Tim Hendy, Official Piano Technician to the Hampton Court Palace Festival, seen here tuning for the Buena Vista Social Club.
Tuning for home, concert and studio
First-class piano tuning service is offered at competitive rates. I am absolutely reliable, punctual and pleasant, and pride myself on the quality of my work and my problem-solving abilities; I can often effect minor repairs on-site (string replacement, pedal repairs, sticking keys, etc) which might normally be considered workshop jobs.
I trained at Steinway & Sons (1978-1984), during which time I worked for a number of top concert-artists, and serviced pianos at BBC studios throughout London. I have also worked at the Royal Albert Hall and the South Bank. Freelance for the last fifteen years, I now service instruments at the Royal College of Music and Kingston University as well as many other private, professional and institutional clients. This year I was the official piano technician for the Hampton Court Palace Festival. I have been a member of the Pianoforte Tuners' Association since 1993.
Contact Tim Hendy
Tel +44 (0)20 8391 1512 Mobile +44 (0)7976 210140
Email hendytim@hotmail.com
Vane Cottage
435 Hook Rd
Chessington
Surrey KT9 1EL
A Bechstein frame in Tim Hendy's workshop, nearing completion of full restoration to ‘as new’ condition.
Restoration
I offer full reconditioning of grand and upright pianos, including french polishing, re-stringing, re-felting, and the highest standard of regulation and intonation. I adhere to strict quality control standards, with competitive prices and accurate delivery schedules.
I restore instruments on-site in London, and am glad for clients to visit me during the process. I also offer grand pianos for sale which have been professionally restored by specialist workshops abroad, and can arrange for your instrument to be restored by this method. I pare costs to a minimum due to the cottage-industry nature of my set up, and the benefit of several decades' experience in all aspects of piano work.
As an example of my quick turnaround of high-quality full restoration, I can state that it currently takes me approximately only six weeks from receiving an instrument, to returning it in a pristine fully-reconditioned state, including full re-polishing.
Piano restoration can take several forms, depending on the type of instrument, its condition, age, make and the requirements of the customer. Equal importance is attached to each situation: the needs of a youngster aspiring to be a better musician are as great as those of the musician who needs her Steinway tweaked for responsiveness and tone.
I am therefore attuned to the needs of piano customers — from getting a tired old upright to function well enough for a beginner's requirements, to the fine-tuning and intonation necessary to give concert pianos that all-important 'lift', prior to a concert or studio recording.
My reconditioning skills have been finely honed in workshops here and abroad, from my training at Steinway & Sons in London, to my recent engagement as official tuner to the Hampton Court Palace Festival.
Recent restoration projects include two magnificent concert grand pianos which you can see here:
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