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