Dave at the Mason and Hamlin
At the Mason and Hamlin Factory, 1997.

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I am a registered piano technician (RPT), certified by the Piano Technician's Guild since March 2007 and continue my education from many sources. My passion for pianos continues to grow as I get more deeply involved in this art/craft. Musical tastes run the gamut from jazz and classical to ethnic, folk, pop, rock, and blues. Music is a way of life, and for many of us in this business, it is almost as necessary as eating or breathing.

As a lifelong resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve been involved with pianos since 1968, when I began taking classical lessons with a local teacher. In 1970, I continued my musical education at San Jose State University, where I was a piano performance major for several years. I began tuning pianos in 1977 while working at a local retailer, and have been in the piano business in varying capacities ever since: tuner, mover, salesman, amateur psychologist, and babysitter. I’ve been working on my own since 2000 and my list of clients has grown steadily since then, to the point where there are almost 1200 clients in my database, including many teachers, schools, churches, concert halls, and stores. Many clients have come to me through personal referrals.

My training has included personal teaching from several technicians, including Walt Jones, my original mentor, and many members of the PTG, as well as meetings, conferences, and late night phone calls, the Pianotech list, and wherever I can glean helpful tidbits. I am a graduate with honors from “The Randy Potter School of Piano Technology,” the most accredited correspondence piano technology school.

I am married to Jill Stahl who sings my songs and is my creative inspiration. I have a teenage son who has a sharp sense of humor and is an aspiring baseball player. Two cats—Monty, who often oversees my work at the computer, and Jesse, who is almost 20 years old—share our residence in the South Bay Area.

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List of Clients

Concert Tunings: Jon Nakamatsu, Taylor Eigsti, Sandra Wright Shen, Richard Stoltzman, Manhattan Transfer, Kenny G, George Winston, Harry Connick Jr., Chris Botti, Ingrid Fliter, Bruce Hornsby, Don MacLean, Judy Collins, Radiohead, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Silicon Valley Symphony Orchestra, and many others.

Many teachers, churches, schools and concert venues in the SF Bay Area. For more specific information, please contact me.

Servicing Kawai, Shigeru Kawai, Bohemia, Mason and Hamlin, Seiler, Bluthner, Charles Walter, Steinway, Yamaha, Hailun, Schulze-Pollman, Wm. Steinberg, Brodmann, Baldwin, Steingraeber, Ritmuller, Pearl River, Boston, Essex and most other brands.

Thank you note from client
Thank you note from a client.
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