Console piano needs adjustment.

[jaradi]

So the console Piano that I have has an action that is extremely heavy to the touch. The piano is a Kimball from the 70's or 80's.

How much does it generally cost to get this kind of adjustment done? The piano has nice tone and sustain, but the keys are really stiff.

[hfmadopter]

So the console Piano that I have has an action that is extremely heavy to the touch. The piano is a Kimball from the 70's or 80's.

How much does it generally cost to get this kind of adjustment done? The piano has nice tone and sustain, but the keys are really stiff.

If the keys are really just plain stiff and the piano hasn't been played in a few years until recently, it may work out of this with more playing. A general action adjustment will address things like let off but it may not have a lot of effect on key tension or touch weight if you will. It will address response accuracy. Prices are all over the place accordingly, your best bet is to call around and get an estimate before a tech gets involved too deeply. On older uprights and certainly shorter consoles sometimes the cost is not deemed worth while. General tuning and action adjustment prices vary, there is no standard in the industry. I would conceive a couple hundred dollars as being with in reason though for the tuning and a more than average, solid action adjustment. There could well be a tech around that will come and do that for $100.

If that doesn't cover the situation you could be into an action rebuild and or re- weighting of the keys. At this point you need to decide if that console is worth the money to invest in it, to you that is. I certainly would not invest a lot into a short stringed instrument.

[jaradi]

Thanks for your input. I should only be playing this piano for about one more year before I go of to college, where I'm certain there will be a multitude of practice pianos to use. I only recently got back into regular lessons and practice after falling in love with classical music and the piano again, before that my playing and practice was limited.

The only thing that worries me is exercises like Hanon wear out my forearms after only a couple repetitions, and I'm afraid that I might develop tendinitis or muscle strain.

[hfmadopter]

Thanks for your input. I should only be playing this piano for about one more year before I go of to college, where I'm certain there will be a multitude of practice pianos to use. I only recently got back into regular lessons and practice after falling in love with classical music and the piano again, before that my playing and practice was limited.

The only thing that worries me is exercises like Hanon wear out my forearms after only a couple repetitions, and I'm afraid that I might develop tendinitis or muscle strain.

If it's just a matter of it being a heavy action piano you can build yourself up to playing it ( and then a light action piano will seem rediculous!). If it's some how defective, then it's not advisable to work up to playing it. Most likely it's just a heavy action ( a lot of touch weight) and in a few weeks you will think less of it..

Lets hope for that being the case.
David