Moving a Yamaha grand piano: what to tell the specialist

The most useful thing you can tell a specialist piano mover when booking a Yamaha grand is the model name. Yamaha produces grands from the GB1K, a 151 cm baby grand, through to the CFX concert grand at 275 cm, and the weight difference between the smallest and the largest is close to 200 kilograms. Crew size, method and the time needed all depend on which instrument is being moved, and a model name lets the booking team plan accurately. For a fixed price on moving your Yamaha, go to book.pianospeed.com and enter the model and access details. The quote is instant and the price is fixed before you confirm.

If you are not certain of the model, the length is the next best piece of information. Measure from the straight side of the case to the curved tail end, with the lid closed. Most home Yamahas fall in the C1X (161 cm), C2X (170 cm) or C3X (186 cm) range. You can also call 020 7164 0000 and the team will help narrow it down.

The Yamaha grand range and why the model matters

Yamaha produces a wide range of grands across several series. The baby grand series at the smaller end includes the GB1K and GC1 at 151 cm, commonly found in homes where a full-size grand would not fit. The CX series, which runs from the C1X to the C7X, covers the range from 161 cm up to 227 cm. The SX series, the S3X, S6X and S7X, is the conservatoire-quality range. Above those sit the CF4 and CF6, and at the top the CFX, which is the instrument Yamaha supplies for major piano competitions.

The weights across this range matter for a move. A GB1K is around 269 kilograms with the legs and lyre attached. A C3X is around 330 kilograms. A C7X is around 432 kilograms. The CFX is around 470 kilograms. These differences are not trivial. A two-person crew that handles a GB1K comfortably will need additional resource for a C7X, particularly on stairs. When you enter the model at book.pianospeed.com, the crew size is calculated based on the actual weight.

The finish and what it means for transit covers

Polished ebony is the most common finish on a Yamaha grand, but the range includes satin black, white polyester, walnut, cherry and mahogany. The finish determines how the crew lays the transit covers against the case.

A polished ebony or polished white Yamaha has a high-gloss surface that shows any mark left by a cover that bunches or creases. Specialist piano transit covers are thick and fitted, designed to lie flat without pressure points against the case. PianoSpeed uses triple-thickness fitted transit covers on all grands. The crew checks that the cover sits smoothly before the instrument is moved. On a satin finish, the risk of visible marks from contact is lower, but the same care with the cover placement applies.

Tell the specialist the finish when you book. If the piano is white, mention it. White polyester grands are less forgiving of grime or rubber contact during a move than a black instrument would be, and the crew knows to handle the cover placement with that in mind.

Access: what the crew needs to know at both ends

The access information is as important as the model. The crew needs to know the situation at the collection address and the delivery address.

• Whether there are stairs at either end, and if so, how many steps, the width of the staircase, and whether there is a half-landing with a turn.
• Whether there is a passenger lift, and if so, the internal dimensions and the door width.
• The width of any doorways the piano will need to pass through, including hall doors and the door to the room where the piano will be placed.
• The ceiling height at the top of any staircase, because the nose of a grand on a skid board can catch a low ceiling as the crew turns.
• Whether the piano will be positioned near a window, chimney breast or in a bay, where the space to manoeuvre after delivery can be tight.

Stairs are chargeable. The stair charge is calculated automatically at book.pianospeed.com when you enter the access details. There are no adjustments on the day when the access details are entered accurately at the time of booking. Where a staircase is too narrow or a ceiling too low to move a grand safely on the staircase, the alternative is a crane lift: the piano is rigged and raised externally through a window or over a balcony. Where that is the right method, it is confirmed before the day and the price includes it.

What the specialist does when moving a Yamaha grand

At the collection address, the crew works through a specific sequence. The lid is closed and the fallboard is secured over the keys. The music desk is lifted out and padded separately, as it is easily damaged if left in place during the move. The three legs are removed in a deliberate order: the two side legs come off first, then the single leg at the keyboard end, which is removed last because the body needs both side legs for support before that leg comes away. Removing the keyboard-end leg before the side legs causes the body to tip forward without warning.

The pedal lyre is unbolted with care. The rods that connect the pedals to the action mechanism pass through the lyre and attach at points that are vulnerable to lateral stress if the lyre is pulled off rather than supported as it is removed. The lyre and legs each go into padded individual bags and are stowed separately in the van or crate.

With the legs and lyre off, the body goes onto a padded grand skid board and travels on its straight side, bass end down, keyboard end up. The fitted transit cover goes on next, checked to lie flat against the case. The instrument is then secured in the vehicle for the journey.

At the destination, the crew checks the route before anything comes off the vehicle. For a grand, the orientation of the case on the skid board determines how it enters a room and how it tips up when the legs are reattached. This needs to be thought through before the body comes through the door, especially in rooms with a bay, a chimney breast or limited turning space. The legs go back in reverse order and the lyre is reattached once the body is stable.

Settling and tuning after the move

Every grand piano needs time to settle in a new location before a tuning will hold reliably. For a Yamaha grand, most piano technicians recommend waiting two to four weeks. During that period, the soundboard, bridges and pin block adjust to the temperature and humidity of the new room.

Yamaha grands are built to consistent tolerances and are generally considered stable for their size, but the settling period still matters. If the piano is moving from a significantly different climate, from a northern property with little central heating to a warmer London flat, from storage, or from a room where the humidity has been kept artificially high, the adjustment takes longer.

When you book the tuner, tell them the piano has recently moved. A technician who knows the instrument has just arrived can assess whether the action regulation needs attention as well as the pitch, which is useful on an older CX or SX series instrument that has not been recently serviced.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to tell you the Yamaha model before booking?

It helps significantly. The model determines the weight, which determines the crew size. If you do not know the model, giving the length of the piano from its straight side to the curved tail end is the next best information. You can also describe it as a baby grand, a mid-size grand or a full-size grand and the booking team will confirm the details.

Does the colour of my Yamaha grand change the price?

The colour does not change the price, but it does affect how the crew handles the transit covers. White and high-polish finishes need covers placed with particular care. Mention the finish when you book so the crew can prepare accordingly.

Can a Yamaha C3X go up a standard London staircase?

A C3X can be moved on many London staircases, but the staircase width, the height at the top of the flight and any half-landing turns need to be assessed first. Enter the access details accurately at book.pianospeed.com and the booking team will confirm the method. Where a staircase is not suitable, a crane lift is the alternative and the price for it is fixed before the day.

My Yamaha is a school instrument that has not been played for years. Does that change anything?

Not for the move itself. The method is the same regardless of the condition or playing history of the instrument. After the move, it is worth having a piano technician assess the instrument before tuning, because a piano that has stood unplayed in an institutional environment for a long period often needs more than a standard tuning appointment to bring it back to a playable condition.

How do I know if my Yamaha grand needs two crew or three?

The booking system calculates the crew size based on the model and access. Larger instruments and access involving stairs or a crane lift will require more crew. You do not need to work this out yourself. Enter the model and access details at book.pianospeed.com and the system does the calculation.

For a fixed price on moving your Yamaha grand, go to book.pianospeed.com and enter the model, the finish and the access details at both ends. 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.