The first step towards a restoration is finding "that old piano" that would benefit from the work (antique European uprights with "bird cage" mechanics and square Grands need not apply), or inspecting the family's old piano that "was never tuned".

Prime candidates are most pianos from about 1890 to the 1950's - the majority of our clients' instruments are from the 1900-1935 era. These types of pianos will not be saved by "miracle" techniques; it is blasphemous to use toggle bolts, drywall screws, epoxies, chemicals and other quick-fix repairs. We believe in honest, one-time major overhauls that cover all aspects of the insides and cosmetics.

Total Restoration Examples

Example 1

The heart of the piano, the soundboard, is where our work differs from all others. We shim the soundboard in a way that unites cracked sections while retaining the "crown" of the piano, and we use the same type of wood that was cut to make the solid straight-spruce soundboard when new.

Example 2

If a bridge is cracked, there is only one way to go: an exact copy, custom-made of special maple to sound as good as new and yet not crack for at least another 50 years.

Example 3

A bare soundboard awaiting installation of its cast-iron plate & hardware.

Example 4

New tuning pins with German music wire and bass strings custom-made for each application give the piano all the hardware needed to sound good today and last for generations to come. Installation of American or German hammers finishes the interior work, along with the necessary adjusting and leveling of the keyboard.

Finishing Touches

For the exterior finish, the piano is completely dismantled for a "factory-finished" look using rich quality wood stains from leading pigment suppliers. With 2-4 coats of "sealer" and 3-5 coats of "45 degree lacquer", we achieve an original "sheen" common with pianos produced during the 1900's. It is -in our opinion- the most complimenting yet classic and authentic style of refinishing, compared to todays almost plastic finish with "high gloss" laquer that is common in most of the Oriental-type pianos.

Needless to say, pianos veneered in rare woods are repaired with the same-type wood... "Plastic Wood" might be useful for the home do-it-yourselfer, but it doesn't take an engineering degree to figure out that repairing Mahogany with Mahogany is the best way to go!