The Music Instrument Store

Casio PX-800 Privia Digital Piano with Weighted Scaled Hammer Action Keys

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Retail Price: $1,199.99

Amazon Price: $1,195.00

by Jesse Darnell

How does one move a piano? Very scrupulously.

Okay, I am being a tiny harsh, but moving a piano is a major undertaking.

I’m a gigantic disciple of hiring a professional mover to move a piano. Pianos are heavy and it’s not difficult to damage a piano while moving it. I’m talking from experience. I own a Kimball piano my folks acquired brand new for me when I used to be a child. That piano was a big thing to me after having played on an old “clunker” of a piano for many years. I played that new piano each day.

When I got married it was time to move the piano to my own home. My partner and his siblings moved it themselves. It wasn’t a simple job even with the moving dolly they used (pianos weigh several hundred pounds – grand pianos can weigh 1,500 pounds ). The beginner move of my piano resulted in each of the piano legs being damaged ( a standard occurrence when folks move a piano themselves ) and some unplanned internal work (some pins needed repair and a string broke ). I should have employed a piano mover. Then I wouldn’t have had those problems, but my partner and I thought we might save money by doing it ourselves. It had been a lesson I should have recalled, but I was dumb a second time.

A few years back my hubby and I built a new house. When it came time to move the piano again, my partner was disinclined to hire somebody to move it professionally because our pocketbook was already feeling empty from the expense of building the house ( he called our new house a “money-sucking black hole.” ) In his mind, moving it wasn’t a big score. Our new house was less than 2 miles from our old one ; and he had a dolly, a trailer, and a brother who was willing to help him.

Everything went O.K till my man turned into the driveway of our new home. The sharpness of the turn strained the ropes holding the piano on the trailer and they broke. The piano tipped over and sustained a large amount of damage (the entire “guts” of the piano are ruined and the case is chipped and scratched). I haven’t had it fixed yet, but I have gotten an estimation. It’s going to take a large amount of time and money to mend the piano. It must be completely reconstructed. Due to the labor involved, it would be cheaper to purchase a new piano than have it fixed, but the piano has plenty of sentimental value to me so I will have it fixed. This is why I say, “Hire a professional!”

What does a professional piano mover do to guarantee a safe and successful move? With upright pianos, they nearly always strap the piano on a skid called a piano board. They also cover the piano with blankets to help protect it. The complete bundle is then often put on a dolly and brought to its destination. If steps are involved, the piano is taken off the dolly and slipped up or down the steps on the piano board.

Moving a grand piano is a bit more involved. The lid, lid hinges, pedal lyre, and leg on the straight side of the piano are usually all removed. The piano is then put on the piano board, on its side, with the straight side down. The other legs of the piano are then removed. The piano is then covered with blankets, strapped to the board, and put on a dolly.

Some movers do not like to move a piano up or down stairs. If it’s feasible, they like to hoist it to the acceptable floor via a window that’s big enough to accommodate the piano.

So what do you do if you simply need to move your piano from one part of a room to another? First, decide if it is truly vital to move it because there’s always the risk of damaging a piano even with a short move. Piano legs are the most likely thing to get damaged or broken.

Be really careful to elude putting too much weight on the legs. Get some robust folk to help if the piano is an upright; and get at least 5 people if it is a grand piano. With an upright or spinet, tilt the piano back a little to take the pressure off the front legs, but be careful not to tip it back too far and tip it over. With a grand piano, lift the piano up enough to get the pressure off the legs before you try and move it. It’s not obligatory ( and not recommended) to lift the piano off the floor wholly.

If you are going to move a piano frequently, consider having it fitted with special casters that will allow you to move the piano simply. Or, have the piano placed on a piano wagon.

How you do you find a good piano mover if you’ve decided to not try and move it yourself? My recommendation is that you call your local piano store and ask them for suggestions. They’ll be able to offer you the name or names of credible movers in your area.

Ok, so you’ve decided you are definitely going to move your piano and you have selected a strategy. Now you have to work out where you’re going to put the piano. Where should it go?

Try to put your piano in an area of a room where there are little or no drafts, drafts, where it’s out of direct daylight, and where the temperature and humidity are stable. The reason being because pianos are delicate to humidity and temperature. Plenty of temperature and humidity swings bring about a piano to go out of tune faster than ordinary, can damage the wood case, and if they are severe they even finally cause structural failure.

Don’t place your piano over or next to a heat vent and elude placing it close to a fireplace. Don’t put in front of a window because that’s typically a drafty place as well as one with direct sunlight. Try to discover a room in your home or flat which has consistently stable temperature and humidity. That’s the best room for your piano.

If you can not find a place in your flat or home that is out of direct sunlight, free of drafts, and doesn’t have enormous temperature swings, you may want to consider having a climate control system installed in your piano.

Moving and placing your piano correctly will help ensure you have a beautiful instrument to play for ages instead of having what I now own – an oversized paperweight that needs to be dusted.

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