Steve is our lifelong Master Piano Craftsman.
For over 40 years, Steve has been the trusted piano expert serving musicians, families, and institutions throughout Missouri, Kansas, and the Kansas City metro area. His passion for pianos combines the precision of a master technician with the heart of a true musician.
As both a highly skilled piano technician, performer, and experienced parent, Steve understands what matters most: the pure, resonant sound of a perfectly maintained piano. He knows that young musicians deserve instruments that inspire excellence, while seasoned players require the reliability that only expert care can provide. Steve treats every piano—and every client—like family.
The All Keyed Up Piano Shop Story
Founded in 2018, All Keyed Up Piano Shop began when Steve acquired an exceptional collection of vintage and refurbished pianos. What started as a curated inventory has evolved into Kansas City’s premier full-service piano destination, where old-world craftsmanship meets modern expertise.
Complete Piano Solutions Under One Roof
Today, Steve and his team provide over 150 years of combined expertise in:
From concert halls to family living rooms, professional studios to music schools, our clients trust us because we understand that neglect is a piano’s greatest enemy. That’s why we’re committed to keeping your instrument performing at its absolute best.
Your Piano Deserves Expert Care
Whether you’re searching for the perfect piano or need skilled restoration services, Steve’s four-decade reputation speaks for itself. Concert pianists, music educators, and families throughout the Midwest rely on All Keyed Up Piano Shop for one simple reason: we deliver quality pianos and service at reasonable rates.
All keyed Up Piano Shop –
Your piano. Our passion. Perfect harmony.
At All Keyed Up, we don’t just sell used pianos; we curate instruments for their next lifetime. Every piano in our showroom undergoes a rigorous 52-point evaluation before it earns its place on our floor. We start by looking at the physical and aesthetic aspects of the piano. Then we move more into the sounds, the structural integrity, and then to the inner workings.
Looks, Styling and Finish
1)How does it look?
2)Check the cabinet. Are there any missing and/or broken parts or hardware?
3)Check for loose veneer and/or signs of moisture damage.
4)The piano should have its matching bench, preferably in good condition.
Pin block and tuning
5)The piano’s pitch should be near A-440, and relatively in tune.
6)How tight are the tuning pins? Badly out-of-tune unisons (same string, one note) in most cases can indicate a potential possible issue with the pin torque.
7)The tuning pins should be uniform. Check if there are any tuning pin replacements or shims, especially on pianos older than 40-50 years, since bad pin blocks do happen.
8)Make sure the tuning pin coils and the pin block (level with the plate) have at least 1/8 inch of clearance, above the plate.
9)Beware of pin blocks where chemicals have been applied to tighten the pins. You will know this because you’ll see a messy, dark brown (or grey or black) sticky stain on the plate or pin block, around the bottom of the tuning pins.
10)Check the pin block for signs of cracks and delaminating. This is possible on grand pianos when you remove the fallboard (which covers the keys). Check the underside of the pin block.
Strings
11)Rusty strings? It’s ok for strings to be lightly rusted or tarnished, but never excessive rust, since it can cause breakage during tuning – ESPECIALLY if the piano has not been tuned regularly by its previous owners.
12)Keep an eye on the string coils and at the bearing points. Check for missing strings.
13)Excessive amount of new strings (looking “shiny” vs. “dull”), as well as lots of string splicing repairs, among a set of older strings, means that wires might be more susceptible to breakage.
14)Check if the bass notes produce a clear and rich sound. Or, do they sound “tubby” and flat when played?
Bridges
15)For the bridges, the most common issues are in the bass bridges.
16)It is common for bridge pins to sustain very small, hairline-like cracks.
17)If you see the piano has cracks in the bridges, the bridge pins have the potential to become dislocated, which can harm the necessary side bearing for proper resonance. This means you will either need to have the bridge repaired, or get a new bridge or bridge cap replacement. These repairs can possibly equal or exceed the fair market value of the used piano itself.
18)If a bass bridge has come unglued and shifted in the direction of the side bearing, this can cause a much weaker tone in this range.
19)Check if the treble bridge shows any signs of cracks.
20)Make sure that all bearing points anchored in wood have no cracks.
Soundboard and ribs
21)Check if the sound board is still in good condition by playing ALL the keys from one end to the other. Check if the tones are even. No buzzes or unnecessary/non-musical noises should come from the piano. These noises are signs of issues that should be investigated and diagnosed.
22)The soundboard shouldn’t have excessive cracks. Pay attention to soundboards that have not been repaired as well.
23)Wooden shims in cracks indicate that the soundboard has previously been repaired. See if there are any new cracks alongside the wooden shim material.
24)Make sure that the soundboard is properly installed and glued around the perimeter.
25)Inspect the ribs. Are there any ribs cracking or separating?
26)Do a pluck test to check the soundboard’s condition.
Slowly press a key in the octave that starts above middle C (where the critical melody range begins). Hold the key down to elevate its damper. Pluck one of the three strings on the note of your choice. The sound should slightly crescendo right after you do this, settling down slowly, as the string vibrates. The note should remain audible for at least five seconds to indicate the sound board is functioning properly. Less than this amount of time indicates the soundboard may have a problem.
27)The soundboard’s crown (slight curve) should be visible. Any crown is better than none.
Structural Integrity
28)DO NOT LIFT ANY LID ON ANY PIANO before checking for any (1) missing hinges or hinge pins (2) signs of cracking around the hinges.
29)A cracked plate is very rare. Check the struts and the tuning pin areas to see if they are free from any damage. Repairing a cracked plate is very expensive, and usually, is not guaranteed by piano rebuilders.
30)Look for separations or delaminations in the bottom part of the rim (grand pianos). Check for any cracks or delaminations between the top horizontal beam on a vertical piano and the pin block.
31)Make sure the piano does not rock. Check the legs for cracks and make sure the case/cabinet still has structural integrity.
32)Check to make sure no casters (wheels) are missing.
Keys, Action, Hammers, Dampers, and Regulation
33)Check if all the keys play. If not, investigate and diagnose causes and solutions. Also check for missing, broken, or unattached parts.
34)Check the piano’s interior to see if the spacing and alignment of parts are parallel with one another.
35)Beware of any pre-1960 piano if any action parts are made of plastic. Choose those with parts replaced of post-1960 manufactured materials.
36)Make sure the piano is free from moth damage, especially the hammers, dampers, and other felt parts.
37)For vertical pianos, see that bridle straps are not missing, broken, or brittle.
38)Check if the keys are inactive, sluggish, or sticking.
39)Take note of what type of key-tops are used. Are they ivory or plastic? Also, check for damaged, missing, unglued, or chipped keytops.
40)Check if the keys are moving excessively to the right or left (key bushings). Are the keys noisy, or do they “knock” excessively, when played? From the front and top angles, are the keys evenly spaced and squared?
41)Check the hammers for grooves, the amount of remaining felt, and the correct number of string dents. Misplaced or unclear string dents on hammers can indicate any combination of loose screws, flanges, or hammers. These issues can cause a clicking noise when played.
42)Do the dampers work properly? Or do notes continue to ring after a key is pressed? Notes should “cut off” evenly and cleanly when played in a staccato fashion.
43)Look at the dampers. Then press the sustain pedal. Do the dampers move together and lift evenly, all at once?
44)The hammers should move simultaneously when the soft pedal (normally the one to the far left) is pressed.
45)Play a few keys in the bass, treble, and high treble as softly as possible. If the keys cannot play evenly at soft dynamic levels (e.g. misses, skips, doesn’t play ‘on time’), the action probably needs to be regulated.
46)Play one key at a time, very rapidly (using alternating hands), while depressing the right pedal; then without the right pedal, to check the keys’ repetition.
Pedals
47)Check the dampers, when pressing the sustain pedal (see #43 & #44 above).
48)A sostenuto pedal (the middle pedal), on a vertical piano indicates a piano of excellent quality. But, if the middle pedal does not activate a sostenuto on a grand piano, then the piano may be a lower-quality instrument.
Test the sostenuto by pressing the right pedal to elevate the dampers. Next depress the middle pedal. Let it stay depressed while releasing the right pedal. If the dampers all remain raised, this indicates a functioning sostenuto pedal.
49)The left pedal moves the hammers closer to the strings (vertical pianos only). Grand pianos will shift the keyboard (una corda). If the left pedal on a grand piano lifts the bass dampers, this is a sign of a lower-quality instrument.
50)Pedal lyre. Grands only: Is the pedal lyre coming apart from the top or bottom? Glue joints intact? Lyre braces in place, attached securely to the piano underneath? Does the lyre feel firmly in place (secure) when the pedals are pressed?
Other Critical Information
51)Know the piano’s history? See any maintenance records? Technician’s name & contact information?
52)Serial number/its age? Has it been painted over or sanded out, indicating a less-than-mediocre rebuilding job?
10-Year Guaranteed Serviceable Warranty
Every piano we sell is backed by our exclusive 10-Year Guaranteed Serviceable Warranty. This means that if there is any structural issue that prevents the piano from staying in tune and/or performing as it was designed, we will cheerfully exchange the piano for another of the same price, at no cost to you.
