Farrell wrote: >I personally think there is great potential here - after all, the local upholsterer is "confident we can save it." > Hey, don't knock it, remember these are the kind of guys that provide the naugahide for all the upholstered Wurlitzers! > I hope they can keep the case together, that way maybe the 10,000 internal parts will still be inside it! > They have to be sure that any restoration attempt reuses all of the original parts. After all, if it doesn't have 11,436 parts then it's not Babe Ruth's piano! I fear the only thing they are going to get out of this is a rusted plate, pedals, and action brackets. I'm sure that after 94 years under water through warm summers and frozen over winters whatever they find will disintegrate before they even get it on dry land. Of course there are experts who have raised much older artifacts successfully, but not pianos with the intention of playing them again! It would probably cost a fortune just to hire such an expert. Having all hide glue joints from that era the only thing that is likely holding it together now is whatever decaying goo that has formed between the layers. Even still if they could raise it in one piece then what? All you would have is a slime covered disintegrating mess. Often it is even impossible to save pianos that have just been in temporary floods. I'm not trying to be pessimistic here, just realistic. It would be like trying to raise a shot down encrusted WW II Mustang from the bottom of the south pacific and expect it to fly again. Question: Does anyone know who the tech might be in Boston that would have a hand in this? I would be interested in hearing something that way. Rob Goodale, RPT Las Vegas, NV
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