Derek Gibson Piano Services

Derek Gibson Piano Services Saskatoon based piano tuning, repairs, voicing, regulation, and appraisals. Call/text 306-477-5577 or visit derekgibsonpiano.com.

Over 30 years experience serving families, schools, and performers across Saskatchewan.

Derek’s Dispatches: The Battlefords & Jackfish LakeBack in the Battlefords and Jackfish Lake today, looking after a vari...
06/17/2026

Derek’s Dispatches: The Battlefords & Jackfish Lake

Back in the Battlefords and Jackfish Lake today, looking after a variety of pianos and enjoying some dramatic Saskatchewan skies along the way.

Today’s work included tuning, a little regulation work, and some hammer reshaping and voicing to help these instruments perform and sound their best.

Thank you to everyone in the Battlefords and Jackfish Lake area for continuing to trust me with your pianos. It’s always a pleasure to return and help keep these instruments sounding and playing their best.

A Day in the Melfort AreaA trip to the Melfort area today, helping pianos sound their best.I’m thankful for the continue...
06/12/2026

A Day in the Melfort Area

A trip to the Melfort area today, helping pianos sound their best.

I’m thankful for the continued support from clients across northeast Saskatchewan. Every appointment, every referral, and every conversation is appreciated.

It’s always a pleasure to spend a day working with pianos and the people who enjoy them.

Back in the Shellbrook and Prince Albert area today.Some of these appointments were originally scheduled earlier but wer...
06/09/2026

Back in the Shellbrook and Prince Albert area today.

Some of these appointments were originally scheduled earlier but were postponed when wildfire activity and evacuation concerns affected the region. Thankfully, things have settled down considerably.

Thank you to my clients for their continuing support. It’s always a pleasure returning to this part of Saskatchewan.

Hope everyone enjoys a safe and beautiful summer ahead.

Behind a Typical Tuning ServiceA tuning appointment is rarely just tuning. Best to think of it as a 2 hour service call....
06/09/2026

Behind a Typical Tuning Service

A tuning appointment is rarely just tuning. Best to think of it as a 2 hour service call. Most visits include small adjustments and repairs that help a piano play its best.

On one grand piano today, the let-off (escapement) had settled below the drop, creating an uneven feel at the keyboard. A quick adjustment of the let-off buttons restored proper action performance. A few jumpy repetition springs were also corrected.

Another stop included routine maintenance on a Piano Life Saver System. The humidifier pads were replaced, which is an important part of keeping the system operating efficiently. For most installations, the pads should be checked and replaced at least twice a year, depending on water quality and usage.

Sometimes the biggest improvements come from the smallest adjustments.

Busy week with the usual tunings, plus a few regulations on both uprights and grands.Some pianos needed only minor adjus...
06/05/2026

Busy week with the usual tunings, plus a few regulations on both uprights and grands.

Some pianos needed only minor adjustments. One needed much more in order to make it playable again, as seen in the two photos showing grand piano hammer shank knuckle to jack alignment. The second photo shows the proper alignment after correction.

Another simple repair shown here is replacing worn rubber bushings in a grand piano pedal assembly. As these bushings age, pedals can become quite noisy.

It’s a small repair, but one that can make a big difference in how a piano feels and sounds.

Life in The Fast LaneSpotted this street sign in Aspen Ridge today while out tuning pianos Saskatoon.I’ve serviced sever...
05/30/2026

Life in The Fast Lane

Spotted this street sign in Aspen Ridge today while out tuning pianos Saskatoon.

I’ve serviced several pianos in this neighbourhood over the years, but so far nobody has invited me into the Fast Lane itself.

Half tempted to knock on a door and ask:

“What’s life really like in the Fast Lane?”

Derek’s Dispatches: The Cost of Doing BusinessA little behind the scenes loom today.Between annual business registration...
05/30/2026

Derek’s Dispatches: The Cost of Doing Business

A little behind the scenes loom today.
Between annual business registration fees, licensing, insurance, fuel, tools, continuing education, and software subscriptions, professional piano service involves a lot more than simply “showing up and tuning.”
One of the tools I rely on daily is CyberTuner, the professional tuning software shown in Wednesday’s pitch raise post. It’s by far the most expensive piano tuning software currently available, and it also carries yearly subscription fees.
But after decades in the field, there’s a reason many high level technicians continue to rely on it. The stability, precision, custom tuning capabilities, pitch raise calculations, and consistency in difficult real world situations are simply outstanding.
Good tools don’t replace experience, but they absolutely support better and more consistent results for clients and their pianos.
Part of the reality of modern piano service is constantly investing back into the business, the equipment, and the craft itself.

Derek’s Dispatches: Bringing a Piano Back to Concert PitchOne of today’s pianos was roughly 75 to 100 cents flat in part...
05/28/2026

Derek’s Dispatches: Bringing a Piano Back to Concert Pitch

One of today’s pianos was roughly 75 to 100 cents flat in parts of the scale, far beyond what a normal tuning can correct cleanly in one pass. Not surprising, as this piano hadn’t been tuned in decades.

Piano strings operate under tremendous tension, and over time they naturally drift downward in pitch when left untuned.

Modern pitch raises are carefully calculated procedures based on decades of real world data and tens of thousands of piano tunings. As tension is added across the piano, previously tuned notes immediately begin shifting again as the structure reacts to the changing load.

That’s why professional tuning software uses calculated overpull factors throughout different sections of the piano. During the first pass, each note is intentionally tuned slightly above a calculated target pitch, anticipating how much it will settle back as overall string tension increases.

Today’s first pass brought this piano from roughly 75 to 100 cents flat to within only a few cents of concert pitch, close enough for an accurate fine tuning immediately afterward.

For most pianos affected by normal seasonal humidity changes, a pitch raise usually adds only about 15 to 20 minutes to an appointment, but it dramatically improves tuning stability and accuracy.

Of course, when a piano is extremely low, sometimes a semitone or even two below pitch, multiple pitch raises may still be needed before the instrument fully stabilizes.

A good reminder that modern piano tuning is a blend of craftsmanship, experience, physics, and some surprisingly sophisticated mathematics happening quietly in the background.

The Heintzman Story ContinuesBack in West Central Saskatchewan today, with a mix of pianos ranging from older Canadian a...
05/27/2026

The Heintzman Story Continues

Back in West Central Saskatchewan today, with a mix of pianos ranging from older Canadian and Japanese ones to newer instruments carrying a familiar historic name.

One stop today included this modern Heintzman upright, a 21st century version of Canada’s most recognized piano name. While original Canadian Heintzman production ended about four decades ago, the name continues today with this Chinese built instrument.

These newer Heintzmans still incorporate some structural and design ideas from the original company, so in a way, part of the old Heintzman spirit still lives on.

I’ve tuned quite a few of these over the years, and honestly, they’re often surprisingly solid pianos for the price range.

Jean McCulloch Memorial Junior Piano Competition Tunings Spent today preparing the grand pianos at St. Peter’s Cathedral...
05/23/2026

Jean McCulloch Memorial Junior Piano Competition Tunings

Spent today preparing the grand pianos at St. Peter’s Cathedral and Abbey in Muenster ahead of tomorrow’s Jean McCulloch Memorial Junior Piano Competition.

Always a privilege working in a building with this much history and atmosphere. The cathedral interior features the remarkable paintings of Berthold Imhoff, the German born artist who settled in Saskatchewan in the early 1900s and became known for his large scale religious artwork throughout the province. His work here is especially stunning in person, one of those places where you can’t help but stop and look up for a while.

Best of luck tomorrow to all the students, teachers, families, adjudicators and organizers involved in this competition. Hope everyone has a great day of music.

Address

4230 DeGeer Street, Unit 333
Saskatoon, SK
S7H5G9

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 7pm
Tuesday 8am - 7pm
Wednesday 8am - 7pm
Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+13064775577

Website

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