Before restoration...............................AFTER!
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| Rebuilding | Tuning | Regulating | Restoring | Sales |
| Repairs | Modifications | Restyling | Key Recovering | Refinishing |
| Player Repair | Square Grands | Estimates | Appraisals | Victorian Uprights |
| Concerts | Lessons & Recitals | Parlor/Reed Pump Organs | Piano Disc Installation | Fine & Antique Keyboard Instruments |
Colleges: State, County & Community Public and Private Schools Churches Synagogues Community Organizations Performers and touring companies Other technicians and rebuilders Field work for many piano manufacturers
| Broken Keys | Hammers | Action Parts | Pedals | Legs | Wippens |
| Casters | Lids | Desks | Soundboards | Pin Blocks | Decals |
| Fallboards | Cases | Finishes | Veneer | Strings/Wires | Dampers |
And everything else that can and does get broken on a piano. Benches, too
Craftspeople at work Why we love this so much...
Rebuilding or reconditioning, both require full regulation of the instrument upon completion.
Before restoration...............................AFTER!
Often a client will bring in an instrument and say - "What is this? Can you make it play? Do you know anything about it?" If we don't know anything about it, we'll do our best to find out! And we have fun doing it!
Case in point. A gentleman came to the shop with a box wrapped in blankets. He had some employees cleaning a room and had given them instructions to throw everything out. By chance he was passing by when this object was about to be thrown into a dumpster. He halted their activity and retrieved the box. He brought it to us for information and, consequently, repair. It was a 'bell box' glockenspiel almost identical to the one used in "Amadeus". We were thrilled, not so much that he brought it to us, but that we could work on the instrument. Actually hands on. We know that it wasn't very early vintage, but it was quite a charm.
An antique shop called us to tune a peculiar instrument which they couldn't adequately identify. We went to do the job and here it was a "Street Piano" (erroneously called a 'barrel organ'). Someone had restrung the instrument quite inadequately, and it had to be completely restrung. At this point though, more restoration was involved. Pieces were missing, others rigged to do what someone thought they were supposed to do, etc.
We took the job and researched/restored the instrument to the way it was. End of story. Quite a joy - quite a job! The neat part is that everyone who comes to the shop for piano lessons gets to see what we're working on. They get just as much enjoyment as we do.
We restore to what ever degree you want. Make it playable, make it look nice, or make it do something else. It's your instrument. We will advise what you are requesting, e.g., you may be destroying the value by doing what you want, or perhaps you could really enhance the value by doing a little something more. Ultimately, it's your decision and your instrument. Tell us what you want.
Work being done....Restored!
Uneven regulation is often evidenced by, but not limited to: uneven touch; excessively light or heavy touch; thumping/excessive resistance as the jack escapes from the knuckle/hammer butt; hammers 'dancing'/blubbering-resounding though the key was struck once; key depth too shallow/deep/uneven; keys not balanced - wavy/up and down - some higher or lower than others; hammers jamming against the string - a deadened blow rather than a bell like tone; keys not repeating properly. There are many other symptoms, but these are the most frequent.
All repairs must me made before regulation. It goes without saying, but must be said anyway - adjustment cannot be made until after the repair. If regulation is completed and then a repair is accomplished, the regulation may have to be readjusted - adding to the cost. Minor repairs are not the issue here.
Even a new piano, straight out of the store, may require touch up regulation just due to the shear newness of the instrument. Most of the warranties will advise that the instrument may need to have the action gone over after a few months to a year. This is normal due to felts compacting/settling, wood settling - expanding/contracting, things just shifting from moving.
Regulating a piano is a hands-on process. It is not something that can be bought over the telephone or through the mail. If you are going to attempt this yourself, we can assist you. We do strongly urge you to have a trained, experienced technician do this part of the job. Your technician may be willing to work you through/guide you through the process, but be realistic - you are taking his time and that's how he or she puts bread on the table. Pay the price and have it done correctly.
Once properly regulated, the adjustments should last for several years, barring extraneous circumstances. A professional's instrument may need to be touched up a few times a year. The instrument which gets played an hour or two a week may not need regulation for ten years. As your tuner maintains your instrument once or twice a year, ask his advice and get him/her to show you what they mean. Regulating is a very objective, tangible process which can be shown step by step.
Not an awful lot to say here, except we don't really 'sell' pianos. We don't have sales people, sales personnel, sales representatives, or sales payroll. Everyone here is a technician, tuner or rebuilder. We have a wide variety of used instruments in stock. Most of our work is to order, so there are a lot of instruments that have had nothing done to them. But that's o.k. because before they go out, they are brought up to where they should be! Either completely restored, rebuilt, refinished or just what you want, made playable. You're the boss.
What I normally tell a person who comes in is, "If you see something you like, buy it. But I'm not going to sell you on it." We do our best to work with you, within your budget and your aesthetic requirements. Our instruments vary from day-to-day; old, new, small, large, walnut, mahogany, ebony, rosewood, oak, leather, stainless steel. We just never know what's happening next, what's coming down the driveway, until it hits the door. Perhaps a 63-key Tom Thumb or 1886 Concert Grand? But that's what makes it all so interesting, and fun. And we're all like that here.
Though the piano has over a thousand parts, it really is not that difficult to repair many of the problems. I am sure every tuner/technician has a plethora of anecdotes, horror stories and simply funny experiences relating to repairs. To share the range of repairs, I'll cite two incidents. On a concert grand, in a concert hall, a well maintained instrument, tuned probably minimum average of five or six times a week, a buzz developes. After several days of buzzes sporadically coming and going, many other ears listening and fingers probing, a dried five-inch long drop of glue is discovered which, after one hundred years, finally came loose enough to sympathetically vibrate, albeit, occasionally.
The second incident was more dramatic in that it brazenly occurred during the second number of a performance, on stage, in the concert hall. A horrendous buzz/rattle. I received a frantic call at home during supper, it was a special function and could I possibly get there - since the piano wouldn't be used for another 15 minutes. I entered the stage between numbers, played a few notes gently on the bass, heard the unmistakeable rattle, removed the desk and retrieved the padlock belonging to the fallboard clamp which someone had placed directly on the bass strings... then exited. I recieved a modest round of applause.
The padlock could have been removed by anyone, had anyone looked. The dried drop of glue could have been removed by anyone, but it took many collective hours of experienced techs to locate.
We repair simple things like broken strings/wires, hammers, chipped keys, jammed fallboards, sprained hinges, broken legs, worn pedals, chipped veneer, unglued action parts, missing/worn felt, missing decals/nails/buttons and bushings, etc. Also, the more routine: plastic elbows, jack springs, hammer return springs, dampers, regulating buttons, capstan cloth, knuckles, cracked/split soundboards, etc. And then the more in depth: restringing, replacing bass/treble bridges, soundboards, custom restyling of legs, lyre, desk and case.
Modifying a piano is a very individualized project. A modification is the most extreme alteration because you are deviating from the original manufacture of the instrument; but again, as the customer wishes. Let us know what you have in mind and we will work with you.
Before....................................AFTER!
Nearly all pianos can be restyled. Somethmes it is as easy as changing legs or desks and maybe the bench. Maybe it's adding trim or accenting with color. Perhaps adding a little brass in the corners or on the fallboard, give yourself a little shine. Sometimes just adding, changing, or removing appliques. We've done it many, many times succesfully, and made a lot of people happy! It really isn't that expensive, and when you compare it to the cost of replacing the instrument or discarding it, it really makes sense.
A simple example. A client called and wanted to sell her piano. We looked at it and there appeared to be absolutely nothing wrong. After a brief discussion we learned she simply didn't like the design. It didn't fit her decor. We changed the legs, desk and bench. One very satisfied client. Saved them a lot of money, needless to say.
Whatever the need, simply let us know and we will assist you in the project.
Before......................................AFTER!
We do this all the time. What we prefer, if the keys are ivory, is to replace the damaged keys and restore the keyboard to the original state. This can be cost ineffective if too many are damaged. At that point, then we recommend going to plastic. To replace a whole set in ivory is not economical.
There are shades of white. When we restore a black instrument, especially gloss black, we will go with white keytops. If we are going with a wood grain, then off-white. If it's a Victorian upright, some clients desire ans imitation ivory grain or slightly yellow, for the older look. Sometimes we are asked to put in a line between the head and tail to further simulate ivory. It's all up to the individual.
Sharps can be restored, repainted, or replaced. Ebony or plastic. Different sizes. We do the best to match the original, or change it as you wish.
We are not mass production refinishing people, but we do refinish. We are very particular about what refinishing jobs we accept and consequently take our time to do the job right. We like detail. We pay attention to detail. The instrument is completely disassembled, stripped, repaired, sanded, stained - if required, and then finish is applied. The job is hand done, one piece at a time. Upon reassembly, new felts, nails, buttons, decals, whatever is required to bring the instrument back to showroom quality. All the bright work, hinges, pedals, plates, rods, etc., are repaired, polished, replated, replaced - whatever is necessary.
We do the plain, straight leg to the heavily carved Victorian. It really doesn't matter. They all get done, one piece at a time. Some just take a little longer than others.
Player pianos range from mechanical pneumatic of the late 1800's to the state of the art electronic CD or floppy disc player of today. We rebuild the older systems when necessary, replace them sometimes, add motors or install PianoDisc in place of the pneumatic - as the customer wishes.
The earliest piano we have worked on is from c. 1740. Yes, that's about the time of the debut of the piano. Though the same shape as a 'square', it really was a piano forte. The square evolved from the early piano forte to the square - a much larger instrument. We have repaired, rebuilt and sold many over the years. Whenever someone is interested in a square, we caution them almost immediately that this type of instrument is for the collector, or is normally for display. The rectangular instrument referred to as the square was another step in the evolution of today's instrument. It is very romantic to have and behold, but to play and maintain could easily be another story. If the instrument is taken care of and not abused, it will last almost indefinately. But let it be exposed to the undisciplined... Remember, the parts are old and frail. The shanks and flanges are often thinner than the same part today and are far more vulnerable to breaking.
We have restored many over the years. Always a pleasure to bring one back and look and listen when it's done. It is even more special when the piano was in someone's family, handed down, non-functional for many years and being told it was 'not worth it' or it couldn't be repaired. Then we do our thing. The customer is always so delighted, and we're happy!
If you have one and want it right, or are looking for one, let us know. We will help you.
Let us know what your needs are and we will work with you. Call, fax or e-mail with your requirements. We have provided services for insurance companies, private adjusters and courts, in addition to the average commoner. (After all, that's who really pays the bills!) Our estimates are derived from the individual instrument, not blanket predetermined figures. We can offer rough estimates, but that only helps initially. When we visit the site of the instrument, we do charge for our time.
Needless to say, this can only be accomplished by seeing the instrument. A thorough inspection must occur before a value can be established. The plate, soundboard, bridges, pinblock, action, case and tone all help to determine the value. What is the current market for the instrument and what has it been selling for. This contributes to the overall evaluation. Yes, we do charge for our time. It takes a bit more time and resources to appraise a Bosendorfer Imperial Grand than a no-name 4'6" grand. But, we do both.
We restore and rebuild, and obviously repair, Victorian instruments all the time. Owners always exclaim how the quality of a Victorian upright far exceeds any contemporary instrument. There is no differnece in rebuilding or restoring a Victorian instrument vs. a contemporary, except that the Victorian is usually easier. The workmanship/craftmanship and materials were indeed so much better, as a rule. They weren't trying to crimp on space or 'get by' with lesser quality materials. Granted, the instrument usually weighs more, but for the trade off, I'll take the extra weight. It usually isn't more than 50 - 75 pounds heavier. There are exeptions.
Materials. The case is usually covered with a better grade and thicker (1/16" to 1/28") veneer as opposed to paper veneer on some instruments of today. This makes restoring very easy when it comes to repairs. I will agree in a flash that some of today's modifications in manufacture are better, especially for the preservation of the environment, trees, etc., but why 'throw the baby out with the bath'? If the instrument was and is good, why not restore/recycle rather than discarding simply for the sake of a 'new' instrument. Remember, that instrument has put up with use and abuse for seventy, eighty or more years, before having to be reconditioned or rebuilt. We have seen new instruments last not even ten years before needing more work than the Victorian. Each instrument must be evaluated on it's merits - no blanket generalizations.
The actions on Victorians in the 1940's instruments are usually very accessible and worthy of being rebuilt. We do this every day of the week. To completely recondition an action costs far less than buying a cheap new instrument. And it will last a lot longer.
If you're passing through and only need emergency assistance or know your schedule and want to book in advance, we try to make contacting us as easy as possible: Voice 609-629-7577, Fax 609-875-8777, or e-mail. Let us know your schedule and requirements, we will work with you. Does the instrument have to be tuned to an unusual pitch, scale, stretch? Let us know your needs. We have worked with some very demanding clients and have faced some unusual circumstances. If we know ahead of time, it makes life so much easier, and your day and night a lot more comfortable.
In addition to pianos, we rebuild and sell early 'pump' organs. This really started as a fun thing for us - we really do have a soft spot for Victorian and earlier instruments, but then word got out and we almost always are working on one of these gems. Melodian, harmoniums and the like. They are all fun. The wood is usually solid and the finish is usually intact. When that is the case, we try to preserve, rather than refinish. We try to keep everything as close to original as possible, only improving where integrity of the instrument is involved. If it is necessary to deviate from the original, we are discrete. Whatever is necessary, reeds, bellows, leathers, pallets - we repair them. The integrity of the instrument is paramount. If it is to be functional and authentic or functional and to be used daily, or just a visual object, we will accomodate.
Harmonium before & after! 
If you are in the market for a particular instrument or have a special instrument which needs detailed attention, let us know. Not only are we capable of helping you, that is what we enjoy the most - restoring fine and antique keyboard instruments. When others groan in frustration, we just begin. And we don't stop 'til it's right.
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