Moving a grand

[keys60]

I tuned my daughters piano teacher's 1917 Steinway O on friday.
She had moved about a year ago. Many of the hammers were shifted to the point of not striking all strings on the trichords and even a few striking a string on the next higher note. I had to remove the action and adjust all the hammers and tighten the flange screws. I didn't charge her for that since, afterall, my daughter passed her college auditions and was accepted to quite a few good universities, so I didn't mind the favor. The tuning came out quite well and she's happy.
Question is:

Better to remove the action when moving a grand. I think the movers put the piano down a little hard on the treble side when moving, causing this shift.

[jimbo320]

If properly moved you might need to adjust tuning after you give it a few weeks to become used to it's new environment. Just don't drop it! Dropping it would for sure cause shifting of the action.
If the piano is going for a long trip you might want to make sure the action board is good and tight. Use professional insured movers...

[keys60]

Its been moved. Not my piano. I tuned it. I think it was put down kind of hard. Had to realign many hammers.

[jimbo320]

Yep. Sounds like it.
Once I had a grand on the piano board slip down a flight of stairs and through a wall. lol
It required major surgery....
Best to have more than one guy on the bottom when going down.....

[silverwoodpianos]

Putting the instrument down hard would not be any more jolting then bouncing up and down in the truck while moving along a municipal boulevard.

I I had to remove the action and adjust all the hammers and tighten the flange screws.

Over time the action shrinks including the key frame that fits into the cavity; also flange screws work themselves loose from summer to winter; the wood expands in the summer forcing the threads out gradually and then a contraction in the winter.
Often times after a move an instrument will have things that shift.

Better to remove the action when moving a grand. I think the movers put the piano down a little hard on the treble side when moving, causing this shift.

Well if one has the opinion that the movers were rough, then having the action keyboard exposed and transported by the same movers would not be a well thought out idea. Best left inside the instrument and therefore protected from drops or other types of things….

[silverwoodpianos]

Once I had a grand on the piano board slip down a flight of stairs and through a wall. lol
It required major surgery....

Along with significant repairs to the residence I expect.....

[keys60]

Said Steinway O was regulated, hammers shaped, knuckles bolstered, flange pins changed, springs adjusted etc. etc. about 2 years prior to the move. This piano has its original parts, Ca.1917  and I keep suggesting she have it rebuilt. The person who performed the work was the RPT that trained me for 2+ years. It was a difficult regulation because the hammers are so well worn and the springs pretty played out. She thinks its great. (my daughters piano teacher, MM Julliard). I wish she would just go for it. Anyway, when she moved only about a year after the regulation, that's when the big shift happened. I would gladly transport the action for her should she move again. We have a good relationship, especially since my daughter passed her audition to 5 colleges so far. Waiting for 5 more responses.