Dear pianotechies, Every now and then I tune for a customer with an ancient upright, on its last legs, with ivory keytops, except that maybe a half dozen or so are missing or badly damaged. Being relatively new to this business I'm not sure how to handle this. If these pianos were newer and generally in better condition I wouldn't hesitate to say, "replace all the keytops; it's worth it." But I'm talking about the junkers about which the customer says, "I'm getting rid of it in a few years." Is it absolutely out of the question to rout down and recover only those keytops that need it, replacing them with the best possible ivory substitute available (and of reasonable cost)? Are there repositories of old ivory keytops that might be used for situations like this? Larry Goss
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC