Restoring a Piano

A piano has parts that, when worn or changed in some way from their design parameters, can cause the piano to not work so well or in some way, just not work at all. Since there are upwards of 10,000 parts in a piano, and those parts being subject to climate, wear and tear, breakage or deterioration through age, restoring a piano can be a greater or lesser job.

Major rebuilding involves a wide and varied set of skills and experience, much time, effort and a lot of money. Rebuilding isn’t usually undertaken with inexpensive, average or low-grade pianos but is more generally considered for grand pianos that have inherent and market worth because of history, brand name and quality. Rebuilding extends to total disassembly of the instrument where the major parts can be overhauled or replaced. The cabinet can be refinished, the pin block replaced and new tuning pins installed, the frame cleaned, resprayed and strung with new strings. The action will be fitted with new parts, hammers replaced and much more.

Many people or families have strong relationships with their old heritage pianos, passed down to them from grandparents or even great-grandparents. These instruments, usually upright pianos, often have very beautiful, ornate cases, polished and well cared for over many decades or even a century. They will have great sentimental value to the person who can seem willing to spend a lot of money to restore it to fine function. It is important, in instances like these, to be very clear and honest with the owner by explaining that the cost of the restoration they wish for will be much greater than the market value of the piano afterwards.

Having said all that, the average family piano can benefit greatly from minor restoration, maintenance and parts replacement too, without the need to spend great sums as for a full rebuild. Some examples are:

The keys of the piano can become so stiff that they don’t return after being played, the technician can key ease the key bushings so making the keys operate well again.

The sets of flanges (somewhat like hinges) in several of the moving parts of a piano action can become stiff or too loose. The effect can be a piano that won’t play well or at all; repinning the flanges can restore the function of the action so the piano can again be played.

When the hammers of a piano have been well used through years of playing, they can become flattened and heavily grooved from their contact with the strings. Hammers in older pianos can also become compacted and hard giving a tone that is not always pleasant. Reshaping and voicing or replacing a set of hammers in these cases will give new life and greatly improved tone back to the piano.

A piano has a lot of felt parts that keep things quiet, in the right place or provide a resting place for other parts. Felts get compacted, get hard, drop off, get eaten by insects or rodents and so on. Replacing damaged, worn or missing felts will have a huge effect on the function of a piano.

Replacing broken bridle tapes will improve the functionality and touch of the piano, as will proper regulation of the important action processes.