Piano men keep their customers in tune

In any type of business, staying in tune with industry trends and customer needs is essential. But for some professionals in the Corridor, the phrase “staying in tune” hits even closer to home.

Don Winchester has been in the business of piano tuning for the last 14 years. In 1999, he began his own company - Don Winchester's Piano Tuning and Repair in Cedar Rapids.

“I got started as an apprentice to a professional tuner who had been in the business since 1946. Once I had learned the ins and outs, I went out on my own and eventually expanded my services,” Winchester recalled.

Those services now also include repairing other instruments, but piano tuning is where his specialty lies.

“Pianos should absolutely be tuned at least once a year - whether they are played or not. They go out of tune over time, and humidity and dryness have a big effect on them,” he said.

His work has brought him to residential customers, school districts such as Benton, Marion and Waterloo, as well as businesses including Mercy Medical Center.

Now a certified associate member of the Piano Technicians Guild, Winchester also rebuilds pianos.

“Pianos should ideally be restrung every 30 years. That's where rebuilding the piano can be beneficial - people can put in between one-quarter and one-third the cost of a new instrument to have it completely redone and get a totally restored look and sound quality again,” he said.

“My mission - my goal - is to give people the best piano they can have without wiping out their savings,” Winchester said.

His busiest season tends to start around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and stretch to the spring when music competitions take place.

“I have done up to eight repairs in one day, and as little as two in one week. I tend to rely on heavier restorations during the downtime, and it all evens out for me,” he said.

Last year, Winchester ventured into violin and guitar repair. His lesser-known service of consultation also is something he advertises for customers considering purchase of new instruments.

“I will look at a used piano for you and let you know if it's worth the investment, or if you should walk away,” he said.

A lifelong interest

In Walker, Brian Knox has owned and operated Knox Piano Tuning for the past 10 years, starting out in South Carolina. He tunes for residential customers, business, schools and churches.

Knox's services include piano tuning as well as repairs of broken keys and action parts, and restringing. His background as a lifelong piano player prepared him for his work.

“I was a performance major in college, and that's how I got started as a student worker tuning practice pianos and then eventually all the concert instruments,” he recalled. “My father tuned also, so I have been around it all my life.”

After moving to the area three years ago, Knox has established a base of nearly 200 local customers. And while he doesn't tune all those customers' pianos routinely, he does suggest regular maintenance.

“I recommend having a piano tuned every six months. Between summer and winter, a piano will go out of tune because of changes in weather,” he explains.

“A lot of people have it done once a year, but I don't recommend doing it less often than that.”

Knox has been running his business as a part-time venture, but he sees great growth potential in the coming years.

“I work mostly on referrals, and I expect my business to increase as I deal with more and more customers. This is really a passion that has turned into a living for me,” Knox admitted.

Whether he's working with musicians who are just starting out or those who've been playing a lifetime, Knox's advice is the same: “If you keep up with the maintenance, tuning and repair - the small things can increase the value of the piano and make it worth something for future generations. A piano is a lifetime investment ... .”