*Yesterday I was working through some ideas on my computer for a post, when
I inadvertently hit the wrong button and it was sent, mid-thought. Since I
am not a straight line writer, it didn’t make much sense in places, since I
had been jumping back and forth from idea to idea. I’d like to finish what I
started. Sorry for the screwup.*
* *
In the opinions expressed about the ethics of working on old
uprights,
the guiding principle seems to be whether an old piano is "worth fixing" or
not. Some technicians posting their opinions think that in almost all cases
such instruments are not worth the trouble.
If the worth of a piano were only to be based on its cash, or
commercial value, then it’s true that very few older instruments other than
Steinway or Mason and Hamlin would be worthy of restoration. In that sense,
technicians who believe most old uprights and grands should be thrown on the
dung heap have a point.
Real value, however, is sometimes not monetary in nature at all,
but resides in what tugs on our heart. As I stated in my partial post
yesterday, my mother’s rings are one of the handful of possessions that I
own that to me have such value. Commercially, these rings have a very small
worth. Sentimentally, however, they are priceless, if only to me. When a
customer owns a piano that is dear to their heart, one that their mother or
grandmother owned and made music on, for example, what gives any of us the
right to judge the worthiness of such an instrument?
In the case of a piano with sentimental value such as this, I
look the
instrument over with the customer and explain what I personally can and
cannot do to
bring the piano back to as close to the way it was when it was new as
possible.
What I can tell the customer is that if they agree to the
repairs recommended, when we are finished with the piano:
1. The case and keyboard will be beautiful. Whether it's ornate or plain,
it will look as if it belongs on a showroom floor. The finish will be glassy
smooth, all chipped or damaged veneer will have been repaired. It will be
the showpiece of any room.
2. The touch will be responsive and reliable. After we finish replacing
whatever action parts need replacing, fixing whatever needs fixing,
regulating and re-regulating, I can guarantee that it will play up to its
potential.
3. With a yearly tuning, the tuning will be stable. Whether we simply repin
and restring the piano, or replace the pinblock, pins and strings, we tune
the piano 4 times before it leaves the shop to insure stability.
4. The tone of the piano, the hardest factor to predict, is usually
surprisingly good once the piano is completed. Although we don’t replace
soundboards in our shop (no apology here, everyone has limits their comfort
zone), we do careful shimming and refinishing of soundboards.
Always with a older instrument of a lesser known brand, I make
it clear to the owner that any investment should be made with no thought of
resale, in that they would never be able to sell the piano for what they are
putting into it. I also point out the type of new instrument that could be
purchased for a similar price. With these things understood, I do the best
work that I can.
To be perfectly honest, before I close, I will say that the
majority of work we take on in the shop is at my recommendation. When I see
a piano in the field that has a lot of potential, I will bring up the idea
of restoration to the owner, and show them pictures and testimonials or
invite them to the shop. On pianos that truly seem hopeless, I simply keep
quiet about what we do. But, if a customer approaches me, and truly wants a
piano worked on because it is dear to them, then because they are my
customer, the piano is important to me as well, irregardless of its
condition.
Those of you who think this is all bunk, you are welcome to your
opinions (and I’m sure you will express them – go ahead and fire away). For
me, however, the warm thanks of my customers, expressed countless times over
the years, is all the justification I need to feel I’m doing the right
thing. Chuck
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