Arizona Pianos

Many of you know that Stilwell Pianos was actually started by my grandfather Ralph Stilwell in Decatur Illinois in 1956. By the time I got into the business, grandpa Ralph was already in a nursing home and unable to formally hand the business down to me.  At this time, I was a recent graduate from The American School of Piano Tuning and repair and I was ready to get my start with Arizona Pianos.

Arizona Piano Store – Why We are Different

I started in the piano industry as a piano tuner in Arizona. While I don’t tune pianos in homes any more (only in the shop) I do still tune on a regular basis. What makes our Arizona piano store so unique is that I am not only the owner, but the actually technician that personally inspects and works on all of our used grand pianos and used upright pianos in our Arizona Piano store.  It is because of this that I am a horrible piano salesmen! I NEVER push a sale on a customer and I will often times send you to one of our competitors if I don’t have what you are looking for. I would rather you buy the used piano in Arizona that you want rather then the one that some salesmen told you to get! I will even show you how to do a per-purchase inspection on other used pianos. Sometimes I can also sit down with you and help you search craigslist for the perfect used piano in Arizona.

Buying a Used Piano in Arizona

Buying a used Arizona piano may worry people because of our dry climate. This is typically not a problem unless the piano originally came from a very humid climate and did not have a chance to slowly adjust to our climate. When this happens sound boards and pinblocks will sometimes crack.  While this is not too common, Arizona pianos need to be properly maintained. Often times people keep their piano in storage or have swamp cooling where the piano is located. This can cause moisture to get into the wood and when the weather drys out, the wood often times splits. A cracked soundboard does not necessarily mean that the piano is ruined. A cracked soundboard can be repaired if it is buzzing but often times if it is not buzzing, many people who own Arizona pianos will just leave it lie. Arizona pianos should be regularly maintained and inspected by a certified or a registered piano technician to insure that they are not under any unnecessary stress due to the climate.

I will post more later about how to maintain an Arizona piano. While it is not a hard task, it is an important one. For now, stay tuned!

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