Pianos can last a long time, serving several generations in one family. As they age they wear out from use and exposure to environmental conditions, and eventually will need repair or restoration.

1885 George Steck rosewood grand, restored 1977 by Virtuoso Piano Service.

	*Repairing* pianos means fixing sticking keys, broken strings, and other minor malfunctions. *Regulation* is "the process by which the more than 5,000 moving parts of a piano are brought into a fine functioning relationship. The playing mechanism should respond to the precise speed and finger pressure of the pianist. Pianos need action regulation periodically throughout their lifespan because of wear caused by repeated impact of action parts with each other, wood parts expand and contract with humidity changes, and felt and leather harden and shrink. " *Adapted from "The Wonders of the Piano," by Catherine C. Bielefeldt, c. 1984.
	*Restoration* of a piano means returning it as close as possible to what it was like when new. This involves disassembling the piano, repairing or replacing broken parts, replating and regilding metal parts, replacing deteriorated components -- the strings, tuning pins, and felts - regulating the keyboard and action mechanisms to original specifications, regulating the tone (also called voicing) to get the best possible sound quality from the piano, restoring original artwork and decals, refinishing the outer wooden case, and more. Certain aspects of a piano can be custom tailored to suit a pianist's preferences--like the feel of the keyboard, and the tone quality. A restoration like this involves an enormous amount of time, labor, and material costs, and is worth doing if the piano was a quality instrument to begin with, or if it has sentimental value. The pianos I restore have been carefully selected with an eye toward an end product that will justify the effort put into it.
	If you have a quality piano or family heirloom in need of attention, contact Virtuoso Piano Service for a consultation and estimate.

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