uprights, uprights, uprights

[Clyde Hollinger]

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Michael,

I agree that some of those uprights were pretty marvelous in their day.
If you can make a living finding and rehabilitating good-quality
90-year-old uprights that are in like-new condition except for one
repair, go for it.  Would *any* of us suggest such pianos be treated
with distain?  But how many other pianos are there like that?

All the 90-year-old upright pianos I know would need massive amounts of
work to return them to their former glory.  Do they deserve life?
Maybe.  But there is the matter of basic economics.  I would like to
know how many old uprights your shop has remanufactured.  Are you making
a reasonable profit from this type of work?  If there is more demand
than supply for renewed old uprights (nationwide, not just in a small
area), we should know about it.

Otherwise, there's no point in saying someone should be doing this if no
one can afford to.

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger, RPT
Lititz, PA, USA

michael campi wrote:

> Well I guess that about says it. It would appear that there is not a
> lot of love for uprights. My opinion, albeit a lonely one, is that
> there were some marvelous instruments built and not just by the major
> manufacturers and that with the capabilities and information we have
> today they could be brought back to life. I believe they deserve life
> that would make me, I guess, a pro-lifer. There are several items that
> interest me about these pianos first and foremost are the cases, these
> cannot be bought at any price in todays world second is an old car in
> the shed story. In the middle '80s I came across an Anderson Bros.(I
> think that was the name) upright that had been bought brand new in
> 1913 it was put in a music room in a house in Marin County, about a
> year after it was purchased the wooden bearing bar at the top of the
> bass section pulled apart and the owners closed up the room the piano
> remained, unplayed, until a grandaughter wantin! g to get rid of the
> thing sold it me in 1987. We brought it into the shop and repaired the
> damage The hammers were unmarked and the action was unworn the room
> from which the piano came had been an inside room and so there were no
> signs that the instrument ahd suffered through any drastic temperature
> and humidity changes and the thing sounded absolutely amazing.
> Although I am sure(or mostly sure)  Del will disagree I believe that
> there is room for these pianos in the here and now and that with new
> boards, blocks and action parts they can be the tonal and playable
> equivalent of almost any new piano. Now that you can see the whites of
> my eyes Fire At Will.Michael
>

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