Monthly Archives: September 2024

Pub Piano Tuning

It is traditional for pub pianos to be way out of tune. Mine came with the pub and the keys played the note that the key to the left was supposed to play. A piano tuning app (Pano Tuner) showed what note was playing and with the hammers removed I tuned the strings plucking them like a guitar. YouTube was very helpful for piano fixing advice.

The curved keyboard lid was broken and for years I couldn’t think how to hold it while gluing it back together. The feather boards mounted on the router table turned out to be perfect for clamping the joint. The sticky keys were fixed by wobbling them from side to side.

It’s a Duck, Son and Pinker piano from Bath. It sounds nice now it’s in tune. I looked into the brand and their name plates always say “Duck Son and Pinker Bath and Bristol”. Mine doesn’t mention “Bath and Bristol”.

It’s a plain piano without panels or decoration. Can the internet tell me if that makes it an early piano or a late one? EDIT – from the serial number it looks like a 1911 model. Thanks Jonathan.