Howard writes: <<My dilemma is this. Should I replace the sound board and pinblock because they are 115 years old even though they seem fine right now? Should I fix what ain't broke? >> Greetings, There are some soundboards that shouldn't be touched. I have several, myself. If this piano sings, rebuild the action, restring it with the next size pin, pay particular attention to the bridge notching and pin tightness, and see if you can carefully clean the board and make it beautiful with a very light coat of rubbed shellac. New is nice, but the occasional old gem needn't be ripped apart on principle, alone. Regards, Ed Foote RPT (the nicest sounding piano in my rental business is a 1912 model O, with original strings!)
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC