<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV> hi Ed</DIV> <DIV>  Don't panic yet.  I paid $250.00 for an 1891 from the Mante= ca unified school district about 8 years ago. It was Bahama yellow with pret= ty flowers & about to fall over. Its is the one with a myriad of ogees e= legant three piece front & the round fluted legs. The block, board &= many things were quite good. The board has a lot of crown still. Amazing.Re= strung with 3s or 4s,refinish,yes in original ebony, replace the missing thr= ee piece cut outs new keytops. Very beautiful looking& sounding. If I di= d this today I'd ask 15 k.</DIV> <DIV>   My opinion is that stwy uprights like this are w= orth anywhere between $500.000 to $1500.00 in original & unbutchered con= dition. Hey do the math on the items needed then speculate on the Market val= ue in your area.hmmm.</DIV> <DIV>  Dale Erwin</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear List-</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm dealing with a difficult situation with= a customer who has purchased an 1892 Steinway vertical on Ebay.</FONT></DIV= > <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The piano has been restrung in the plain wi= re and repinned in the bass, "turning the bass strings."  The repinning= was done with 4/0 pins with apparently no preparation of the holes in the p= inblock.  Pin torque varies wildly, with many high treble pins over 225= inch pounds.  I cannot imagine now how to restring properly without re= placing the pinblock.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Raising pitch 80 cents and tuning was miser= ably difficult, perhaps tuning will be manageable when the strings have stab= ilized....? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Refinishing is a thin black lacquer (were 1= 890's verticals done in ebony?), and the brass lock plate and pedals have be= en carefully polished.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hammers have been re-shaped past regulation= , key pins turned in the front bushings, and key covers glued to fit the not= ch, with the tips overhanging, and no shaping.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The customer had hopes of buying a piano th= at would become a family heirloom.  The seller told her the old bass st= rings were so good that they didn't need replacement, and that she could eve= ntually complete the restoration with new hammers and dampers.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would be interested in your opinions of w= hat is the going value of an 1892 Steinway vertical, rebuilt to very good pl= aying and tuning condition, and what the purchase price of the instrument as=  it is should be.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Also I would appreciate your comments on th= e pinblock.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thank you very much.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ed Sutton</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"= >Erwins Pianos Restorations <BR>4721 Parker Rd.<BR>Modesto, Ca 95357<BR>209-= 577-8397<BR>Rebuilt Steinway , Mason &Hamlin Sales<BR>www.Erwinspiano.co= m</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>