Refinishing and painted cases

[DLLegg]

I've seen many a _botched_ refinish job.  Sometimes even by "professionals".
The greatest looking piano that falls in to this catagory is one that I did
myself.  Now, you have to understand I was only 11 years old at the time.  We
had an Acrosonic in the living room that I took lessons on and in the basement
we had a 1920's upright that my father had hauled from somewhere.  Permission
was granted that my friend and I could do as we pleased with the basement
piano.  Well, it was the '60's and wild was "in".  Each section of the case
was painted in a different abstract theme from Mondrian style to multicolored
flames.  The sharps were painted 5-6 alternating colors.  The lid was splatter
painted.  And, of course, it was outfitted with thumbtacks in the hammers.  I
still have a color photo of it on my shop bulletin board.  It was this piano
that started my interest in piano technology.  I tried real hard to tune it
with a wrench from my father's nearby workshop.

I have come to dread hearing a customer boast about refinishing their own
piano.  However, twice I have seen jobs that I would love to call my own work.

Debbie Legg, FL