Berkeley Parents Network: Piano Tuning & Repair

Berkeley Parents Network

Piano Tuning & Repair

Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > House & Garden > Piano Tuning & Repair

March 2006

Hello: I live in San Francisco and have an antique piano, vintage 1900 or so, that has been sitting in a garage for 2 years and is badly in need of tuning. Can anyone recommend someone who is in SF or who will come to the SF Mission District to tune my piano? Thanks Joann

Hi, We bought a piano about the same age as yours from piano tuner John Geist. He is located in Marin, but he comes to San Francisco to tune our piano. We're quite happy with him. (415) 491-0818 Lisa

July 2005

We are looking for a good but not too expensive piano tuner for our upright Yamaha piano (that was formerly my grandmother's). I looked in the archive and the postings were old or out of this area. Any recommendations or past experiences would be great. Also - what is the average cost for someone to come to your house to tune? Thanks.

Call Piedmont Piano Company on Piedmont Ave in Oakland.

We have our piano tuned by Margie Williams, The Well-Tempered Tuner. Her phone number is 510-524-0390. She also adjusted the voice on our piano, toning down its brightness. I definitely recommend her. Her card says she does piano tuning, voicing, repair, rebuilding, appraisals. Erin

We have used Bruce De Benedictus 763-4657 for several years and have been happy with him. He can tune pianos even with kid sounds in the background. We have paid about $90 for tuning an upright, but you might check on his fees since that was a year and a half ago. Liz D.

July 2004

We are looking for a good piano teacher in the Lafayette area for a 10 year old boy (beginner). We also need a piano tuner. Thanks! Anon

If you're still looking for a piano tuner, my dad (based in Walnut Creek) is a piano tuner and technician. He's a nice guy (perhaps I'm a bit biased) and I don't know his rates but I bet they're reasonable. In addition to tuning, he can make repairs from replacing a broken string to completely rebuilding a piano. There's more info on his web site at http://www.3rdbase.com/tuningfork/, or you can call him at (925) 939-2475. Jeni

2001

I have a wonderful baby grand that will need major reconditioning (probably replacing all the rusty strings, repairing the mechanism, damage to the case, tuning etc) when it arrives in our shipment early next year. It would be great to get a recommendation for someone good and reliable who can do this so that I can get it booked in in advance (and perhaps have a playable piano again one day). Fiona

Recommendation for a piano technician: Mark Schecter is my piano tuner/technician. I'm a former technician myself, so I'm very picky. He has many years of experience and will give you the straight scoop on your piano - how much re-conditioning it really needs. His number is 510-530-8064. Whoever you end up hiring, make sure they are a member of the Piano Technician's Guild. Shari

I have used Gordon's in Albany for a couple of pianos and been very happy. He tunes pianos but mostly does major rebuilds in his shop on San Pablo. He looks like a biker, but has a great ability taught to him by his dad (Gordon). Daniel

I haven't seen any responses to the request for recommendations about Piano Reconditioning/Repair, so I'd like to recommend the Calhoun brothers of Piedmont Piano in Piedmont. They do tuning and minor repairs themselves, and when we had our antique upright completely refinished a few years ago they were able to recommend someone who did a fabulous job. They're in the phone book. S. Martin

2000

For a piano tuner, I highly recommend Larry Riley. 841.9991.
Jennifer (3/00)

1999

a good piano tuner: Jerry Raz, Allegro Piano Svc. in berkeley 526-9294 He also does repairs -- Ginger

I have used these folks once, but I have friends who have sworn by them for years. Callahan Piano Services 510-835-8448 Full-service house call including tuning to A440: $135 for first time customers $105 for repeat customers within 2 years of last tuning -- Dawn

I recommend Christina Chute, piano tuner and classical musician. Call Stay Tuned Piano Tuning Services at 234-2866. -- Sarah

The ex-wife of an ex-piano tuner recommended two tuners to me: Chris Johnson of Oakland and Sheldon Smith of Berkeley (he tunes the pianos at Hertz Hall--he's a Steinway specialist). I contacted both of them. Chris Johnson wants to do a very, very thorough job....and charges accordingly. Sheldon Smith was charging only $85 per hr. but he seemed to feel that my Baldwin wasn't good enough for him and he recommended Lawrence Riley (841-9991) who charged $90 for a tuning and who seemed to be competent when I used him. -- Xanthippe

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