Meet Our Technicians
Our professional piano technicians have experience, provide excellent service, and are committed to continued education.
Brent Witten | Piano Technician
“The thing I enjoy the most about this career is the opportunity I have to meet such a diverse clientele who share a love for playing the piano. I am glad I can help make their piano sound and play it’s best so they can truly enjoy making music.”
Experienced Piano Technician
Brent's love for the piano began at age 9 when he started taking lessons in his hometown of Lawrenceburg, KY. By age 10, he was playing piano in church, and by 12, he was accompanying his middle school choir. He went on to serve as accompanist for his high school choir and, in 1988, auditioned and earned a spot in the Kentucky All-State Chorus as a bass singer.
Brent attended the University of Kentucky on a music scholarship, where he accompanied numerous student instrumentalists and vocalists. During this time, he also worked as a salesman and piano teacher at Stonecipher's Baldwin & Yamaha Piano Store in Lexington, gaining extensive knowledge of the piano industry and building relationships with skilled piano technicians throughout the region. He also served as organist for two local churches over a period of nine years.
As an accomplished musician, Brent understood from experience how a finely maintained instrument should sound and feel — and that passion drew him to piano technology. In 1997, he began his training through an apprenticeship with Ron Sharp, R.P.T., who started him off the right way: by having him fully disassemble an old Beckwith upright piano and put it back together. In 1998, Brent took on the care of Campbellsville University's School of Music fleet of 33 pianos, and continued his education there, earning both a B.A. and M.A. in Music.
In 2014, Brent joined The Piano Shop, serving clients throughout Southern Indiana and Central Kentucky. Over his career, he has tuned and serviced everything from small vertical pianos to concert grands for manufacturers including Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai, Baldwin, Seiler, Schimmel, and Petrof. He has been privileged to tune for major venues across the region, including the University of Louisville, Indiana University Southeast, Centre College, the KFC Yum! Center, and the Lexington Philharmonic, as well as numerous churches and schools.
Brent brings his decades of experience to the Vanguard Piano Service team. He looks forward to reconnecting with longtime customers and developing relationships with new ones, and is committed to making every piano sound and feel its very best for your musical enjoyment.
“Brent came today and was extremely knowledgeable in tuning our piano. Not only is he pitch perfect; he was able to proceed even though the room was somewhat disorganized. I allowed no noise to be present and listened while he did his work excellently!”
—Elizabeth P. via Google
James Stinebaker | Piano Technician
“My favorite thing about this career is the opportunity to meet so many different musicians from all walks of life, and helping them get the very best out of their instruments- whether it’s a spinet or a concert grand. Its a real passion of mine. ”
Professional Piano Technician
James grew up in St. Louis County and has spent his career serving clients throughout the greater St. Louis region, recently expanding his work into Louisville, Kentucky. A lifelong musician and music producer, he has spent his life embracing a wide range of musical talents and developing a deep affinity for music and instruments of all kinds — ultimately finding his calling in the tuning and repair of acoustic pianos.
His background as a working musician has been a defining asset in his technical work, lending him a discerning ear and keen musical intuition that he brings to every instrument he services. A proud member of the Piano Technicians Guild, James is currently preparing to sit for the Registered Piano Technician (RPT) examinations in 2026 — a rigorous credential that reflects a high standard of skill and professionalism in the field. He continues to grow through team trainings, Guild resources, and professional development opportunities as he advances in his craft.
James joined the Vanguard Piano Service team in February 2026 and has been an enthusiastic presence in the Louisville community ever since — exploring the city's rich musical culture and building the kind of lasting client relationships that have always been at the heart of his work. Louisville piano owners will recognize James as the technician now proudly serving clients formerly cared for by Matt Grossman and The Piano Shop. Matt's commitment to quality and his clients' trust in that standard are things James takes seriously, and strives to honor with every visit.
Whether you're a longtime piano owner or new to the instrument, James is dedicated to bringing out the best possible sound in your piano — and putting a smile on your face in the process.
“Fantastic professional work by these tuners in their diagnosis of low humidity, causing issues with our piano and its tuning problems. Responsive and friendly. Really happy with their maintenance of our pianos.”
—Sarah J. via Google
Ty Uphoff | RPT
“While a passion for music and for sharing music is arguably not necessary for fine work on a piano, I couldn’t imagine doing this without it.”
Concert Technician
Ty Uphoff began his technical training at age 16 and has spent over two decades servicing thousands of instruments across multiple states. As the founder of Vanguard Piano Service, Ty focuses his work in Louisville on the region's most demanding environments — concert preparation, institutional care, and the specialized needs of high-end instruments.
Ty is one of the area's leading experts in player piano technology, including PianoDisc systems and the Steinway Spirio, the world's finest high-resolution player piano. Whether preparing a concert grand for a professional performance or optimizing a Spirio for an audiophile-level listening experience, Ty brings the technical precision and musical sensitivity these instruments require.
A pianist himself, Ty understands what the most discerning players expect from their instruments. That musical perspective — the ability to hear and speak the language of serious performers — is at the core of his approach to concert-level preparation and high-end service work.
Ty is a Registered Piano Technician of the Piano Technicians Guild, a credential achieved by fewer than ten active technicians locally and fewer than 2,500 piano technicians worldwide. He began his training through a one-on-one apprenticeship and has continued his education through the Guild's technical programs, annual international conventions, major manufacturer training, and ongoing webinars with industry leaders. His commitment to advancing his craft is as strong today as when he first started.
“Since having work done by Ty Uphoff on my two grand pianos, I have fallen in love with them all over again. He has worked his magic, and they sound sweeter than ever. Thank you!”
— Alice W. via Google
Because, it matters.
Punctuality
We value your time and will make every effort to arrive for our scheduled appointment on time and efficiently complete the scheduled work.
Bonded and Insured
Often overlooked, when working on instruments whose value can exceed $100,000 it is vital the technician be bonded and insured.
What is it like to work with us?
“Friendly, cheerful, got down to business and gave good suggestions for care.”
“We’ve had Vanguard out twice. He was very professional, showed up on time. He also was very knowledgable about our piano and how to care for it. I’d recommend”
“Vanguard Piano Service is absolutely the best. My tuner, Ty, is highly skilled and professional. I use him on a yearly basis to keep my grand piano in perfect condition especially with Missouri’s changing weather patterns. It is easily to schedule and you get email reminders that help as well. They are truly a “class act”!”