New Grand and Baby Grand Piano Features

Posted on Sep 6, 2011 in Featured Products | 0 comments

Slow-Close Fallboards

Found on most new grand pianos & baby grand pianos here at Houston Piano Company.

Shorter Lid Prop

A standard feature on all grands and baby grands here at HPC is the lower lid prop. Lowering the lid height reduces sound for nighttime play, or to mute overtones while accompanying a singer. (more…)

Special Features to Look For When Buying Vertical Pianos

Posted on Aug 23, 2011 in Featured Products, Image Gallery, Piano Blog | 1 comment

Take a look at these upright piano features offered on some of our new and used vertical pianos.

Grand Style Music Rack (Kawai 52” only)

Better suited to displaying large scores, song books and hymnals.

Lid Prop (Yamaha/Kawai uprights)

Allows more sound to fill the listening environment, like a grand piano with its lid open.

(more…)

Do not place objects on top of the piano: Piano Care Tip #10

Posted on May 26, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Do not place objects on top of the piano

A heavy object may cause poor tone or noisy vibration if placed on the piano. A vase of flowers may look attractive on the piano, but if it should spill water and enter the piano, serious damage can result. Water will rust the metal parts of the piano and damage the hammer and action. Avoid costly accidents and never place anything except sheet music and/or a metronome on the piano.

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Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes: Piano Care Tip #8

Posted on May 16, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

When a cold room is warmed suddenly, moisture will condense on the piano strings and other metal parts, causing them to rust. Felt parts will absorb moisture, dulling their action and resulting in unclean sound. Be especially careful about sudden temperature changes when moving your piano into a room in a cold northern climate or into an airtight room in a concrete building.

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Beware of Excessive Dryness: Piano Care Tip #7

Posted on May 12, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Just as Piano Care Tip #6 says to be careful about excessive moisture, excessive dryness can also cause problems, and reek havoc on your pianos!

Too much humidity is a problem, but excessive dryness is an even more serious one, especially where heating or cooling systems are used to create artificially dehumidified rooms. Used in naturally dry climates, the piano has enough natural moisture to prevent excessive drying. However, if the air becomes too dry, the wooden and felt components will shrink. In extreme cases, the soundboard, joints, and other laminated sections may even come apart, even though they have been glued together carefully. Slight distortion of the parts may cause noise, and the tuning pins may work loose, making it difficult to keep the piano in tune. To avoid excessive dryness, it is best to keep some kind of leafy plant or a humidifier in the piano room.

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How Humidity Affects A Piano: Piano Care Tip #5

Posted on May 10, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Felt, cloth, leather, and the precision wood parts – some of them machined to tolerances as fine as 1/100mm – used in such critical parts of the piano as the action, are extremely sensitive to humidity. Too much humidity will result in dull hammer action, unclean tones, rusting of internal parts, and sticking keys. Before this happens the piano should be repaired.

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Proper Conditions Mean Better Sound: Piano Care Tip #4

Posted on May 9, 2011 in Piano Care Tips | 0 comments

Proper ventilation is also important. Generally speaking, a relative humidity of between 50 and 60 percent is ideal for pianos. The use of materials such as wood, felt, and cloth in piano construction means that many parts are quite delicate. If not properly cared for, they can be damaged easily.

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