4 Questions Every Piano Mover Should Ask You: 1. What Is The Type & Size of Your Piano? 2. How Many Steps & Tight Turns Are At Each Location? 3. What Is The Address For Both The Pickup & Drop-Off Locations? 4. Are You Flexible On The Moving Time & Date?
1. What Is The Type And Size Of Your Piano?
This might sound like a very basic question, but often times people don't know what type of piano they have and it is very important for a piano moving company to know the type and size of your piano, before they arrive to do the work of moving your piano. There are so many different styles and manufacturers of pianos and some are easier to move than others...and some pianos take some extra experience and skill to move. All this information plays into the verbal quote given to you over the phone by your piano mover, so it is best to do your homework and find out as much information as you can, before you call your piano mover for a quote. Here is a guide to the different types of pianos (and, a little help with the size): Upright Piano, Studio Piano, Console Piano, Spinet Piano, Square Grand Piano, Grand Piano, Baby Grand Piano
Upright Pianos are usually shoulder height or higher, of course, depending on your height
Studio Pianos are usually between chest height and shoulder height
Console Pianos are usually between waist height and chest height
Spinet Pianos are usually waist height or shorter
Square Grand Pianos are usually about waist high and these pianos are in the shape of a rectangle and have four legs as well as a detachable lyre (pedals)
Grand Pianos are usually about waist high and have three piano legs, as well as a detachable lyre (pedal assembly), and Grand Pianos are usually between five feet in length to nine feet in length
Baby Grand Pianos are simply just a smaller size of a grand piano and the "baby" part of the title was simply a marketing term used in previous years to label a smaller size grand piano. This term is often used lightly and makes it difficult to quote a piano move if you are just assuming your piano is a "baby" grand. While it is true that your 7 foot grand piano is smaller than a 9 foot grand piano, that doesn't make it a "baby" grand piano. Most piano movers and piano technicians would agree that any grand piano less than 5 feet could be labeled under the term, "baby grand piano." Measure your piano from the front of the piano at the curved end to the end of the fall-board over the piano keys to get an accurate size.
2. How Many Steps & Tight Turns Are At Each Location?
As a piano mover, we try to get as much information about your particular move over the phone, as to provide an accurate cost to move your piano. It is very important to know how many steps and tight turns there are at each location. How many steps between each landing? How big is your landings between the steps? We will need to know the total width and length of the landings. These dimensions should include unobstructed measurements, as that extra couple of inches from the railing, may be the difference between a successful piano move and a failed attempt. It is also important to know if there has been any construction done to either home, after the piano has been moved in. There have been multiple homes we have entered to move a piano and the homeowner didn't think about that new wall with a smaller door jam or that new curved stair case in which a piano would never be able to travel. I know it sounds far fetched, but just in the Sacramento area alone, we run into this issue about 5 or 6 times a year. If you have any question as to your recent remodeling around your piano, it's best to send us pictures, either through our Contact Page or through text: 916-397-7426 and then follow up with a phone call.
3. What Is The Address For Both The Piano Pickup & Piano Drop-Off Locations?
We have been moving pianos in the Sacramento area for many years and we started in El Dorado County, in the town of Placerville. We know firsthand the importance of knowing the addresses of both the piano pickup location and the drop-off location, as just the city may not tell us much about the distance. Just as an example, it often takes 35-45 minutes to get from one end of Sacramento or Placerville to the other end. Or, even 20 minutes to get from one end of Folsom or El Dorado Hills to the other end. It is very helpful to have the addresses to give you an accurate quote, but at the very least, it helps if you know the cross streets. The more accurate you are with your information during a piano move, the better it is for all involved.
4. Are You Flexible On The Time & Date of Your Piano Move?
If you plan your piano move out right, you should be calling to schedule your piano movers at least one week in advance, but two to four weeks could be more advantageous to you, depending on your piano mover's location during other moves throughout any given month. For example, if you live in Roseville, California and you need your piano moved to San Francisco within a week or two, chances are, we will be able to schedule more than one piano move in both locations, within your time frame, which could dramatically change the price and availability in your favor, as opposed to calling and asking to have your piano moved that day or within the next day or two. For many of our long distance moves, we have the option to pickup the piano and store the piano in our climate controlled piano storage for a short period of time, until we are planning to be near the drop-off location of your piano. Sometimes we won't have the option to add in more piano moves last minute, but feel free to give us a call to see what our availability is and remember to call in advance to make it easier on everyone involved. It's also important to note that most piano movers move pianos Monday through Friday, during normal business hours. At AAA Piano, we will additional offer to move pianos very early in the morning to give you a chance to get the job done before you even head off to work, making the timing more secured for you, being that yours could possibly be the first or second piano move of the day.