Certified Definition

Certified means inspected by one of our trained piano technicians and judged certified to be a fundamentally sound musical instrument. Every component of the piano is inspected and graded for playing condition (tone & touch or response), possible exposure to excessive moisture or dryness, previous maintenance problems, possible lack of regular tuning and maintenance, signs of poor workmanship (either in manufacture or in repair), signs of sight damage or abuse to the cabinet. We check the overall response or touch of the instrument, check overall tone of the instrument, check the overall pitch of the instrument, look for exposure to excessive humidity or dryness, visually check for cabinet damage. Visually inspect the pin block. Check for lamination separation. Check for an adequate number of laminations.

TUNING PINS

  • Cross check the torque on several of the tuning pins in all sections as well as front to back positions to determine tuning stability. This also helps to locate pin block cracks if a pattern of loose pins is detected.
  • Inspect tuning pins - 1/0 or 2/0 pins that may suggest they are the original pins or that the piano has been rebuilt with a new pin block. Pins larger than 2/0 along could indicate the piano has been either rebuilt or restrung. Check the pins for rust. Check the coils on the pins to make sure there is at least 3/16” clearance to the plate. Any less may indicate the pins have been tapped in order to correct a loose pin. This also prevents the ability to tap in the future.
  • Inspect for signs of pin doping (glycerin and methyl alcohol), another indication of prior problems with loose pins.

STRINGS

  • Check overall condition of the strings
  • Check treble strings for rust
  • Check to see if there looks to have been a problem with strings breaking. This could also be a sign of rust under the down bearing or capo de astro bar.
  • Check the bass strings for clarity and definition. Bass strings have a tendency to lose their life, sounding “tubby” or muffled.
  • Check for “false beats”.

BRIDGES - Cracks in the bridges can cause distortion, poor tone quality and tuning problems.

  • Inspect treble and bass bridges for cracks.
  • Check for loose bridge pins
  • Check the bridge cap for separation
  • Check downbearing

SOUNDBOARD

  • Check for exposure to excessive dryness
  • Check the perimeter of the soundboard for separation from the cabinet
  • Check for larger cracks that travel under bridges that may cause distortion or affect the tone in any way - however, many pianos have cracks in them that do not affect the tone at all.
  • Check for crown in the soundboard (although this is not necessary for good tone)

RIBS

  • Check for rib separation fiom the soundboard at crack crossings
  • Check for any distortion due to rib separation

PLATE

  • Check plate for cracks or welds
  • Make sure all plate screws are tight
  • Inspect for broken or cracked hitch pins

ACTION

  • Check for sticking keys
  • Check for cracked keys & key buttons
  • Check for key leveling & spacing
  • Check lateral motion (bushings)
  • Check for lost motion
  • Check backchecks
  • Check for sluggish hammers flanges)
  • Check key depth
  • Check let off

HAMMERS

  • Check hammers for excessive wear
  • Check voicing
  • Check hammer alignment

DAMPERS

  • Check to make sure all work properly
  • Check for buzzing dampers
  • Check damper alignment
  • Check for excessive damper wear
  • Check damper rise
  • Check trapwork (Una Corda, Sostinuto and Sustain pedals)

Certified warranty based on piano certification program above and could include parts and labor for an extended period of time up to five (5) years. See Miller for details.