Thanks to the experience gained over two centuries devoted to making high-end instruments, the Pleyel Company is undoubtedly the best specialist for valuing, servicing, restoring or giving you advice on your Pleyel piano.

The Pleyel guarantee of confidence offers you:

• Unique expertise for the servicing of your instrument: tuning, regulating, voicing, in order to maintain the highest standard of musical qualities and the famous “Pleyel tone”
• The savoir-faire and expertise of our piano makers whose traditional skills have been passed down from generation to generation, from journeyperson to apprentice, both in instrument making and cabinetry:
• Only the subtleties of the human ear, the deft gestures and absolute meticulousness of a Pleyel technician can guarantee you the acoustic quality and accuracy of touch which have earned Pleyel pianos a reputation for excellence throughout the world.
• Pleyel cabinet-makers are heirs to a long tradition of woodworking professions.
• Technical facilities dedicated entirely to the quest for perfect harmony between design, quality of materials and development of the instruments.
• Restoration of your instrument respecting the authenticity of the original technical plans and principles used in the manufacturing of your piano in the Pleyel factory.
• The use of original Pleyel spare parts, which alone can guarantee you the long-lasting acoustic qualities of your piano. Particularly for crucial parts like the soundboard, the frame or the pinblock which can only be replaced in our workshops.

Making use of Pleyel’s expertise is the best guarantee of preserving the identity of your Pleyel piano, maintaining its heritage value, safeguarding its excellent tone and its playing properties for generations, or rediscovering all its original qualities in the case of a restoration or rebuild.
We also recommend that you follow the Pleyel use and care instructions below.
The Pleyel workshop service, located in Paris, is at your disposal to answer all your questions and respond to any needs relating to your instrument, in line with Pleyel’s quality commitment. A team of skilled specialists work in this department headed by Virginie Boyer, a Pleyel piano maker and technician for over 20 years.

You are the proud owner of a Pleyel piano. Your Pleyel piano is unique.
When you buy a Pleyel piano, it’s the whole tradition of high-end instrument making since 1807 that enters your home and lives on.
In order to preserve its heritage value and conserve all of your instrument’s musical performance and qualities, it is important to have it serviced regularly and to keep it in appropriate ambient conditions.

  

Piano servicing by a qualified technician

We recommend that you have a regular and official service carried out by an authorised specialist Pleyel technician in order to retain your piano’s musicality, its romantic tone, its bright and colourful timbre, its delicate touch and sensitivity which let you play a highly nuanced repertoire.
Damage and defects resulting from amateur servicing can lead to costly repairs.

Schedule of your piano’s musical servicing

• The instrument should be tuned at least twice a year so as not to affect the tone or condition of the instrument and the perception of pitch.
• The regulation of the playing mechanism should also be checked once a year to ensure a reliable performance. These adjustments also concern the damper system and the pedals.
• Similarly, voicing, which affects the “voice” of the piano, should be carried out once a year in order to reestablish the evenness and beauty of the tone. Voicing involves inserting needles into the hammer felt, thus modifying the tension of the felt which affects the dynamic range and development of the sound.
• As well as tuning, regulating and voicing, the keyboard and mechanical structure should be thoroughly cleaned once a year.
• A full regulation is necessary to maintain the musical performance and qualities of your piano as well as full voicing of your instrument every five years to guarantee optimal acoustic performances and to preserve its colourful timbre and romantic sonority.

Recommended ambient conditions

To keep your piano in perfect condition, it is important to avoid variations in humidity and temperature due to changing seasons, as well as to keep a constant traction force on the strings and ensure a stable pitch of between A 440 and 443.
Your piano should be kept in a room where the ambient temperature is between 14 and 25°C (without exceeding a variation of 2°C/hour) and humidity between 40 and 70 %.
Sudden or seasonal variations, as well as extremely low or extremely high air humidity can cause modifications in tuning or mechanical parts due to the reaction of the parts to humidity, and may even cause permanent damage to the instrument; such variations should therefore be avoided. You can monitor air humidity using a hygrometer and increase it, if necessary, using a humidifier.

Location

The location of a grand piano or upright piano is particularly important. Do not place the instrument directly next to a window, an outside door, above ventilation ducts or near a source of heat. Direct sunlight through windows can damage the veneer, the colours and the surfaces.

Cleaning instructions

Do not use wax polish or any other product containing silicone to clean the case of your piano. You can carefully dust the lacquered or varnished surfaces with a soft cloth preferably made of antistatic microfibre or a feather duster. The cloth may be very slightly damp.
Never use a cloth which already has dust on it as the dust particles could scratch the lacquer. Under no circumstances should an abrasive sponge be used to clean the piano.
To restore your piano’s shine, you can apply a cleaning product specially designed for piano lacquers with a high-shine finish using a soft dry cloth (not directly onto the surface of the piano) in circular movements.  You can do this as often as necessary (if you notice fingerprints or greasy marks). You should use an acid-free degreasing agent which is trace-free, non-corrosive and antistatic (e.g. Cory).
To clean the keyboard, we recommend using a soft cloth with a small amount of gentle cleaning liquid, being careful to avoid getting any moisture on the sides of the wooden keys.

Cleaning the mechanical structure

You should never touch the strings with your fingers as this could cause them to oxidize.
It is important to remove dust from the mechanical structure situated inside the piano (soundboard and frame) with some kind of blowing instrument.  Do not use a vacuum cleaner as the nozzle attachment could scratch the various components of the mechanical structure. We recommend having it cleaned by an authorized Pleyel technician at the same time as having it tuned or serviced.

Moving the piano

In the event of having to move your piano, we recommend that you contact a specialist carrier to transport it.
Major damage could be caused by the piano being moved by non-specialist companies, often resulting in significant repair bills.

Your piano is built from high-quality living materials. Committed to bringing you the greatest satisfaction and ensuring the longevity of your piano, we recommend you follow this maintenance advice carefully.
These instructions for use and care are documented in your guarantee booklet to help you take the best possible care of your Pleyel piano.
The Pleyel Company or your authorized specialist Pleyel dealer is at your disposal to advise you on this matter and undertake the necessary maintenance.