Services
Soundboard replacement
For a piano to sound the way it did when new, the soundboard must be replaced. Piano soundboards do not improve with age as violins supposedly do. The down-pressure of the strings slowly but surely robs the wood of its initial resilience. After 30 years or so, a soundboard will still project the vibrations of the strings, but it will not have life. Forty years of trying to enliven old boards has proved this to me beyond any doubt. Replacing the soundboard adds substantially to the overall cost of rebuilding, but the reward is a piano that truly sings.
Reconditioning old soundboards
When a new soundboard is not in the budget or the particular instrument does not merit one, original soundboards can be reconditioned. The first step is to check for loose glue joints either at the ribs or around the rim, and to reglue any that are not sound. The soundboard is then dried to approximate mid-winter environmental conditions and all cracks are shimmed with new spruce shims. The original bridge pins are discarded, and the bridges are either recapped or lightly sanded and renotched. The original finish is scraped and sanded away, and the bare wood is finished with two coats of polyurethane. The top of the bridge is blacked and new bridge pins are inserted.
Recapping the bridges
Pianos generally have two bridges: a long, curved bridge that connects the treble strings to the soundboard, and a shorter bridge dedicated to the bass strings. (Sometimes there is a third, short tenor bridge.) The usual construction is a thick body of solid or laminated hardwood, with a thin hardwood cap on the top surface. It is quite common for the cap to crack badly and for the glue joint with the body of the bridge to fail. In these cases, the old cap is removed and replaced with new, quarter sawn maple. Sometimes only the bass bridge requires a new cap. New soundboards automatically have the original bridges recapped. This naturally includes drilling for new bridgepins, and chiseling the relief notches.
Finishing the soundboard
New soundboards are finished with clear satin lacquer and have an authentic decal applied. Old boards are repaired, scraped and sanded, and finished with polyurethane. The application of an appropriate decal is optional.
Replacing the pinblock
Full rebuilding always includes this. Even if the old plank is still intact, tuning stability in the rebuilt instrument can not be guaranteed without a new replacement. The new block is cut from a blank panel of multilaminate hardrock maple and hand fit to the plate and rim. The holes for the new tuning pins are drilled outside of the piano, and the plank is then glued, clamped and doweled into the case. Steinways and other similar pianos also include gluing and doweling the pinblock plank to the stretcher rail (the long board spanning the front of the piano, above the keys).
Regilding the plate
Regilding the plate is always included in full rebuilding. A freshly painted plate complements the new strings, felts and refinished soundboard. Either bright gold (automotive lacquer with semigloss clearcoat) or Steinway gold (satin lacquer) are the options.
Restringing
Restringing with oversized tuning pins is an option that can sometimes be used to forestall the need for a complete rebuilding. When called for, this can cure the problem of loose tuning pins and improve tone without major expense. Restringing can be accomplished in the customer’s home. It is not an option when the pinblock comes apart (delaminates), or has been treated with a tuning pin tightening solution.
Damper felt replacement
Damper felt is always replaced as part of major rebuilding. It is sometimes also called for when the original felt has been damaged by moths or spills.
Action rebuilding
The piano ‘action’ is the mechanism of the instrument: everything between the keytops and the hammers, and all the pedals and their associated workings. In a complete rebuilding, virtually all replaceable parts are replaced with new ones. Each piano’s circumstances determine which kind of replacement parts are used. I work with four different hammer manufacturers and at least three different action part manufacturers with the end goal of getting the best result in each situation. The specific decisions are worked out in consultation with each client. Sometimes, of course, good results can be achieved by replacing only the hammers and shanks.
Keytop replacement
This is one service item that is frequently done in isolation. Cracked, chipped and yellowed key coverings can detract from a player’s interaction with the instrument, and are cosmetically distressing. Replacement plastic keytops cover both the top and front of the keys. I can also work with existing ivory keyboards to whiten and smooth uneven surfaces and replace missing pieces.
Touchweight design
It is common to hear complaints about how a piano feels. “Too stiff, too heavy, flyaway, uncontrollable, plays like a truck!” All of these problems arise from one or more interrelated issues: excessive internal friction, poor action regulation, improper part replacements and ill-advised previous repairs. Most all grand pianos can have a ‘touch-to-die-for’ though. The first step is a touchweight consultation to diagnose the specific problems that need correction. No one should have to settle for a poor touch.
Pump Organs
Foot-powered pump organs were very popular from the 1800’s to the 1920’s. They are still a very common sight in many homes, although relatively few are still in working condition. The repairs necessary to bring them back into operation are neither complex nor expensive. They include: replacing all gaskets, valve flaps, bellows cloth, pedal webbing, and movable boards; cleaning all linkages and replacing worn bushings; sealing cracks in the vacuum chest; a thorough cleaning and replacement of cosmetic elements.