Piano Care: How to Clean Piano Keys

Soap and water on a slightly damp sponge or soft cloth works great on cleaning piano keys. You can use a mild dish-washing liquid for the soap, diluted with water.  Just don't use so much liquid that you will get moisture into the keyboard. Wipe the sponge or cloth towards you and not side to side. Clean one octave at a time and dry before moving on to the next octave.

Avoid colored cloths that may bleed and transfer color onto the white keys.

Real ivory isn't used on pianos anymore but if you are lucky enough to have a piano with ivory keys you can follow the advice above and just make sure to wipe off the excessive moisture after you clean the keys. Ivory can warp if it remains wet for too long.

How can you tell if the keys are ivory or plastic? Real ivory keytops are in two pieces. If the keytop is one piece, it is plastic.

During cold and flu season you might want to disinfect your piano keys. Don't use Lysol or similar disinfectants on your piano keys. Instead, clean them with a solution of 3 parts filtered water to 1 part white vinegar using the general cleaning tips above.

If your piano keys are severely stained or yellowed, contact a professional.

2012 YoHoExhibition and Piano Concert in Yonkers, NY

A good time was had by all when David Harewood, a soon to be famous jazz pianist performed at the YoHoArtist Exhibition at 578 Nepperhan Ave. Yonkers, NY.

He played many of his own compositions to lots of applause and appreciation. The concert was sponsored by Craftsman Piano who also provided the Steinway Vintage model B semi concert grand piano.

Piano Tips to Maintain the Life and Quality of Your Piano

Never place your piano near or against a heat source (radiator) or ceiling vent. Maintaining the humidity and keeping the temperature of the home at a constant and moderate level will help keep the piano in tune and in good overall shape. Ideally the piano should not be placed on an outside wall or near a window or door to avoid drafts. If you have no other choice than to place your piano on an outside wall, place it at least 6" away from the wall.

Selecting a Piano for Your Home

Some people purchase a piano to enhance the decor of their home much like purchasing an elegant piece of furniture. A piano can make a home come alive with it's beauty and be the true focus of the room. You may prefer a certain color such as ebony, mahogany, rosewood, teak, cherry, walnut or white. You may also like a high polish, french polish, satin or stain luster finish depending upon your taste. But the single most important factor in selecting your piano is the size of the room where the piano will be placed. The larger the piano, the better it will sound. If you have the room for a grand piano you will be very pleased with the overall sound.



Imagine if you can obtain the piano of your dreams...We can help make that dream come true. Craftsman Piano is part of a nationwide network of piano retailers and wholesalers. Whatever type or style of piano that you desire we can help you locate it.

1886 Rosewood Steinway D Concert Grand Piano in Craftsman Piano Showroom...

Prelude #2 by George Gershwin performed on a Steinway D from 1886. This Rosewood Steinway D is hands down gorgeous. It is one of the most beautiful pianos I have seen in over thirty years in the piano business featuring Victorian flower pot legs, ivory keys, and a cut out rack. It has a hand rubbed satin finish which restores the piano to it's original glory.

The piano is also a fabulous Steinway concert grand. It has been restored with a beautiful sitka spruce soundboard, Hamburg Steinway hammers and shanks, Renner wippens, Arledge Bass strings. In other words no expense has been spared in the restoration if this piano. The touch is even and fast. The tone rivals any Steinway D anywhere. At this level of piano restoration the best is a matter of opinion. That being said, this piano is up there with the best of the best.

Emmanuel Ax used this piano in a concert on Oct.15 to benefit Project Literacy US.


You can view more photos here.

Please note that when we originally shot this video the retail price of the piano was $120,000. The retail price is now $125,000 but our wholesale price is $105,000.

Joseph Hanerfeld

Craftsman Piano

Yonkers, New York

www.craftsmanpiano.net

The Value of Refurbishing A Grand Piano

We are often asked if it is wise to fix an old piano or just buy a new one. With a grand piano it is almost always wiser to restore, refinish or refurbish your existing one.

Older pianos, specifically the ones built in the late part of the 19th century are some of the highest quality pianos ever built. If you happen to have one of those beauties sitting in your living room, it would be a shame to do anything but restore it. Today you will not be able to find any piano for sale that will match the quality and design of these older pianos.

Majority of the older pianos were built from the finest woods of their time, but they were also constructed entirely by hand. These qualities allow older pianos to be superior to newer pianos in terms of how they were built and how long they will last. This should come as no surprise as things today, pianos included, are often manufactured in other countries in mass quantities in some kind of manufacturing plant, all in terms of lowering the prices. Restoring an older piano increases the lifespan; it can then be passed on for generations!

Steinway Victorian A 2 Grand Piano

This piano is a vintage Victorian A 2 with Ice Cream Cone Legs, and Banjo Lyre. It is a historical piano as well because it is one of the first A 2 pianos, and it is one of the only A 2’s with the Ice Cream Cone Legs.

This piano has been fully restored. It has a Cereza Board, a Renner action with new Steinway underlevers, and Genuine Hamburg Steinway hammers. The result is a responsive piano with a sound that can run the gamut from barely audible to thunderous.

The piano has been refinished to a high gloss mahogany finish. The pictures do not do it justice.

Action Parts: Renner / Hamburg Steinway Hammers
Sound Board: New Cereza Sound Board

Year: 1898

Size: 6' 1"

Serial #: 91939

see more photos and pricing information for this beautiful vintage Steinway piano.

Piano Plate Welding Demonstration at Craftsman Piano in Yonkers, NY

Master piano plate welder, Victor Apuango, demostrates his craft as Joe Hanerfeld, of Craftsman Piano, speaks about plate welding at his Yonkers, NY piano showroom.

We use the world's finest parts which are used in the best pianos such as the Hamburg Steinways, Bosendorfers and Mason & Hamlins, with all of our piano restorations. Our technicians take pride in paying attention to every detail and are truly dedicated to doing the job as if it were their own piano. The piano restoration process takes approximately 12-16 weeks from the time your piano is picked up, and we guarantee our grand pianos for five years on all parts and labor and three years for uprights.

PianoDisc Digital Player Piano Demonstration at Craftsman Piano

Joe Hanerfeld of Craftsman Piano speaks about the new PianoDisc digital player piano system at his Yonkers, NY piano showroom.

These pianos are often used in private homes for parties, and for people that enjoy the sound of a piano playing in their home, but don't know how to play one themselves. You can also find these pianos in hotels, restaurants, movie theaters and a host of other places bringing the joy of live music to anyone who hears them.

The catalog of music available for these pianos will please music lovers who appreciate all styles of music from classical to country, jazz, latin, sacred, ragtime, christmas, adult contemporary and more.