Caleb Crockett, Piano Tuner

From humble origins tuning up Yamaha P22’s in university practice rooms, to demanding high-end tuning at recording studios and concert halls on Steinway, Bösendorfer, and Fazioli pianos, Caleb Crockett has been there. He has years of direct experience in several areas of the piano business including restoration, retail sales, dealer prep work on new and used pianos, and as a piano mover! Caleb works continuously to further his education by regularly attending local and regional Piano Technicians Guild classes and seminars, in addition to closely following the PTG Journal, service manuals, textbooks and general piano industry books.

Quick facts about Caleb:

– Caleb works closely with three separate piano dealers in the Chicagoland area.

– Caleb served as Membership Chair, Secretary, and Vice President of the Piano Technicians Guild Chicago Chapter.

– Caleb “tuned” his first piano at just 13 years old!

– Caleb is a part time professional musician, having played well over 1000 shows on various instruments.

If you have anything you would like to discuss with Caleb, please send an email to caleb@chicagopianotuners.com and he will be happy to get back with you!

Our Mission

We believe that the piano is at the center of music education and creativity. Our goal is to help you enjoy learning and creating with your piano, by doing everything we can to bring yours up to a satisfactory standard, no matter what kind of piano you have. For our new or existing clients, if your piano is beyond the point of being worth salvaging or servicing, or you have simply outgrown it, we will let you know and help you find your next piano, whether you buy new or used from a dealer, or from a private seller.

At Chicago Piano Tuners, we are your one stop source for guiding you every step of the way, on your journey with your piano.

 

About Caleb’s Tuning Method

To achieve the best possible tuning, you have to start with the best possible tools. The single most important tool in his tool case, is Caleb’s handmade Charles Faulk tuning hammer. These are one of the best piano tuning hammers available in the world, and they provide a ridiculous level of rigidity, instantaneous feedback and incredible tuning pin grip. We have used these exclusively since 2015 and haven’t looked back. 

The 2nd most important important tool in the tool case, is the Cyber Tuner app (created by Dean Reyburn). The Cyber Tuner app has been in constant development since the 90’s, and is simply the best tuning software in the world. One of the benefits of Cyber Tuner, is it allows the piano’s tension to be gradually increased from one end to the other in a way that can’t be done when tuning traditionally with a pitch fork. Another area where Cyber Tuner really shines is as a time saver during pitch adjustments, allowing for more time to address other areas of concern such as regulation and voicing. We use Cyber Tuner’s “Pure Twelfth” tuning temperament, and our clients love the sound of these tunings! We still trust our ears as the final checkpoint of course, and every tuning is checked aurally, (although we rarely end up deviating from Cyber Tuner’s original calculation). Custom and historical temperaments are also available. 

Finally, the MOST important tool of all, the human body. What good is the best tuning app and tuning hammer if you can’t hear or feel the difference? Caleb has been training his ear from an early age, first during piano lessons to recognize individual notes and chords without seeing them, and later to understand the complexities of the piano’s tone and hear all of the different ‘partials’ and to know what a well voiced piano sounds like. On top of knowing what a piano should sound like, you must also be able to move the tuning pins in a precise way to stabilize the piano in perfect tune. Caleb has worked for 20+ years developing his ability to be able to create rock solid tunings. Preventative care is also important, and Caleb uses hearing protection regularly in noisy environments, even during extended rides in the car! Piano tuning requires the full attention of the tuner, physically and mentally.

We do everything we can, so that we’re able to rise to the occasion when you ask us to tune your piano. 

South Florida Web AdvisorsCaleb Crockett, Piano Tuner