Blasius

[Farrell]

Hi Clyde. I own an 1893 Blasius & Sons upright (sitting in my garage looking for a home/rebuild). Clearly it was a VERY well built piano 110 years ago. I was planning on doing a remanufacture on it, but as I also own two Mason & Hamlin and two Steinway old uprights, it only makes sense to do the ones that are more likely to command a higher resale price (only because of name recognition). 

I look at the piano thing just like I would a Mercedes or Rolls Royce. You've got a 50 year old originally high quality car. It's got 900,000 miles on it and is worn out, top to bottom, inside and out. You need a car to get to work and to the grocery store. Even if this thing will run, it can't be trusted because hoses will leak, things will break, etc. You could spend $50,000 (or more?) and make a new car out of it and have a great car. Or you could just go a buy another new or less-used car. Which would you rather do?

Same thing with the piano. Sure you could make a VERY nice piano out of that Blasius. And to some folks, it would be worth it. But to many others it would not.

IMHO, it would be a very nice thing to see these fine old pianos stored until there becomes a market for remanufacturing these old beasts. I think it is a crime to toss these things into the landfill, but I also realize most folks are not ready to sink $10K+ into an old upright.

Anyone looking for a free Blasius & Sons upright?

I use the word "condemn" on this list, and I "condemn" at least one piano a month. Just "condemned" an old no-name upright last week (they had a child taking lessons - no way to make a worn out old upright play good enough for that for a few hundred bucks). I don't use that word when talking to a piano owner. For old worn-out disfunctioning pianos I recommend several options to folks: go all the way and completely rebuild/remanufacture it (to whatever standard might be appropriate for the piano - a square grand might have a different standard than a nice Mason & Hamlin); put a couple hundred bucks into it to make it function (if marginal/whatever functionality will meet their needs); accept it as it is; or junk/sell it (so that I can collect my minimum service fee again).

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 7:37 AM
Subject: Blasius


> Friends,
> 
> Was I right in condemning this piano?  Read on if interested.
> 
> Yesterday I went to service an old upright piano.  It was a Blasius
> serial number 11613, which according to Pierce was made about 1891.  The
> music deak appears to be hand-carved, rather exquisitely.  Someone told
> the owner that the piano cost more than a house when it was new.
> 
> The piano has been neglected for decades.  Although it was only up to 40
> cents flat, it was missing some strings, the sustain functioned poorly,
> as well as some dampers felts being missing, and the replaced bridle
> straps are also tearing.  There was a lot of wear.  I condemned the
> piano, because these were folks of limited means, and there was the
> chance that it would just take more and more money to keep it going.
> Never reconditioned in any way that I could tell.  The case looked
> pretty good yet.  I told her not to discard those carvings.  If they get
> rid of the piano and don't want to keep the carvings they should give me
> a call.
> 
> I probably always second-guess myself when condemning a piano, something
> I rarely do.  It *could* be rehabilitated to some degree.  What is your
> opinion on this one?  I wanted to check with you to find out if it is
> something special.
> 
> Regards,
> Clyde Hollinger, RPT
> 
> 
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