Mostly I view you as a clean businessman but I think saying everything older than 1930 needs to be rebuilt “just because of age” is not really on the level with piano owners out there. Maybe you’re just being a bit mentally lazy or maybe you’ve got too comfortable with easy cash flow from wealthy clients and the wow factor of your shiny overhauls. Age alone brings dust, loads and loads of dust, which makes pianos look nasty. But for a true musician, old uprights are astounding bargains if only the front key pins are rotated to snug the keys, hammers shaped, letoff adjusted, and maybe chips in the ivory rounded off with a bit of sandpaper so they’re not too sharp on the edges, bass strings replaced on a case by case basis, bridge repairs as needed etc.
It depends on how much the piano has been used, what sort of environment it has spent its life in, what standard of performance you want out of it etc. If you need bridge repairs, you'll probably break some of the original strings if you attempt to reuse them afterward. If the hammers are original, they may be too worn to reshape or the felt may have decayed too much to produce good tone. I have my great grandfather's 1920s upright and it's past the point of easy fixes. I'd like to send it off for a shiny overhaul. =)
Ok, sure but if you've taken the effort to hand it off to a fully functioning shop like this one, then its just going to go without saying. After all, its here and not likely to be back soon so just replace it. Generally speaking, he's right. But occasionally there is one here or there thats in spectacular shape. I ran into an old 1880's upright in Bisbee AZ in an outdoor/indoor type place and I played it expecting complete crap and it played like a new piano. I was shocked and surprised.
@@21299 Yes, in the meantime I’ve gotten more experience and my old comment is embarrassing to me, while still having a little truth. I have found old hammers wear very quickly after shaping. I think what troubles me is that so many old pianos are going to the dumps these days, when a day’s work would make most of them musical again, and two days’ work would make them artistically better than many newer pianos. My 56” upright is in a whole different class from my 45” Steinway, 50” Weber and 45” Yamaha. It has the longest keys and totally different keyboard feel, like a grand, very smooth, even though unrestored; it is the only one which prepares me to play out on a big grand.
It sounds very good for what it is. No doubt your work enhanced it. It has a richness especially appealing.
All these brands unknown in Europe. I love. This piano sounds great for his age.
Mostly I view you as a clean businessman but I think saying everything older than 1930 needs to be rebuilt “just because of age” is not really on the level with piano owners out there. Maybe you’re just being a bit mentally lazy or maybe you’ve got too comfortable with easy cash flow from wealthy clients and the wow factor of your shiny overhauls. Age alone brings dust, loads and loads of dust, which makes pianos look nasty. But for a true musician, old uprights are astounding bargains if only the front key pins are rotated to snug the keys, hammers shaped, letoff adjusted, and maybe chips in the ivory rounded off with a bit of sandpaper so they’re not too sharp on the edges, bass strings replaced on a case by case basis, bridge repairs as needed etc.
It depends on how much the piano has been used, what sort of environment it has spent its life in, what standard of performance you want out of it etc.
If you need bridge repairs, you'll probably break some of the original strings if you attempt to reuse them afterward. If the hammers are original, they may be too worn to reshape or the felt may have decayed too much to produce good tone.
I have my great grandfather's 1920s upright and it's past the point of easy fixes. I'd like to send it off for a shiny overhaul. =)
Ok, sure but if you've taken the effort to hand it off to a fully functioning shop like this one, then its just going to go without saying. After all, its here and not likely to be back soon so just replace it. Generally speaking, he's right. But occasionally there is one here or there thats in spectacular shape. I ran into an old 1880's upright in Bisbee AZ in an outdoor/indoor type place and I played it expecting complete crap and it played like a new piano. I was shocked and surprised.
@@21299 Yes, in the meantime I’ve gotten more experience and my old comment is embarrassing to me, while still having a little truth. I have found old hammers wear very quickly after shaping. I think what troubles me is that so many old pianos are going to the dumps these days, when a day’s work would make most of them musical again, and two days’ work would make them artistically better than many newer pianos. My 56” upright is in a whole different class from my 45” Steinway, 50” Weber and 45” Yamaha. It has the longest keys and totally different keyboard feel, like a grand, very smooth, even though unrestored; it is the only one which prepares me to play out on a big grand.