What happens to a piano as it ages?
That’s a good question. Believe it or not, whether the piano is used for performance or as a piece of furniture, leather and felt compact, affecting the adjustment (regulation) of the parts. The Action becomes uneven and less responsive, and the piano’s tone loses dynamic range. Squeaks and rattles may develop. Routine maintenance such as hammer filing, regulation, voicing and tuning will correct these problems and maintain the piano in like-new condition. Also, after extended or very heavy use, Action parts become severely worn. Leather and felt wear thin. Keys become wobbly, hammer felt gets too thin to produce good tone, and the Action becomes noisy. Regulation adjustments reach their limit. In addition, piano strings may begin breaking and the copper windings of bass strings lose resonance.
