What is inside a piano? Part 2

The quality of tone produced in a piano, is determined largely by the quality of parts the manufacturer selected for the piano, along with the care taken in the assembly of those parts. The photo below shows a piano keybed and action sliced in half, for the purpose of displaying the quality of workmanship in this particular piano, made by Seiler. The photo was taken at the Piano Technicians Guild annual convention, in July, 2000.

The following photo is a close up of the same action with its many thousands of parts already assembled.

If the piano is to function properly and produce a lifetime of enjoyable music, the parts must be durable, they must have just the right amount of elasticity and they must be assembled with great care. While you own the piano, it must be tuned regularly and the action parts regulated and/or replaced every so often, to adjust for their inevitable compression and wear and tear over time.

While pianos are a universally loved instrument, they are also a very sophisticated instrument, and you want to select one which will bring you many years of happiness, and then follow your technician's recommendations for effective maintenance.

Effective Maintenance

A new piano needs to be tuned approximately four times in its first year, and twice/year thereafter, even if it is not being played on a regular basis. Remember that the piano is primarily wood and felt, which are living substances. They react to the changes in humidity and temperature from season to season. A piano must be maintained and looked after, year after year, or it may not be in playable condition when you return to play it five or ten years later.

What About Adding an Electronic Component?

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