appraisal question another thonk?

[Ron Nossaman]

>  Should I just say it's got to have a new board and
> action, and be done with it?  For many people, they
> would be fairly satisfied with this instrument
> (although it's not up to its real potential) if those
> few notes weren't bad, however.

That's what I'd do. There are many thousand pianos out there 
that need new boards and actions, yet are still meeting 
someone's needs.


> Not knowing what the cause of this strange sound is or
> how to set the price range for them.  It's in a 
> building that is distant and someone has to meet me
> there each time I look at it, so I don't have easy
> access.  
> 
> Bob Hull

A significant part of it is the scaling. Those plain low tenor 
notes are too short, and at too low a break% for decent tone. 
A piano this size would be happier with a 25 (or more) note 
bass. Another significant part is likely the soundboard. Even 
with the low tenor attached to the low bass, the assembly 
isn't stiff enough there to satisfy the low tenor. Neither of 
these is a field repair, so the piano should be valued 
appropriately for something that needs a lot of work.

Ron N