uprights, uprights, uprights

[Avery Todd]

Clyde,

I don't want to be a "naysayer" here but I don't "think" he said he was 
trying to make a living
only doing old uprights! :-) I've also redone several over the years 
(successfully) but it wasn't
my primary source of income. A Bush and Lane was one of the most 
remarkable!!!!

Avery

At 07:21 AM 03/11/03 -0500, you wrote:
>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