[CAUT] Bösendorfer Imperial

Kent Swafford kswafford at gmail.com
Fri Sep 24 15:37:14 MDT 2010


The case damage was caused by moving the piano through standard double doors
even though it wouldn't fit. It was quite unbelievable.



Kent

On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 3:24 PM, Eric Johnson <eric at perarts.com> wrote:

> Hi Kent
>
> No, the bridges were perfect. Most of the work/cost was the action and
> case. The case was really really rough, even for an institution.
>
> Best
>
> Eric
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 4:13 PM, Kent Swafford <kswafford at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Thanks for this. It is more than I would have hoped for to find someone
>> here familiar with the piano. I should have said "received belly work". The
>> piano was restrung and the pinblock refaced, new dampers, in addition to the
>> refinished soundboard. Since you are the expert here, and this work was
>> arranged before I was the head tech here in a position to know details, were
>> the bridges recapped, or do they just look good?
>>
>> Kent
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 1:38 PM, Eric Johnson <eric at perarts.com> wrote:
>>
>>> This piano did not receive a new belly, but the soundboard was
>>> refinished. I know this because at the time I represented Bosendorfer and
>>> arranged for the work to be done.
>>>
>>>
>>> Eric Johnson 203 520 9064
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 12:48 PM, <kswafford at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> We have a Bösendorfer Imperial (9' 6", 97 notes) that has overstayed its
>>>> welcome here for a number of reasons.
>>>>
>>>> (The current dean wants to move to the all-Steinway designation and so
>>>> the B'dorf' must move away from any concert stage. Also, our backstage is
>>>> ill-equipped to deal with this extra-wide instrument which cannot be rolled
>>>> through standard double doors. There is no room for the piano to stay
>>>> backstage during opera, ballet, and large ensemble performances, so we have
>>>> been taking the doors off their hinges to move the piano out of the stage
>>>> area. Big inconvenience)
>>>>
>>>> The piano is 40 years old. Four years ago the instrument was refinished,
>>>> received a new belly, and new hammers, shanks and flanges in Vienna. The
>>>> case could be touched up to near-perfection. It has one-piece original
>>>> ivories that show some cracking that can be seen but not felt under the
>>>> fingers. The instrument is concert-ready for all practical purposes.
>>>>
>>>> The dean would like to sell the piano.
>>>>
>>>> I think potential buyers would be vanishingly few, and it is unlikely
>>>> that the piano could be sold quickly -- might take a long time. My
>>>> observation is that especially in the central part of the country, the
>>>> values of used nicer pianos and especially used larger pianos have been
>>>> depressed for some time.
>>>>
>>>> I am tasked with estimating at what price the instrument might be
>>>> expected to sell.
>>>>
>>>> Is there any guidance out there? Anyone need an extra Imperial?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>> Kent Swafford
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Eric Johnson
>>> 203 520 9064
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Eric Johnson
> 203 520 9064
>
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