Qualifications.
Joe Garrison is an independent piano technician operating throughout
all of San Diego
County – from Chula Vista to Oceanside to East County.
He apprenticed at Acme Piano, San
Diego’s oldest piano shop, under the direct
supervision of Paul Robinson. Joe has
studied music at UCSD, Cal State Fullerton and received a Masters in Music
from the University
of Colorado. He is an accomplished jazz pianist and
composer.
At present he is
proud to be associated with Greene Music, the sole dealers for STEINWAY and
YAMAHA pianos in San Diego. The service department, directed by Mark
Adams (Steinway Certified Piano Technician) is second to none.
Joe is also an
associate member of the Piano Technicians Guild. The PTG is a national organization devoted
to raising the quality of our industry by means of education and independent
testing and registration.
How
often should my piano be tuned?
Frequent
tunings are a must. Due to the music wire stretching, frequent tunings are
important during the first year for the instrument to reach a point of
relative stability. Most piano manufacturers strongly recommend that the new
piano be tuned three to four times in its first year to help the instrument
through its “wire stretch” phase. Once the piano has gained some stability
and, depending upon the needs of the pianist, a regular schedule of biannual
tuning should suffice to help the piano through the seasonal changes in
relative humidity that generally effect a piano’s tune.
Why do pianos go flat? Many
people are surprised to find that the major cause of pianos going out of tune
is not how much they are played, but changes in HUMIDTY and other
environmental conditions.
Humidity
Control. Everything
that holds a piano at pitch is made of wood and changes in relative humidity
are what cause a piano to go out of tune. In some cases where climates of
desert dryness or coastal humidity exist, a humidity control system, made
especially for the piano called a Damp-chaser is a wise investment. These
systems help your piano resist the extremes in relative humidity and ensure
that your instrument will maintain its musical value through the years.
String Covers. We recommend Edwards String Covers which:
-
completely cover the
strings, soundboard, tuning pins and plate
-
Greatly reduce rust
– moisture does not get on the strings
-
Improves tuning
stability – moisture does not get to the soundboard
-
Keeps the piano
clean – dust and debris stay on top of the cover
-
Improve the benefits
provided by a humidity control system (we recommend Damp-chaser humidity
control system)
The covers, which are custom
made of the best woven wool, stay in place at all times and do not touch
strings.
NOTE: A string cover combined
with a Damp-chaser System is most effective and tuning stability and rust
reduction are enhanced.
Computerized
Tuning.
Joe uses the latest version of the Reyburn
Cyber Tuner IN ADDITION to acute listening and aural checks, for consistently
high quality and stable tunings. Once
again, the best of both worlds…high tech combined with the human element.
Pitch Raise. If a piano has not been maintained and drops
too flat it requires special measures before it can be brought up and
tuned. As a rule, a pitch raise is
required when key A4 has dropped 5 or more percent.
Rates.
What does it cost?
Fine tuning: $145.00
Pitch raise: $210.00
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