4 December 2019 Is A Piano Ever Beyond Repair?

Is A Piano Ever Beyond Repair?

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You love your piano. It’s been in your family for generations. 

Maybe it’s just been passed down to you. You’ve made a special spot in your home for it. You picture your kids learning how to play, or maybe the family gathered around while you sing Christmas carols late into the night. 

Your grandma cared for it. Your mom maintained it the best she could. Now it’s your turn. 

But when you tap a few keys, something isn’t quite right. Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So … and there it is. A note that’s completely out of tune. 

And when you continue up the scales, you hit a note that doesn’t play at all. No sound. Even the key sticks, and needs a little tapping to make it come back up. 

The outside could use a little shining up. It’s scratched. The finish has worn off in places and is reduced to a dull color that’s almost lifeless. 

You had hopes of it taking center stage in your family room. Now you just aren’t sure. No matter how much you love your family heirloom, maybe it would be better if you invested in a new piano. Even some of the local dealers have suggested it. Is it true?

Here’s the thing. You’d be amazed at how many times some dealers tell you the only way to get a high quality piano is to purchase a new one; repairing a piano and refurbishing it back to its original condition isn’t an option. It’s too far gone, they say. 

If a dealer doesn’t also offer refurbishing, a lot of times they’ll push you towards purchasing a new piano because that’s where they make money. They have the best intentions. And to be fair, in some cases, a piano can’t be saved. If it has extensive water damage, for example, it’s probably beyond repair. 

If a piano is well loved, has been in a family for generations, and just needs a little TLC to bring it back to life, it’s possible. 

A new piano sitting on the showroom floor is going to be better than your family heirloom sitting at home, waiting for repair. It will sound better, look better, function better. 

But a piano is rarely beyond repair. With just a little work, it can be restored to all it was. If you have questions about your piano, and what it would take to repair it to create an instrument that looks and sounds brand new, let’s talk. We’re happy to give you a quote and help you discover how to save a piece of history you’ll be proud to play, and act as a caregiver to hand it down to your own kids someday.  

Filed Under: Piano Renovation, Piano Restoration Tagged With:
17 September 2019 7 Things You Should Know About Piano Restoration

7 Things You Should Know About Piano Restoration

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You’ve had your piano in your home for years. It has history. It’s been with you through many years of playing. 

But now you’re thinking about something new – something more better suited for the way you play. Should you buy a new piano? Or should you think about piano restoration? Here are a few things to consider. 

Restoration can be less expensive than new

A lot of clients who consider restoration have a piano with significant value. A Steinway piano, for example, holds its value well over time. It can be far less to work with a restoration team and replace worn out parts and refinish the exterior to look brand new. 

Restoring can add as much as 70 years of life to your piano

Pianos aren’t something that wear out quickly. If you invest in a high-quality piano, it can be with you for decades. That’s why it’s often better to restore a high-quality piano that needs a little work than to try and trade in for the same quality with a new. Restore it once, and it may be with you for life. 

Restoring can change the look

Just because you’re restoring your old piano doesn’t mean it has to stay looking the way it has in the past. One of the easiest things to change is the look. Want a high gloss finish instead of natural wood? Looking for a particular color or stain? Restoring can give you exactly what you want. 

Not all pianos are worth restoring

Some pianos are handmade, others are mass-produced. Depending on the make and model of your piano can help you determine whether it’s worth restoring. Give us a call; it’s the best way to start the process of determining the right step for you. 

The restoration process isn’t the same for every piano

A piano has thousands of parts that work in detail together. Depending on the restoration process needed will determine how long it takes to complete the project. It’s not unheard of for a start-to-finish process to take up to 6 months. 

You will have to hire a mover both ways

It’s important to get your piano to and from the restoration shop in a safe manner. That means hiring a qualified mover to ensure it’s safely delivered from one place to another. We can help you with this too. 

Restoration adds value to your piano

If you already have a high valued piano, restoring it will only increase its value. Proper restoration takes into account the brand, the parts, and restores each piece to its original condition. It reuses existing parts whenever possible. And when it’s finished, your work of art will be even more beautiful. One you’ll be proud to display for many years to come. 

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15 September 2017 Are Your Ivory Piano Keys Worth Anything?

Are Your Ivory Piano Keys Worth Anything?

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One of the most common questions we receive pertains to repair and renovation of old family heirlooms. When a piano has been around for generations, there is a greater chance they were created with ivory keys. Are ivory keys worth anything?

Since ivory is scarce, people often think they might hold value on the second-hand market. The opposite is true.

Ivory is illegal to buy and sell. Try selling ivory on eBay, for instance, and your product will be removed immediately. You can’t transport ivory overseas and in some cases even throughout the United States. So the market for selling ivory keys would be limited at best.

So what can you do with them?Are Your Ivory Piano Keys Worth Anything?

The best you can do is give them to the piano renovator as you have your piano restored.

Many times a technician will keep some ivory key tops in case they have a call for historic renovation. No two pieces of ivory are the same. When they try and match based on historical representation, they will try and find something as close to matching as possible. If they have a big enough collection of old ivories, they will have a greater chance of matching.

Before laws tightened, a set of ivory keys may have been worth thousands of dollars. If you find anyone selling or trading ivory today, you should use caution as laws are complex. Laws exist throughout the world for animal protection; dealing even with existing ivory can jeopardize the safety of those animals.

Do you have a piano with ivory keys?

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7 August 2017 6 Tips For Proper Piano Maintenance

6 Tips For Proper Piano Maintenance

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Pianos are surprisingly delicate objects, considering their size and weight. They usually become the focal point of a room, no matter how often they are played.

If you expect them to make music indefinitely, a piano needs a little bit of TLC from time to time. They aren’t the same as other pieces of furniture in your home where an occasional dusting will do the trick. Pianos have to be maintained inside and out to remain viable instruments.

The first thing most people realize is that to stay playable, a piano needs regular tuning. Most manufacturers recommend about every six months. But if they are in a stable 6 Tips For Proper Piano Maintenanceenvironment and aren’t moved, it can last for up to a year. New pianos should also be tuned more often than well-stabilized instruments. Consider the fact that a violin or guitar will be tuned every time it is played, where as the piano will only receive one or two tunings per year. If you neglect piano tunings, the piano may fall significantly in pitch and require a much more elaborate pitch raising to bring it back into tune.

While regular tuning will handle most of the maintenance issues, you should also consider having your instrument voiced occasionally. Voicing adjusts the density of the hammers. Each time a note is played, the hammers strike the piano strings, separated by small felt pieces. With each strike, these felt pieces compress and wear down. The result is a piano that slowly becomes brighter. Your piano should be voiced to your taste by a technician who understands the final quality you are looking for. It’s usually voiced as a new piano, and then again every three to five years.

As your piano ages, it will probably need regulation. Regulation is the process that a technician uses to adjust the way the keys and action operate in order to cause the hammers to hit the strings. This action repeats again and again every time the piano is played. Over time, this motion can become sloppy and difficult to play. It’ll start to feel sluggish and worn down. This is especially difficult for young children or for beginners learning how to play.

As your piano continues to age, it may reach a point where you’ll eventually have to consider rebuilding. Rebuilding includes replacing the hammers, dampers, pinblock, strings, the action, and sometimes the soundboard. This is an extensive process and can be quite expensive, depending on the instrument in question. If you’ve had the piano for many years, it’s a part of the family, it may be worth the time and effort to breathe new life into your piano. The only way to determine the condition of your piano and the possibilities rebuilding would offer is to speak with a reputable dealer who can answer your questions.

Some consideration should be given to the outside of the piano. Never use spray polish on your natural wood piano. Never use furniture polish on the black polyester finishes on many of the modern pianos. Instead, use a slightly damp soft cloth and wipe it down. You can use a non-ammonia window cleaner sprayed onto the soft cloth to keep the sheen in place.

Finally, be careful where you place your piano. Avoid placing it along outside walls where it may be impacted by extreme conditions. Avoid sunlight, drafts, heat vents, and humidity that may affect the wood and the internal workings of your piano.

What other questions do you have about maintaining your piano?

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With:
10 January 2017 Repair, Recondition, Rebuild – What’s Your Piano?

Repair, Recondition, Rebuild – What’s Your Piano?

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Looking to restore your piano? The words repair, recondition and rebuild are often used in conjunction with the process. While there is no precise definition of these jobs, some may contain elements of more than one. It’s therefore very important that you ask questions to determine the type of restoration work done on your piano or the one you are considering for purchase.Repair, Recondition, Rebuild – What’s Your Piano?

Repair usually refers to fixing broken parts, such as a broken hammer, an improperly working pedal, or a broken string. Repair may not involve upgrading the condition of the instrument, rather it fixes a specific part on the piano and brings it back into working condition.

Reconditioning involves upgrading the entire piano, but with as little replacement of parts as possible. To recondition an upright might include resurfacing the hammer felt, and twisting the strings to improve the tone. However, the term reconditioning can vary greatly between technicians. Some would consider partial replacement of hammers, strings or tuning pins to be reconditioning, while others would look at that as a partial rebuild.

Rebuilding is considered the most complete of all levels. Rebuilding means putting the piano back to “like new” condition. Restringing the piano, replacing the pinblock, as well as repairing or replacing the soundboard would all be a part of a rebuild. Replacing hammer heads, damper felts, and key bushings would also be a part of a rebuild. It could also include refinishing the wood casing.

There is crossover between the terms all the time. There is no substitute for requesting a detailed description of all work done on a piano before you except work performed.

If you are considering purchasing a rebuilt piano, the rebuilder’s experience should be one of the main deciding factors. Keep in mind that the skills required for rebuilding a soundboard may be different from those installing a new set of hammers. Mastering each skill associated with the internal workings of a piano can take years.

Many rebuilders rely on a variety of technicians to complete a job. They may contract out portions to different people that have special expertise. Collaboration is often the best way to recreate a piano’s original sound from the ground up. But make sure you know whom your are contracting work from and who will be responsible for correcting problems should they arise.

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18 November 2016 What Do Piano Tuners Do?

What Do Piano Tuners Do?

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Piano tuning may seem to be a fairly straightforward process; a tuner simply brings the piano back into tune. And if you watch any do it yourself instruction videos online, it can seem like anyone can do it. If you’re mechanically inclined, have the right tools, it should be a simple process, right? While the process may be simple, mastering it is actually quite difficult. Professional tuners spend their entire careers perfecting their skills. If you get it wrong, the outcome will be noticeable in the way your piano sounds.

Most people don’t understand the reason you tune a piano.What Do Piano Tuners Do?

Tuning a piano is a specific process of setting the tension of the strings using a special tool. They are stretched to a specific point so they will vibrate in harmony. However, tuning is never performed one key at a time. Instead, all keys are used in the process, keeping harmonious sound from all keys. If you were only to tune the pure intervals, the notes would not be the same pitch. Because you must be allowed to play in all keys and octaves, tempering is also required. Equal temperament is used to produce out of tune intervals to make sure the piano sounds right when all notes are played.

A piano tuner’s most important tool is the lever, or hammer, that acts as a key or wrench. It is a specially designed tool that fits piano pins, which are tapered and square. Using a standard socket wrench is not recommended because of the tapering, it will likely slip the tool off the pin and damage the corners. It will also be too short to control tuning and will risk loosening or damaging the pins along the way.

Most piano tuners today use tuning hardware and software to help them through the process. There are many applications available; it’s important to be able to move around as the tuning process takes place. These programs actually hear the tone being played and will automatically display how close you are to the appropriate tune. You can then tighten or loosen the string until you get the appropriate sound from the string.

With the proper tools in place, the tuner begins working on the piano one string at a time. He ensures the string is in place, and provides the proper tune for the note being played. He then continues working on the other strings in the set, which is call tuning unisons. This will set the temperament and allow tuning by octive comparison. This is a process of continuously checking the tuning of each key and using them as a reference to ensure the sound is correct.

Using an electronic tuner for all keys is not a good idea. Each string is a different length, made differently, and has altering resonant characteristics that make it unique. Pitch can be wildly off, something that might not be noticed with electronic tools, but can easily be heard by the human ear. This is where experience comes into play. This is what gives a tuner their unique approach to the process.

When was the last time your piano was tuned?

Filed Under: Buying a Piano, Piano Renovation, Piano Restoration Tagged With:
31 July 2016 Are All Piano Tuners The Same?

Are All Piano Tuners The Same?

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The piano is a complex series of wood and metal, a refined piece of machinery that is crafted to perfection. With a peak underneath the lid, you’ll find hundreds of parts all lined up ready to do their job. But it’s a work of art to make sure each piece comes together in such a way as to produce a quality sound you can’t wait to hear over and over again.Are All Piano Tuners The Same?

Yes, there may be 88 keys laid out in front of you ready to pressed and put into action. But every time one is pressed down, many parts go into play. This means several hundred strings are pulled and pushed through a complex series of twists and turns to create the perfect sound you are looking for. And because they move with every push of the key, occasionally they don’t return to their original position.

It takes time. It’s a gradual process. You’ll never notice it after one touch of the key. But it’s there just the same. It’s like having to tune a guitar before you play a song. Or having to tune your car before you run it in a race.

Working parts have to be tuned over and over again to maintain precision.

And while many people can work on a piano, anyone can claim to know how to turn a wire and add weight to the hammers, there is a difference in the approach that they take.

Pianos have to be tuned on a regular basis, whether they are played daily or not. It’s not just playing that impacts a piano; it’s also its location, the climate, maintenance routines, and more.

It’s also the experience of the piano tuner. A great tuner understands all the nuances that go into play; they know the right questions to ask, and more importantly, understand what to look for in the piano before they begin.

Before you hire a piano tuner, ask a few questions to anyone vying for the job.

Where did you study and for how long? What are your qualifications?

How long have you been tuning pianos?

Where have you worked? What venues and what types of pianos?

Do you have recommendations?

You can always start by giving us a call. We have a list of select tuners we use regularly, ones we know will get the job done correctly every time.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With:
5 July 2016 Why I Love Vintage Pianos

Why I Love Vintage Pianos

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As a piano dealer, I’m asked this question all the time. And every time I have to answer: It depends.

Of course, I love a new piano. Nothing is as striking as a newly built baby grand vying for center stage in clients home. Knowing it will create beautiful music for decades to come is part of what brought me to this industry in the first place.Why I Love Vintage Pianos

But there’s also something special about a vintage piano.

If you head back in time fifty, even a hundred years ago or more, pianos were built for a different way of life. Pianos weren’t merely pieces of furniture tucked away in a corner waiting for daily practice sessions. Pianos took priority in a household and became central to their way of life. It became the entertainment of the evening hours, something prized in the family estate. Without our modern day electronics and entertainments sources, people relied on their pianos for living a cultured and enjoyable lifestyle.

Pianos from the 1940s and before have one distinct difference over pianos built today: they were built completely by hand, with a great deal of care and craftsmanship going into each one. They weren’t built in assembly line fashion, pushing out as many as possible each day. Each one was designed with time-honored traditions that made it as unique as the person who crafted it.

That’s not to say pianos today are completely built by machine. In higher end manufacturers, pianos still are created using time-honored traditions. They still use some of the handcrafting workmanship to produce a top of the line instrument. However, there are certain parts of the piano action that are made by machine, that can be refined by using technology.

That technology is what gives today’s pianos crisp, clean sounds that are replicated from piano to piano. And with vintage, every sound is distinctive.

There’s something sentimental about looking at a hundred year old piano and wondering the life it’s had throughout the years. What home has it sat in? What music has it played? Has it been a part of history, playing for local dignitaries from time to time?

Yes, through restoration, a vintage piano can produce music you will be proud to have played in your home. It can provide you with years of enjoyment, many hours of relaxation.

Whether you have a piano you would like to have restored, or are in the market, we can help you with all your needs.

Filed Under: Buying a Piano, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
10 June 2016 7 Things Piano Restoration Companies Look At

7 Things Piano Restoration Companies Look At

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Pianos have a lot of moving parts. No matter if you play your piano every day, or if it sits quietly in the corner for weeks at a time, parts wear out. Strings lose their tightness; felts begin to wear down; wood can warp.7 Things Piano Restoration Companies Look At

Even with the best of care, pianos need regular maintenance to help them survive from year to year. And even with regular tunings, eventually, a piano needs even more work. That’s when restoration becomes necessary to keep your piano in good, working condition.

Yet handing over your piano to a restoration company isn’t as easy as it seems. There are a lot of companies that make promises, but who should you trust? Before you sign on the dotted line, there are some legitimate questions you should ask to determine if the rebuilder you choose is the right choice.

You would be surprised at the different levels of service offered by different restoration companies. Some collect a handful of pianos at a time, offering cut-rate pricing to get you in. Then when they have several in place, they ship them off to wholesale rebuilders who do a less than a quality job. Your family heirloom is now worth very little. The sound will be destroyed. The parts will be anything but quality. And there’s very little you can do.

Which is why it’s important to ask questions before the process begins.

1. How long have you been in business? Longevity provides you with assurances that the restoration company is a part of the community and cares about its reputation.

2. Where is the work performed? This will ensure quality workmanship.

3. Can we see work in progress? This will tell you if the company has something to hide.

4. Is the process documented? If you can see photos or have a running document of the process, you’re ensured quality work is being performed.

5. Who will be working on the restoration process? Quality work isn’t performed in assembly line manner.

6. What organizations are you a part of? The longer a restoration company is in business, the more they will be a part of the community.

7. Can you furnish references? A reputable dealer will never be afraid to pass along happy customers’ information.

Are you in the market for finding a reputable piano restoration company? What is your most important question?

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1 June 2016 Does A Cracked Soundboard Ruin A Piano?

Does A Cracked Soundboard Ruin A Piano?

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One of the main pieces of a piano is the soundboard. The soundboard’s function is to take and repeat the vibrational movements of the strings, creating air sound waves that are vastly greater than could be produced by strings alone.Does A Cracked Soundboard Ruin A Piano?

The better the soundboard performs this function, the better the soundboard is. And the better the sound becomes.

More than two hundred strings are stretched at high tensions over wooden supports that are rigidly fastened to the surface of the soundboard. Every time a key is pressed, it sets in motion the strings, transmitting through the bridge to the soundboard, and reproduces the sound again and again across the surface. These tiny movements vibrate front to back. They are powerful waves which immediately register to anyone that is near.

This process continues again and again, faithfully, no matter how many strings are played at one time.

The strings create the sound; the soundboard amplifies it.

For this reason, a crack in the soundboard reduces the soundboard’s ability to amplify the vibrations of the strings only in relation to how much of the surface area the crack reduces the vibrating area of the board.

Soundboards vary in size depending on how large the piano is. They are contained in tight spaces, controlled by the many parts that make up the piano. Because the very nature of wood is to expand and contract as the environment changes, the wood changes all the time.

As long as the structure of the soundboard remains solid, with ribs and bridges adhering correctly to the surface of the soundboard, and all strings and other fasteners attached rigidly to the frame of the piano, cracks will have very little impact on the overall sound.

With proper maintenance and tuning, even a soundboard with cracks can be maintained for years.

Have additional questions? Just ask.

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