After serving an apprenticeship under Stanley Shaw (owner of Shaw Music stores), Allen “Smokey” Burd founded his own piano tuning business in Jefferson City in 1964.
Smokey went on to train his son Ronnie Burd, Terry Keeney, and his grandson Joe Kemple. In addition he mentored numerous piano tuners in South Korea, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Liberia.
Ron, a 2nd generation piano tuner, assisted Smokey in piano repairs part-time for many years.
Terry became Smokey’s competitor and remained a life-long friend.
Joe worked alongside his grandfather Smokey for over a decade, absorbing as much knowledge as he could.
I began working with my grandfather Smokey Burd at age 18, and am now enjoying my 38th year as a piano tuner.
Master Piano Technician: Inducted into the Master Piano Technicians of America in 2015.
Member of the Piano Technicians Guild
Institutional Legacy: Served as the on-staff piano technician for Truman State University, managing their entire inventory of performance grand pianos and student practice pianos
Dealer & Concert Background: Provided technical prep and concert service for two regional Steinway & Sons dealers, as well as serving as the technician for the largest music store in Norway.
Factory Certifications: Certified by Yamaha, QRS, and PianoDisc. Certified installer for Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver humidity control systems.
At Truman State, I mentored Dustin Hamilton, who has since become a well-respected technician, and who is the current piano technician at T.S.U.
While our family’s piano service tradition in Missouri dates back to my grandfather in 1964, Burd and Sons was officially established in 1988.
Today, I am proud to carry that history forward alongside my oldest sons, Ike and Riley, who are working in the shop as the fourth generation of technicians serving our neighbors throughout St. Louis and the Midwest.
“I treat every piano as if it were my own. Whether it’s a century-old family heirloom or a professional’s studio workhorse, my goal is simply to make it a joy for you to play.” — Joe Kemple, Master Piano Technician
Our logo was inspired by another family business, Burdland Records.
Burdland Records produced several albums in the 1960’s for various Missouri-based artists.
The logo for Burdland Records was designed by Smokey Burd.
Note: The fastest way to reach me is via text. Because I am focused on precise tuning in quiet environments, I can respond to text messages much faster than voice calls or emails
Text [314-236-7841] Missouri
Text [414-667-7677] Wisconsin
Phone & Text Support (Office Hours):
Monday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
In-Home & Institutional Tuning: > Monday – Friday: By Appointment
