Cost of tuning a piano

Gumbyman

Hi there,

Just wondering what one should expect to pay to have a piano tuned. I'm in Galway area and have been quoted a hundred quid which seems very high to me. Any info appreciated!

Thanks,
Gumby.

Sandwich

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055229902

judas101

a mate of mine did it himself with a few tools, some wire and instructions from the net.

Johnny Storm

FWIW The missus got her piano tuned last year for 100 yoyos. :cool:

thepianogallery

Yep - the going rate is approximatelt 100 yoyos - though just had a lady call this morning that was charged €200 by a tuner from Mayo - mad money!!!!

Got to remember if bonafide tuner - this includes VAT, travel (price of diesel!!) and tax.

smog

This is not a quick job in the slightest and you really dont want to do it on the cheap.

eoin5

thepianogallery wrote: »

Yep - the going rate is approximatelt 100 yoyos - though just had a lady call this morning that was charged €200 by a tuner from Mayo - mad money!!!!

Got to remember if bonafide tuner - this includes VAT, travel (price of diesel!!) and tax.

VAT and what tax? Council tax? How much would that be for someone running a mobile tuning service from their own home?

Also its a service so its 13.5% VAT, its a lot, but not the usual rate of 21%.

Also an unregistered tuner will have more to pay in diesel as they cant claim the VAT back.

Also they would have to buy tools and parts from retailers instead of wholesalers so they have to pay more there too.

Sorry to be picky but people should charge more because they do a good job, not just because they are a registered business. So often the opposite is true, Cowboys Ted!

thepianogallery

I think they term it INCOME tax!!!!!! As its a service the USUAL rate is 13.5% not 21% - we collect that on behalf of the government on all pianos sold. Sorry to say - often in the piano tuning world the cowboys charge the same if not more then the bona fide professionally qualified accredited tuners - we know - we only employ tuners with the correct background, qualifications and accredidation.....we are also amoungst the cheaper end of the scale €100 - 120 for a tuning. We could charge more - but why rip off our loyal customers (which include many music and piano teachers and some of the largest music festivals and gigs in Ireland)??

Tools required for standard tuning really do not amount to a huge investment - no parts or consumables are required for a straight tuning!!!

Because this is an unregulated industry - anyone could set as a tuner tomorrow - and not many people would actually know if their tuner is doing a good job. In the UK, the PTA are very active in trying to set a minimum standard in the industry - though this is hard to implement! We believe no one should use a tuner that does not have formal qualifications or accredidation by an internationally recognised body such as the PTA. Too many pianos have been ruined by amateur attempts at tuning.

eoin5

thepianogallery wrote: »

I think they term it INCOME tax!!!!!! As its a service the USUAL rate is 13.5% not 21% - we collect that on behalf of the government on all pianos sold. Sorry to say - often in the piano tuning world the cowboys charge the same if not more then the bona fide professionally qualified accredited tuners - we know - we only employ tuners with the correct background, qualifications and accredidation.....we are also amoungst the cheaper end of the scale €100 - 120 for a tuning. We could charge more - but why rip off our loyal customers (which include many music and piano teachers and some of the largest music festivals and gigs in Ireland)??

Tools required for standard tuning really do not amount to a huge investment - no parts or consumables are required for a straight tuning!!!

Because this is an unregulated industry - anyone could set as a tuner tomorrow - and not many people would actually know if their tuner is doing a good job. In the UK, the PTA are very active in trying to set a minimum standard in the industry - though this is hard to implement! We believe no one should use a tuner that does not have formal qualifications or accredidation by an internationally recognised body such as the PTA. Too many pianos have been ruined by amateur attempts at tuning.

Thanks, thats the answer I was looking for.

Star10

Can anyone provide some advice please? Have just returned to piano lessons after many years. Am using a keyboard at the minute, but am going to buy a piano. Someone recently offered me a Samuel Becker piano- I know they are fairly old. It looks like a beautiful old piano, with a walnut veneer and the keys seem quite heavy, ivory covered. However, its been left sitting in a house that was being renovated and is laden with dust. The keys all seem to work, some being slightly out of tune-one of the foot pedals seems to be jammed. I was debating having it restored, but dont know if I'm going down the wrong road here as I have no idea what it would cost or if it would be worth it at all? Can anyone help please? Any advice would be appreciated:o

thepianogallery

To be honest you probably are going down the wrong road - restoration is an expensive business and I doubt this piano would ever return the investment. Walnut veneer usually suggests a very old piano, probably more suited as furniture then as an instrument.

If you want to email a picture of the exterior and interior of the piano I may be able to help more, info@thepianogallery.ie

Regards

Sunshine.day

Hi Start10,

Why you don't contact the "Gabriel Pianos" ? Probably they can inform you better than us here cause as far as I know they do piano tuning, servicing and restoration.

Their website is www.gabrielpianos.com

I hope this information help you.

Kind regards

Welease

Sunshine.day wrote: »

Hi Start10,

Why you don't contact the "Gabriel Pianos" ? Probably they can inform you better than us here cause as far as I know they do piano tuning, servicing and restoration.

Their website is www.gabrielpianos.com

I hope this information help you.

Kind regards

3 posts.. all pointing folks to gabriel piano's.... /ponder

ciaranmac

Serious thread necro going on here.

Sunshine.day

Hi Welease,

I was the person who post about Gabriel pianos.

Can you explain to me what it's the problem in do it?
I'm member on boards and I just replied to other people's post.

I though the reason why the people ask things on boards is to get the information they need, from the one's who know how to help. Apologize if I'm wrong.
Then, next time I will not reply or if I reply I need more imagination to use different words to give the same informations to the people.

Thanks for let me know.