SERVICES

Quality Piano Tuning

Tom Sivak has been tuning pianos aurally since 1980. Taking the RPT Exam aurally, he passed all 7 categories with scores of 93 or higher, including 4 perfect scores of 100. And, contrary to many piano services, Tom does all the tunings himself and does not “farm out” any of the work to novice tuners, or other associates.

In Tom’s own words:

“I take every tuning seriously, whether spinet or Steinway. Every tuning is a ‘concert tuning’. Rather than spend less time tuning a challenging piano, sometimes just spending a little extra time on it can make such a difference.

“My attitude is that some pianos need that extra “Spinet Pass”. This is a term I coined, which means that I go back one last time on a spinet (or any “tonally challenged” piano) and do one more pass, up and down the entire keyboard, just tweaking those unisons until they sing. This usually takes no more than 5 to 10 minutes, and the improvement I get is more than noticeable; it takes the tuning to another level.

“Not every piano needs a “Spinet Pass”, but whatever it takes, I feel like it’s my job to get the piano to the point where I, myself, feel good about the way it sounds.”

Efficient and Economical Repairs

Your initial tuning appointment automatically includes a diagnosis of the condition of your piano, and minor repairs are often included at no extra charge. Sticking keys, for instance, a common complaint among new clients, can often be repaired at no additional cost.

However, if the problem’s repair is involved enough that an additional fee is appropriate, nothing will be done before discussing it with the client. An estimate of cost will be provided and agreed upon before proceeding.

One of the advantages of hiring an experienced technician is the speed with which diagnosis of problems can be made. After tuning and repairing thousands and thousands of pianos, there isn’t much that comes as a surprise. Experience is an advantage when it comes to piano service.

Piano Action Regulation and Rebuilding

Working in a piano rebuilding shop is an invaluable experience. Every skill a technician needs comes only through practice. In a rebuilding shop, there is the opportunity to perform, on a daily basis, regulation and rebuilding tasks that may only come up once a year in the field.

This carries over into the technician’s work in your home. A broken string, for instance, will cost much less to replace if your technician has had the opportunity to replace thousands of strings, by working in a rebuilding shop.

Mr. Sivak’s experience working at various rebuilding shops and piano dealerships in the area is an asset when it comes to any repairs that need to be done, or should your piano need action parts replaced, or reconditioned.

Mr. Sivak worked for THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND (now called STEINWAY OF CHICAGO)

2 years rebuilding Steinways in the Rebuilding Shop---duties included action rebuilding and regulation, hammer replacement, key rebushing. Did floor tunings and went out into the field to tune and do warranty repairs.

FANDRICH PIANOS (Petrov dealer)

4 years as floor tuner and prepped all the new vertical pianos. Did rebuilding/reconditioning work on the used pianos at the store.

ANR PIANO

5 years as technician in the shop, floor tuner. As the only RPT on staff, much of Mr. Sivak’s duties included finishing touches on action regulation and tunings.

My experiences with these shops have given me a range of services that can far outweigh what many tuners offer.

FREE PHONE ADVICE!

Don't be afraid to call and ask.  There are no stupid questions. OK, there’s always someone who can prove this statement wrong, but the point is, we at Sivak piano Service would be happy to discuss your piano with you and help you with whatever question you might have about it. Our phone numbers are listed on the home page. Call anytime---we’d be happy to recommend a piano mover, or a refinisher, or discuss the pros and cons of buying a new piano vs. fixing up Grandma’s vintage spinet.