"New" old uprights Costs

[Farrell]

I love this thread. I love old uprights. But I do not understand how to go
about a "complete restoration" within the $7K to $8K range...at a profit.
Are we talking complete, complete, i.e. board, bridge caps, block, strings,
action, keys, refinishing (good job), regulating? I have a hard time
envisioning anthing under $10K. How can it be done?

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <Kdivad@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 8:23 AM
Subject: Re: "New" old uprights


> In a message dated 05/03/2000 9:49:40 PM Central Daylight Time,
> cmpiano@earthlink.net writes:
>
> >  I did the job.  They were pleased.  A few months ago He
> >  called me to tune the piano and check it out.  Seems his wife had
passed
> >  away and he wanted to keep up with her precious piano.  Don't
> >  underestimate sentimentality, but don't milk it.
> >
> >  Wimblees@AOL.COM wrote:
> I agree whole heartedly.  There is one more positive about restoring an
old
> upright and that is the fact most of the time the cost of restoration is
much
> less than buying a new upright of the same quality.  We do about 20
complete
> upright restorations per year at an average cost of 7k to 8k and the
volume
> goes up each year.  I am always sure to tell the customer that this is not
an
> investement and that it is likely that they will never break even.  Though
> there is a piano dealer located about 100 miles from here who specializes
in
> restored old uprights.  He has a waiting list of customers for his pianos
at
> $7500.00 apiece.
> David Koelzer
> DFW Texas
>