[pianotech] Rebuilding a early 1920's Knabe Piano

[Larry Fisher RPT]

(Refinishing prices do vary considerably, and I'd say $10K - $12K for 
refinishing is not necessarily too much, but is on the higher end of my 
experience.)

I've refinished a few pianos lately using a sub for the job, local pick up 
and delivery included, $6000 plus repairs.  If people in this area are 
getting quotes like you've indicated then it's no wonder I'm getting the 
bids.

Soundboards with lots of cracks is indicative of environmental abuse and 
age.  9 cracks is extensive.  Replace it.  One seminar that I went to showed 
how a glued in shim, beautifully put in, cracked again right along side the 
glue joint a while later.  THAT would be frustrating.  The glue penetrates 
the wood in the area and isn't prone to the same expansion and contraction 
as the neighboring wood.  It cracked in that area in the first place and so 
it will tend to do that again.  Having inflexible wood in the area only 
makes things worse.

Growth rings per inch  ...........   the supplier handles that fairly well. 
Posey is very good at supplying the industry with quality materials. 
Personally, I wouldn't get too involved with that scenario.  Go with a 
quality product to start with and you won't have to worry about what 
decades, possibly centuries of research has proved to be the best.

I've refinished quite a few pianos, old grands mostly, that when returned to 
their owners, inspired tears of gratitude and amazement as I pulled the 
moving pads off the piano.  That's always a wee bit of a rush for me.  The 
last one I did had a broken leg, missing veneer, the bridge caps came loose 
as I destrung it, and the hammers were starting to spread like a flower 
opening up in the spring.  We delivered the piano back to him looking, 
sounding and playing like brand new.  He was happy he had all the work done 
on his childhood piano.

As a general rule, piano sales are faltering and have been since about 1965. 
Lately, the sales force members that I've visited with are saying that used 
grands from 50 years back and older just aren't selling worth beans.  To put 
that much work and money into that particular piano is against my advice 
when viewed from a resale point of view.  If it's a family heirloom or some 
other such affection, then follow your heart's desires and get years of 
pleasure from the results.

I wish you the best of results and plenty of contentment and satisfaction.

Larry Fisher