A tuning that actually holds.
Anyone can nudge a piano closer to pitch for an afternoon. The trick is a tuning that stays — every unison set by ear, every string brought up to A440 in the right order and seated so it doesn’t slip. That’s what you get: a tuning in your own home that still sounds right months from now, anywhere in Orange County.
Every tuning, every time
- A pitch check against A440 — so you know exactly where the piano stands before any work begins.
- A full fine tuning of every unison and octave, set by ear and confirmed by meter — not machine-only.
- A pitch raise when it’s needed, quoted before we start so the price is settled up front.
- An action & pedal check — sticking keys, squeaks and buzzes noted, minor fixes done on the spot.
- A written condition report with a recommended date for your next tuning.
The Orange County problem
If your piano seems to go flat faster than it should, it’s not you and it’s not the piano — it’s where you live.
The marine layer
The daily fog-and-sun cycle near the coast pushes indoor humidity up and down constantly. The soundboard swells and shrinks with it, and pitch moves — which is why beach-city pianos need attention sooner than inland ones.
Santa Ana winds
A few days of hot, bone-dry wind can cut a home’s humidity in half. A piano tuned right before a Santa Ana can shift audibly within the week. We schedule around it when we can.
What keeps it steady
Tune twice a year on a schedule, keep the piano off exterior walls and away from vents and windows, and — for an instrument that matters — add a humidity-control system, which we can recommend and arrange.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pitch raise, and will my piano need one?
When a piano sits untuned for years its overall pitch sags well below A440. Pull it straight back to pitch in one fine tuning and it won’t hold — so we do a fast rough pass first (the pitch raise), then the fine tuning, in the same visit. If your piano hasn’t been tuned in three or more years, plan on it; we’ll confirm before we start.
How long does a piano tuning take?
A standard tuning runs 60 to 90 minutes. Add roughly 30 to 45 when a pitch raise is needed. We work quietly and clean up after ourselves — you don’t need to do a thing but point us at the piano.
Will moving my piano across the room put it out of tune?
Barely. What detunes a piano is the humidity of a new location, not the trip across the floor — so if it moves between homes, tune it about three to four weeks later, once it has settled into the new room.
Can every old piano be tuned to concert pitch?
Not every one. A very old piano with a weak pinblock or corroded strings sometimes can’t safely hold A440. When that’s the case we tune it to its own best stable pitch — it will sound in tune with itself, which is what matters for playing at home — and explain the options.
Do you tune for teachers, churches and schools?
Yes — studios, churches, schools and venues right across Orange County, including pre-recital and pre-service touch-ups on a standing schedule.
Book the tuning your piano’s been asking for.
Same-week appointments anywhere in Orange County and Long Beach. Call or text — tell us the make and roughly how long it’s been, and we’ll quote it on the spot.
OC Piano Care · Serving all of Orange County · Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm