DIY pitch raise by a semitone - good idea?

[hessodreamy]

I've got an old german upright, probably 100+ years old. It's about a semitone flat and I'd prefer it to be at concert pitch.

I understand that tuning can settle after such a large adjustment and as such it's beyond the scope of a normal tuning session, but is it feasible to do it myself?

I could gradually bring the whole piano up to pitch over a couple of weeks, continually adjusting until it's about right. Then I could get a pro in to fine tune.

Would this work? Would it harm the piano?

[Colin Nicholson]

No one can tell you here if a DIY tuning will harm your piano, or if it will work.... it depends on the condition, stability and structure/ torque of the tuning pins, soundboard, bridges and wrest plank - hence a piano tuner is specially trained to assess these situations prior to a pitch change, and even a standard tuning. However, if the piano has little value - there's nothing wrong with having a go.... the worst that can happen is the odd broken string.

I assessed an upright piano last weekend for various repairs/ refurbishment etc.... and the quote I submitted was probably twice the normal cost.... why? .... because of bodged DIY jobs I would have to undo first.... like >>

1. Replacing strings (wrong gauges)
2. Using Bostik impact adhesive for bridle tapes/ ivory heads etc
3. Wedged & glued-in cocktail sticks for various damper springs (and gauge all wrong!)

So the moral is.... if you have a go yourself, then book a tuner - it won't be a fine tuning visit, and after you have paid the call-out fee, they may still walk away....

A pitch raise (if safe to do) should be carried out very quickly for structural reasons, taking no more than 30 minutes to do.... then done again quickly - about 30 minutes again, then left a few days to go flat, then pre-tuned....

Although you might think it may save you a few quid to DIY the pitch raise, in the long run, I would recommend you contact an expert to do the job from start to finish.... then you will save some money

hope that helps
Colin

[Gill the Piano]

Also, depending on the age of the piano, it may never have been intended to be at A440 (concert pitch ) in the first place as concert pitch has varied enormously from age to age and from country to country.

[Barrie Heaton]

I'v

I could gradually bring the whole piano up to pitch over a couple of weeks, continually adjusting until it's about right. Then I could get a pro in to fine tune.

Would this work? Would it harm the piano?

Doing bit by bit is the worst way of doing it

up in one go is the best