Hartzler Pianos

My home studio is located in a farmhouse that was built in 1875. From the mortise and tenon joinery, hand carved walnut trim, to wide plank ash floors, the creative energy imbued in the wood of this house has always been an inspiration to me.

These flourishes of craftsmanship provide the perfect setting for my hand-crafted instruments. Here pianists can enjoy making music in a relaxed setting with instruments that offer impeccable performance.




The Work Shop   Tuning

The Workshop

The workshop is where pianos have their voices returned to musical life. It serves as a place of direction and focus, providing opportunity for problem solving and creation that are the hallmarks of the restoration process. High ceilings promote free flow of ideas, and abundant natural light keeps things real and close to nature. It is situated adjacent to our home amid forest and gardens. The natural beauty of the setting is a deep source of inspiration for my piano work.



  

Piano Tuning

I tune aurally. Electronic tuning devices have their place in the world, but I feel it is important to remember that high quality piano work is guided by the ear, not the eye. The old-school aural tuning process involves listening and discovery as each note is given its proper musical place in the scale. This “listening with ears open” approach allows for a great tuning and enables me to further refine the piano’s tone.
Tone Design & Performance   Action Design

Tone Design & Performance

Every piano has a sweet spot where power, clarity, and sustain all live in harmony; this is a position of strength that allows the pianist to be comfortable and creative in performance. It is my job to keep my clients in this envelope, allowing music to emerge with expressive beauty.

The tonal system of the piano is a chaotic one at heart, with different parts of the tone often marching to their own muse. For instance, I am always negotiating between power and clarity, and I am in constant dialogue with exuberant noise in the tone to keep things exciting but still beautiful. Balancing these disparate elements to produce a great musical experience is the most rewarding aspect of piano work. work. 		 

Action Design

Very few things in this world are as lovely as sitting down to a piano whose action is well-executed. The quality action stands with athletic poise, ready to respond with speed, agility, and grace. In contrast recall your choice of nightmare instrument, where entire dynamic ranges are out of reach and the pianist feels always at the very edge of control. Music made under these conditions can be hard-fought.

My approach to action service and rebuilding stresses the ideas of control and clarity. I design actions to carefully balance touchweight, inertia, and friction to produce a custom action execution that matches both the instrument’s character and the preference of the pianist. With these parts in proper proportion, the piano action freely connects musicians with both the instrument and the music.

Grand Piano Restoration