6 old upright pianos

[Barb Barasa]

Dear David,

I used to rehab old uprights, but I was pretty careful about what I took in.
You are not specific about what "bridge and soundboard problems" mean in
this case.  Are the bridges split or are the bridge pins loose?  Are the
ribs coming away from the soundboard and causing buzzing?  Or do the pianos
just make funny noises and you haven't really diagnosed why?  You don't say
how they sound when they are tuned.  Why not do some hammer recontouring,
quick regulation, and see if they are not at least playable and decent
sounding?  This does not take any extra supplies and only a few hours of
time.  Plus, this is how you get PRACTICE!

I think it will be difficult if not impossible to accomplish BOTH of your
goals ... unload the pianos but maintain  a reputation for not selling junky
pianos.  They ARE junky pianos!

If you really have decided not to work on these babies at all, and if there
are no MAJOR problems (tuning pins are not loose, bridges are not messed up,
no broken parts, etc.)you might be able to unload them for almost nothing or
(my preference) give them to a church or small school or community center,
maybe even offering to do a little free work on them each time they are
tuned (if they are ever tuned).

I imagine you could find a dealer in a metro area who MIGHT take them for
free, but I can't imagine any dealer buying them.  If you CAN get a little
money out of them, that would be great.  But if you sell or give them to a
private party, I personally would be scrupulously honest about the condition
of the piano, just to ease my conscience.

Barb Barasa
Sycamore IL



>Dear Friends on the Pianotech mailing list,
>
>     I currently have 6 old upright pianos collecting dust in a storage
>facility.  Some were given to me, some I traded for, and some I purchased.
>I acquired these fine specimens over the last several years, thinking that I
>could fix them up and sell them at a profit.  (All right, everybody stop
>snickering!)
>I believe that it is costing too much to store them, and I am trying to cut
>my expenses.  Does anyone have advice as how to go about selling them?  (I
>may sell them one at a time in the classified ads of our local paper).
>
>Specific Questions...
>1. Most if not all of these pianos have soundboard problems and bridge
>problems as well as everything else that could be wrong with them.  I only
>want to do the best possible work and guarantee everything I do.  And, I do
>not want people to think that I sell junky pianos... yet I do not have the
>time or parts available to repair or restore these pianos.  Should I sell
>them through a second party?
>
>2.  Are there any wholesalers that might be interested in purchasing these
>pianos for cash?  Does anyone have names and phone numbers of such a
>wholesaler or dealer?
>
>More questions from an Associate who wants to do the right thing, yet at
>least get some money back out of these pianos.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>David A. Vanderhoofven
>dkvander@clandjop.com
>Joplin, Missouri, USA
>Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
>web page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/
>*****P.S.*****  The web page is finally up again!
>