shop as they can sometimes be anxious to get you to buy a new piano; unfortunately there are a (very!) few tuners who put commission over their customers' pockets! It isn't common, but has been known...
I do hope you manage to revive it a little.
) on top of said piece of wood, with oasis flower-arrangers' foam cut to fit put inside. The oasis should be completely soaked until it can absorb no more water. Pop it in, balanced on top of the piece of wood and close the lid. Then cross your fingers... The piano has probably been dehydrated - no old piano likes central heating much, as it's not made for it - and by putting the water in the top and perhaps an old ice-cream carton of water on the floor inside you might be able to rehydrate it a bit. I'm afraid it's a long shot and you should give it a couple of months of this treatment at least before asking the tuner to come again and redo it. If there is no strip of wood inside, just place a carton of water on the floor inside it. If the piano action starts to feel heavy, or the keys stick, remove one carton of water.Make sure the piano isn't near a radiator or any other source of heat; if it is, either move the piano or turn the radiator off.
These are very primitive methods and are possibly only delaying the inevitable. Perhaps a different tuner might have a different opinion - try to get a tuner who isn't linked to a shop as they can sometimes be anxious to get you to buy a new piano; unfortunately there are a (very!) few tuners who put commission over their customers' pockets! It isn't common, but has been known...
I do hope you manage to revive it a little.
Thanks for that. I read a lot yesterday about hydrating the piano. It is in a room with central heating but it is a dining room, kept pretty cool and the piano is miles away from the radiator (14ft) and it is out of direct sunlight, against an outside wall. The tuner wasn't very hopeful about it as soon as he looked at the case, yet alone inside. There are three notes that have gone terribly but the rest seems okay really. I think it is an overdampened action so I will do the trick with the oasis and the margaine tubs. Trouble is the cases on the old pianos are so beautiful that they just suck you in don't they? Is the best bet really the newer the better then? I wished I had done more research before I spent my money now - I got it from a second hand piano shop in Nottingham and it was fine until I had it tuned! Hindsight tells me that the shop owner probably had it tuned about 10 minutes before I walked into the shop or something! Must have seen me coming!
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Barrie Heaton
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If you have got it from a shop then you have trading standards on your side the piano must be fit for the purpose it was sold for, if the piano can not be tuned then it is useless then they have to 1. Put it right or 2. Replace it or 3. Give you you’re money back Unless your got it sold as seen
Older pianos can be doped with pintite or CA glue, it can work well on some pianos the piano will not come to pitch but it will hold its tuning but you must increase the humidity after the pintite doing it now will stop it getting any worse but will not fix the problem
Barrie,
Older pianos can be doped with pintite or CA glue, it can work well on some pianos the piano will not come to pitch but it will hold its tuning but you must increase the humidity after the pintite doing it now will stop it getting any worse but will not fix the problem
Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
Web Master UK Piano Page
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Gill the Piano
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Are the three notes which won't stay in tune in a pattern of 'every other note' on the keyboard? If so, there's probably a crack running along the wrestplank. You (or your tuner) might be able to wedge something beside the offending strings to silence them - loo paper often works! Not an approved repair, but an excellent temporary measure which saves you grinding your teeth...
As Barrie says, the Sale of Goods act should be on your side. Possibly the vendor didn't realise the extent of the problem, and might exchange it without fuss...or am I being an optimist?!
New is not necessarily better than old; a lot depends on the quality of the piano, like comparing a new Skoda (yes, I KNOW they're good cars now, it's just an illustration!
) with an old Rolls Royce. The main thing is to do a lot of research - keep asking questions on the forum, that's what it's for! And before parting with any money, pay a local qualified tuner (preferably with no links to any shop) to evaluate it for you...ten quid against a potential loss of hundreds is worth paying out!
As Barrie says, the Sale of Goods act should be on your side. Possibly the vendor didn't realise the extent of the problem, and might exchange it without fuss...or am I being an optimist?!
New is not necessarily better than old; a lot depends on the quality of the piano, like comparing a new Skoda (yes, I KNOW they're good cars now, it's just an illustration!
) with an old Rolls Royce. The main thing is to do a lot of research - keep asking questions on the forum, that's what it's for! And before parting with any money, pay a local qualified tuner (preferably with no links to any shop) to evaluate it for you...ten quid against a potential loss of hundreds is worth paying out!