John: I am interested in the prices you receive for the uprights. Thanks, Jim Dally ---------- > From: Granholm Bros. <gbros@term.wanweb.net> > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: Uprights > Date: Monday, November 10, 1997 2:53 PM > > Dave and List: > > I've been reading with interest the posts about refurbishing old uprights. > My brother and I have done many of them--they are a mainstay of our > business. Here are a couple more observations based on our experience. > > We run our business based first on what our customers want. When we look > at a rebuildable old piano, we make sure our potential customer understands > the levels of work they can buy. Some just want the piano working as well > as possible with original parts, and others want a total rebuild. The key > is honesty with the customer. I looked at two pianos last week, and my > recommendation in each case was that the customers not put their money into > those instruments--buy something new, or find a better old piano, so we can > be assured of a satisfactory result. The rule, though, is that the > customer gets what he wants, and understands what that is. > > Those who posted about the sentimental value of old pianos to some people > were absolutely correct. We did a mid 20's 85-note Wurlitzer for a lady, > in spite of our recommendation that she not invest a lot of money in the > piano. She didn't care about the cost--the piano had been her mother's, > and she had learned to play on it, and she wanted it made like new, and > hang the expense. She didn't care that the piano was of marginal > quality--it was part of her family. So we rebuilt and refinished. She was > thrilled with the piano--so happy, in fact, that she sent her mother in to > buy one from us, and I now tune regularly for the customer, the mother, and > two sisters. We've seen over and over again how a customer's eyes light up > when a refinished heirloom upright comes back into his home. These people > love their pianos, and they happily write us large checks for the work we > do. For most of them, the fact that their pianos are not Steinways is of > little importance--it's the memories of a grandparent or parent playing the > piano, or of the customer herself practicing as a child. They are very > happy to see their pianos brought back to life. > > Somebody mentioned maybe keeping a few old uprights around. We do that. > We've had some customers poke through our "collection" and discover one > they like, which they have then purchased from us, rebuilt and refinished. > Again, one lady liked her old Schumann so much, she came back and picked > out another one for her mother. The pianos, as I'm sure you know, are easy > to come by. We get calls all the time, so we can be picky about what we > buy. We've taken some junk in trade, but we part 'em out and recycle > plates, pins, wire, and as much of the wood as we can. > > I know there are legitimate differences of opinion on this topic. I've met > technicians who hate old uprights, and I've had my frustrating moments > trying to fix unfixable junky pianos too. If you can't stand them, don't > work on them. But I enjoy the restoration process, and it's gratifying to > see how great these old pianos can look and how good they (yes, some more > than others) can sound. > > Thanks for everyone's input on this topic. > > John Granholm > Granholm Bros Piano > Roseburg OR
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