Moving a Fazioli piano: why the most expensive pianos need specialist care

Fazioli produces under 150 instruments a year from the factory in Sacile, in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy. Every piano that leaves the building has been individually voiced, regulated and played in by a member of the Fazioli team before it goes anywhere. That level of individual attention is part of what places Fazioli among the most valuable production pianos in the world, and it is also what makes moving one a job that a specialist crew approaches differently from the start. For an immediate price on moving your Fazioli, go to book.pianospeed.com. If you want to talk through the method for your specific model first, call 020 7164 0000.

Why Fazioli pianos cost what they cost

Paolo Fazioli started the company in 1981 after careers in both engineering and piano performance, and the design choices that define a Fazioli reflect both disciplines. The soundboards across the range are made from spruce grown in the Val di Fiemme in the Italian Dolomites, the same forest from which luthiers in the seventeenth century sourced tonewood for string instruments. The Fazioli team selects each piece individually for density, grain spacing and acoustic properties. This is not a standard specification: it is a deliberate choice that adds time and cost to production but produces soundboards with particular acoustic characteristics.

The construction of each instrument proceeds slowly and with intensive individual attention at each stage. The glue joints, the case work, the action fitting, the stringing and the regulation are all carried out by individual craftspeople, and the piano does not move to the next stage until the current one meets the factory standard. The result is an instrument where the regulation is specific to that piano and not simply within a tolerance band, but set to the precise response of each individual note.

The fourth pedal and why it matters for moving

Most Fazioli models include a fourth pedal, the sostenuto being the standard third pedal and an additional soft pedal mechanism to the left. The fourth pedal on a Fazioli operates a different mechanism to the standard una corda: it brings the hammer rail closer to the strings by a smaller increment, producing a gradation of soft that sits between the full una corda and normal touch. The fourth pedal mechanism is connected to the action through its own rod and pivot assembly, which sits alongside the standard pedal rods in the lyre. When the lyre is unbolted before a move, each rod needs to be supported and kept clear of contact with the sides of the lyre housing. A rod that is bent even slightly through careless handling of the lyre can affect the pedal response in a way that requires workshop attention to correct.

When you contact the booking team about a Fazioli, tell them whether the instrument has four pedals or three. Not every Fazioli model in every configuration uses the fourth pedal, and knowing the configuration in advance allows the crew to discuss the lyre handling procedure with the site lead before the job.

Individually fitted legs: a detail that changes the reassembly

The legs of a Fazioli grand are made for that specific instrument and are not interchangeable with legs from other pianos of the same model. The fitting tolerances at the threaded inserts are set at the factory for that body, and a leg from a different instrument will not achieve the same fit. Before the legs come off at the collection point, each one should be identified by its position: bass side, treble side, and keyboard end. Keeping each leg with a label or a strip of tape showing its position, and stowing all three together in the padded bag through the transit, takes a few minutes at the start and prevents any uncertainty at the destination.

The crew notes the leg positions as a matter of course when handling a premium instrument, but as the owner you can contribute by confirming that no legs have been swapped since the piano was delivered new. If the instrument has been serviced and the legs have been removed before by a different provider, it is worth letting the booking team know so that the reassembly is checked against the factory configuration rather than assumed.

Case finishes and transit covers

Fazioli cases are finished to a very high polish across the range. The lacquer on a Fazioli is applied and flatted by hand through multiple stages, and the depth and evenness of the finish is visible when you stand at the instrument. Transit covers placed against this surface need to be in genuinely good condition before they contact the case: a cover with a worn or stiff fold, or one that has grit or debris in the inner lining, can leave a mark on a polished finish that is visible and disappointing on delivery. Before any cover goes near the case, the crew checks it lies flat with nothing in the lining.

Fazioli instruments are available in finishes other than polished ebony, including veneered cases in various woods and special order finishes. If your Fazioli has a veneer finish or a non-standard case, mention it when you book. Different case materials behave differently under a cover and the crew notes any finishing detail before it wraps the instrument.

The insurance and documentation case

A Fazioli that is moving should be covered under its current insurance policy during transit. Before the move, check that your policy covers the instrument while it is in the hands of a specialist moving company and not just while it is stationary in your property. Some specialist musical instrument policies name conditions about how the instrument is transported: a padded specialist vehicle and a trained piano crew, as opposed to a general removals van. Confirming that the cover is in place and that it reflects the transit method before the move starts is straightforward and worth doing.

Fazioli instruments can come with a factory passport or a dealer registration document recording the serial number, the model, the date of manufacture and the original configuration. If the instrument has this documentation, keeping it safely away from the piano during transit, rather than inside the fallboard or the storage space under the keyboard, is the right approach. The documentation is not needed on the day of the move but it is worth knowing where it is when the piano is settled in its new position.

Photographing the condition before the move

Before the transit covers go on, take photographs of the case, the legs, the lyre, the pedal cluster and the top of the instrument. Photograph from multiple angles so that any existing surface marks are on record. The PianoSpeed crew carries out a condition check at collection as standard and documents anything already present before the instrument is wrapped. The owner having their own photographs taken at the same time provides a second reference that is independent of the crew record and is useful for any insurance purpose if something is noticed at the destination.

Fazioli instruments are sometimes moved as part of estate administration, after a house purchase, or following a change in where a professional musician is based. In each case the circumstances of the move mean the instrument may not have been used recently and the current condition may not be fully known. Condition documentation before the move is particularly useful in these circumstances.

Stairs and access for a Fazioli grand

Stairs are chargeable for a Fazioli as they are for any piano. The charge is calculated automatically at book.pianospeed.com when you enter the stair details: the number of steps, the staircase width, whether there is a half-landing and the ceiling height at the top of the flight. The price is fixed before you confirm, so the stair charge is not an unknown.

For the larger models, from the F228 upwards, a staircase assessment before the day is advisable. At these lengths the method for navigating a half-landing or a tight turn at the top of a staircase needs to be established in advance: the dimensions of the staircase and any landing need to be measured and confirmed, not estimated on the morning of the move. For the F308, the longest production grand at 308 centimetres, the access discussion is the same as for a full concert instrument. The access is assessed and the price is fixed before the day.

Where stairs are not a workable route, the alternative is a crane lift. The piano is rigged and raised externally through a window opening or over a balcony. The method is confirmed in advance so there are no decisions to make on the morning of the move. Describe the access at both ends accurately when you book.

After the move: settling and regulation

A Fazioli in a new room needs time before a tuning will hold reliably. The wooden components of the case and the action adjust to the temperature and humidity of the new space over a period of two to four weeks. Booking the first tuning appointment before that adjustment is complete tends to result in the pitch drifting again before the next visit.

The factory regulation on a Fazioli is specific to each instrument. After a significant move, particularly one involving a long distance or a change in storage or heating environment, the regulation benefits from a check by a technician who knows Fazioli instruments. This is a separate consideration from the standard tuning: the regulation is the mechanical adjustment of the action, and the pitch is the tuning of the strings, and they are checked independently. A technician familiar with Fazioli instruments will assess whether the regulation has shifted and what adjustment, if any, is needed after the instrument has settled.

For a fixed price on moving your Fazioli, go to book.pianospeed.com and describe the model, the access at the collection address and the access at the delivery address accurately. Piano moves start from £125. You can also call 020 7164 0000. PianoSpeed is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 77 reviews, all from real piano moves across London, Surrey and the UK. PianoSpeed London Limited, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ.