Frequently Asked Questions 

Fairkey designs and builds replacement keyboards for acoustic pianos. Each keyboard is generated by software, based on measured data from the instrument and, where relevant, the player’s hands. The result is a wooden keyboard with predictable geometry, balance, and behaviour, built to integrate directly into an existing piano or a new instrument. Fairkey keyboards are not copied from existing models. They are generated to fit a specific mechanical context and intended use.

No. Smaller keyboards are one possible outcome, not the purpose of the system. Fairkey’s approach is to generate a keyboard that fits the instrument and the player. In many cases this results in a standard-width keyboard; in others, a reduced size may be appropriate. Keyboard size is treated as a parameter, not as an identity or ideology.

Yes. Fairkey regularly builds keyboards at standard width. In those cases, the benefit lies not in size reduction but in corrected geometry, improved balance, and predictable behaviour, especially in instruments where the original keyboard was compromised, worn, or poorly designed to begin with.

Traditional replacement keyboards are typically copied by hand from an existing model or pattern. A Fairkey keyboard is generated, not copied. Software models analyse the instrument’s geometry and the intended specifications before construction. This allows the behaviour of the keyboard to be known in advance, rather than adjusted afterward by trial and error.

No. Fairkey focuses specifically on keyboards. While Fairkey keyboards are often installed as part of restoration or rebuilding projects, Fairkey does not position itself as a general piano restoration workshop. The work is limited to the design, manufacture, and installation of keyboards.

Conventional approaches reproduce existing designs, including their limitations. Fairkey uses measured data and software generation to determine geometry, spacing, and proportions before construction. This allows keyboards to be adapted, corrected, or optimised for a specific instrument, rather than reproducing historical assumptions or manufacturing shortcuts.