Pandemic Awareness

April

Dear Pianists,

Our piano moving operations are still active as they are an essential service. However, in light of the third wave’s severity. We demand that all safety measures outlined by health Canada are followed by every individual present while our crew is operating. In addition to those guidelines, a few more safety measures. Now that warm weather has arrived, we ask that all windows in the area of operation be opened to increase airflow and reduce risk of transmission. Also, limit spectators. Piano moving is not a show. Piano movers are not actors. And no, they do not need your help. Piano moving can at times require us to remove our masks in order to breath. So be safe, keep far back, and let them do their job as usual, safely and efficiently.

Kind regards,
Anthony

November

Dear Visitors,

Preparing for a pending second lockdown. Luckily we are! Well before the first Ontario lockdowns began, our crews where already protecting themselves, friends and family by following recommendations from the World Health Organization. This in an effort to maximize productivity and minimize risk of contracting the virus have proven effective. Currently, all crews are in good health. All crews have and continue to maintain appropriate physical distance with those outside of their living arrangements.

Rest assured that our piano technicians, piano tuners, and piano movers are taking the threat of COVID-19 very seriously. We have implemented all practices outline by health Canada and the Federal government.

If you hire us, please remember to do the same when moving day comes. Help us protect our families and yours!

Anthony

September

We have determined this to be most effective measure possible for our families with young children to stop the spread of Covid. All of our invaluable highly trained piano movers children including my own daughter are attending virtual school at home. To keep our crews working, these conditions have forced us to temporarily shift our outbound operating schedule. Bookings are available on weekdays starting at 11 am with the last booking at 9pm all winter long.

For Online Booking, Please start with the “Online Quote Form”.

Specialized Piano Movers Ottawa is ready to move your piano day or night. And if you have comments or you loved our service so much that you need to tell the world. Head on over to the “Customer Reviews” page also accessible from the main menu. We are committed to providing piano services and free resources, so check out our easy to follow guide on “learning the piano keyboard” which will come in handy if you want to check the tune of a piano.

See more photos.

Before booking piano movers, there is some basic information that you should have ready before hand.  In the main menu under ” Knowledge Base ” you will find lots of great piano information. You will also find steps you can take to “prepare for piano movers” before they arrive to ensure a safe and efficient piano move. Our photo gallery of piano’s we have moved and our piano movers in action can also be found under “Services” > “Piano Moving Photos”.  When you are ready to book our piano movers, we have a very fast and easy to use “Online Quote Form”, which can be reached from the main menu.

Ottawa Piano Moving And Services | Grand Piano Movers | Piano Removal | Piano Tuning

Specialized Piano Movers is a complete piano service company based in Ottawa, On.

We offer professional piano moving (furniture too!), piano tuning, piano removal (recycling), piano inspections and more.

Get a quick estimate.

Piano moving quotes

If you have some helpful pictures of the piano, staircases, or other obstacles, have them ready before filling out the form. You will have a chance to upload them before submitting. Try to keep the combined file size under 10MB.

Continue to the quote form.

Here’s the most important info your piano movers need to provide an accurate piano moving quote:

• Address of both pick up and drop off location.
• Style of piano (upright or grand)
• Know if there any obstacles at either location such as tight angle turns, narrow doors, stair cases…
• Very important to know the dimensions. Specifically the height for an upright, and the length for a grand piano.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE HIRING PIANO MOVERS. Piano moving quote according to certain factors including distance and difficulty. Every piano move is different.  Difficulty reflects the piano’s current place in a building and its ideal path to the piano moving truck. Same thing at the destination: difficulty from truck to the piano’s destination. The information you provide while booking a piano move determines the piano moving quote. It is important to be as accurate as possible so that the piano movers arrive properly prepared for your unique piano moving situation. Failing to do so can most likely incur extra charges.

Important note; An upright Grand is NOT a grand piano. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, retailers called some larger upright piano’s “Cabinet Grand Piano” or “Upright Grand Piano” as a marketing ploy. A grand piano stands horizontally NOT vertically. They normally cost in excess of 400$ and more to move than a regular upright piano.

Always use experienced piano movers. Even if you are obtaining a second-hand piano.

Our piano movers are experienced, knowledgeable and adaptable to the circumstances of each unique piano move. Your treasured instrument is in the best possible hands but please don’t take our word for it, see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

At the end of each piano move, we inspect the inside of the piano to make sure everything is in working order. Then we check the tone of the piano to see how much work is needed to get it sounding perfect! If the piano needs any minor repairs or adjustments, they can normally be done on the spot at little or no extra charge. An estimate for tuning is also given at this point.

Piano moving preparation.

Piano moving preparation focuses on safety, accessibility and communication. Following the advice i give in this article can save you time, money, and a lot of grief. As a professional piano mover, i am thrilled you are taking the time to read up on piano moving.

Safety Precautions.

Children and pets. As cute as they are, they still pose a safety risk as they can be very distracting to the movers. It is best to keep them occupied in a separate part of the house while the move is taking place.

Winter time piano moving can be very dangerous. If you are expecting piano movers, have a shovel and salt/sand ready. As a courtesy, it is best to have outdoor paths clear of ice and snow, or possibly provide the movers with the means to clear a path and lay salt down. Keep in mind that if the movers have to spend a long period of time clearing snow on your property, unless agreed upon before the job started, expect extra charges.

Accessibility.

From the road to the front door and strait to the piano, the path needs to be clear for the piano move. And if the hallways are narrow, anything hanging from the walls should be removed. If you hire a professional piano moving company such as ourselves, we will arrive with protective materials for the piano, and for the floors as well. Therefore, please do not lay down any carpet, linens, plastic, or cardboard in the path leading to the piano from the front door. All this does is cause a safety hazard and impede accessibility. It is only a waste of time because the first thing the piano movers will do is remove everything off the floor and use their own protective material designed for this specific use.

***plywood sheets are OK, but again, do not lay them down before asking the movers if its needed.

Communication.

While booking the piano move, be as accurate as possible and answer truthfully. If you are unsure, that’s OK, just say so. The piano moving company will understand if you don’t have all the necessary information and will help you the best they can. Try to have all parties involved with the piano move follow the advice I’ve given you. Try to provide your movers with contact information for both the pick up and drop off locations so they can effectively communicate.

More on communicating effectively while booking a piano move.

Cheers!

Anthony

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE HIRING PIANO MOVERS.

This information will make Hiring Piano Movers easy. Please understand that, Every piano move is different. Each one is priced according to certain factors including distance and difficulty. Difficulty reflects the piano’s current position in a building and its optimal path to the piano moving truck. Revers that to determine the difficulty from truck to the piano’s destination. The information you provide while booking a piano move determines the price of the move. It is important to be as accurate as possible so that the piano movers arrive properly prepared for your unique piano moving situation. Failing to do so can very possibly incur extra charges.

• Here’s a list of the basic and most important info needed. Try to have all of it ready when you call:
• Address of both pick up and drop off location.
• Style of piano (upright or grand)
• Know if there any obstacles at either location such as tight angle turns, narrow doors, stair cases…
• Very important to know the dimensions. Specifically the height for an upright, and the length for a grand piano.

Important note; An upright Grand is NOT a grand piano. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, retailers called some larger upright piano’s “Cabinet Grand Piano” or “Upright Grand Piano” as a marketing ploy. A grand piano stands horizontally NOT vertically.  They normally cost in excess of 400$ and more to move than a regular upright piano.

Always use experienced piano movers even if you are obtaining a cheap second hand piano. Our piano movers are experienced, knowledgeable and adaptable to the circumstances of each unique piano move. Your treasured instrument is in the best possible hands but please don’t take our word for it, see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

At the end of each piano move, we inspect the inside of the piano to make sure everything is in working order. Then we check the tone of the piano to see how much work is needed to get it sounding perfect! If the piano needs any minor repairs or adjustments, they can normally be done on the spot at little or no extra charge. A estimate for tuning is also given at this point.

• Anthony
• Piano Specialist
• https://www.opmovers.com

History of Piano’s

The piano is unique among keyboard instruments. Only the piano has hammers that strike tuned strings and rebound away from them, allowing the strings to vibrate and produce sustained musical tones. Each note has an escapement mechanism between the key and its hammer that releases the hammer from the key just before the hammer strikes the strings, allowing it to bounce away from the strings. The pianist may play softly or loudly by depressing the keys slowly or quickly, thus varying the intensity of the blows of the hammers on the strings. This is a brief history of piano’s and there development since the first practical piano which was built 300 years ago! This entire history and so much more can be found in Arthur A. Reblitz book: Piano servicing, tuning, and rebuilding.

Antique Pianos

Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) built the first practical piano that could be played either softly or loudly, with an escapement mechanism for the hammers, in the early 1700’s. The name piano is an abbreviation of Cristofori’s original name for the instrument piano et forte, or soft and loud. The dramatic expressive capabilities of the piano set it apart from other keyboard instruments of Cristofori’s time, including the harpsichord, in which the mechanism plucks the strings, and the clavichord, in which small brass “tangents” mounted directly on the back ends of the keys touch the strings lightly to produce a very soft, delicate tone. Because of its versatility, the piano has remained popular to this day as the fundamental keyboard instrument of both home and concert hall.

The period beginning with the invention of the piano in the 1700’s and ending in the late 1800’s saw much experimentation and frequent design change. Early pianos of one maker were radically different from those of another. By the late 1800’s, these early designs had evolved toward an instrument whose basic features were similar to those of the modern piano. It is unusual today to find a piano manufactured prior to the 1860’s or 1870’s outside of a museum.

Victorian Pianos

By the late 1800’s, factories were mass producing pianos and retailing them at low enough prices that the public could afford to buy them. Piano cabinets of this period typically featured fancy carvings, fretwork, molding’s, and ornate veneers.

Today these instruments are known as “Victorian” pianos. Victorian pianos may be categorized into three main types: the upright, the square (also known as the square grand), and the grand. Most vertical pianos were uprights, with the strings and soundboard positioned vertically. Square pianos had a rectangular shape with the strings positioned horizontally and approximately parallel to the length of the keyboard. Grand pianos had the strings positioned horizontally, approximately at right angles to the length of the keyboard.

The best Victorian uprights and grands were excellent pianos. Square pianos, despite their massive, ornate cabinets, had small soundboard’s and hammers . Their appearance was more impressive than their musical capability even when they were new. Victorian pianos used mass produced , machine-made action parts, but replacement parts for many of these pianos have not been stocked by piano supply companies since the 1930’s. Of the many Victorian pianos still in existence , the best are well worth careful restoration and preservation.

Twentieth Century Pianos

By the early 1900’s the “Golden Age of the Piano” the development of the piano as we know it today was practically complete. Square pianos were nearly extinct. Grand and upright cabinets were streamlined, and “gingerbread” was eliminated. The mechanical design had progressed essentially to the point where it is today, incorporating high tensile strength steel wire strings strung on large heavy cast iron frames, with large hammers and large soundboard’s.

A common promotional trick in the early 1900 ‘s was to call an upright an “upright grand ” or “cabinet grand.” Because the public tends to think of a grand as being of higher quality than a vertical, these fancy labels are meant to suggest that the piano has qualities typical of grands not found in ordinary verticals. Upon careful examination, a piano with one of these names bears no more resemblance to a grand piano than any other vertical does.

The 1930’s marked the beginning of a trend toward smaller and smaller pianos. Large uprights evolved into smaller studio uprights, and baby grands less than 5’8″ (173 em .) in length became more popular. By the end of the 1940’s, manufacturers mass marketed small consoles and smaller spinets to consumers who didn’t have room for large, boxy uprights in their “modern” smaller apartments and homes.

The height of the cabinet and the placement of the piano action in relation to the keyboard determine whether a vertical piano is an upright, studio upright, console, or spinet. In an upright piano the action is located a distance above the keys, requiring extensions called stickers to connect the keys to the action. Twentieth century full sized uprights nearly always have stickers.

The studio upright and console are of medium height, and usually have the action mounted directly over the keys without stickers. This is called a direct blow action . The studio upright (also called the “professional upright” by many manufacturers) looks like a smaller version of a full sized upright with a slanted front . Most studio uprights made since the 1950 ‘s are high quality , durable pianos marketed mainly to schools , churches , and piano teachers. The console is slightly smaller than a studio upright , typically with the action made as short as possible while still able to sit on top of the keys. Most console pianos have fancier cabinets, for the home market .

The spinet is the smallest vertical, usually with the action partially or completely below the keys. Most spinets have drop actions with drop stickers extending downward from the keys to connect them to the action. The tone quality of spinet pianos is inherently poor in the bass, due to the short bass strings. Also, the spinet action doesn’t feel as solid as that of a console or upright because of the drop stickers . While higher priced spinets are assembled carefully from good quality materials, average spinets are manufactured to satisfy consumer demand for instruments that are as small and inexpensive as possible.

Exceptions to the drop action rule include a few spinets as short as 34″ (including some Currier models) that incorporate a direct blow compressed action, and certain consoles (including 40″- 41″ Baldwin and Brambach models made in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s) that have drop actions.

In summary, a modern piano (one made since the early 1900’s) is either a grand or a vertical. If a vertical, it is either an upright, a studio upright, a console, or a spinet. Most pianos made since the beginning of the 20th century use standardized action parts that are still available. A few, however, used experimental designs that are now obsolete. Millions of pianos made since the early 1900’s, from the cheapest to the very best, are still around today. If a good quality piano is in a moderately good state of preservation, then it is worth repairing, restoring and moving.