Piano Appraisal is highly recommended before committing to the expense of a complete overhaul. Rebuilding restores the piano to original condition or better but can be very expensive. Such comprehensive work is usually most practical for high-quality instruments, where maximum performance and longevity are required.
What happens to a piano as it ages?
In the short term, leather and felt compact, affecting the adjustment (regulation) of the parts. The action becomes uneven and less responsive, and the piano"s tone loses dynamic range. Squeaks and rattles may develop. Routine maintenance such as hammer filing, regulation, voicing, and tuning will correct these problems and maintain the piano in near-new condition.
After extended or very heavy use, action parts become severely worn. Leather and felt wear thin. Keys become wobbly, hammer felt gets too thin to produce good tone, and the action becomes noisy. Regulation adjustments reach their limit. In addition, piano strings may begin breaking and the copper windings of bass strings lose resonance.
After decades of exposure to seasonal changes, the wood of the soundboard, bridges, and pinblock is weakened. This causes loose tuning pins, poor tuning stability, and further loss of tone. By this time the piano"s finish will often be scratched or faded.
How do you decide if major repairs are appropriate?
Not all pianos are worth the expense of reconditioning or rebuilding, so get an online piano appraisal, an unbiased opinion of the value of your instrument for only $ 25.00. This is much cheaper than having someone come to the house and try to talk you into spending money on repairs that you will never recoup. Know what your piano is worth from the start.
The piano appraisal will take into account the following factors:
* The overall condition of the piano. Can it really be restored to original condition or is it deteriorated beyond repair? Pianos subjected to severe fire, flood, or moving damage may not be repairable.
* The quality, size, and type of the piano. Low priced, small pianos of poor design have limited potential. If the rebuilt piano would not be capable of meeting your performance needs, it would be better to replace it with one of better design.
* The cost of repairs versus replacement. Major repairs may exceed the value of small low-quality pianos. However, most large high-quality instruments can be rebuilt for one-half to two-thirds the cost of a comparable new piano, making rebuilding a cost-effective option for fine pianos.
* Sentimental value. Personal attachment or historical value may justify investing in major repairs rather than replacement.
Paul has over 30 years experience in the piano industry and owned and operated a piano store for 25 years Piano Appraisal in 24 Hours
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