<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: = #ffffff"> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004>I have indeed seen numerous = upright pianos being rebuilt....right here in my shop.  I recrown the soundboards, = and am often stunned by the huge sound they have once again.  No I can't = tell you how to do that.  There is just too much to it.  Perhaps I will = write an ebook someday.  It will take extensive pics as well.  I = have five or six uprights per year to do.  About half of them are players, = which we also specialize in.  Even though the piano salesmen in this town = have brainwashed most folks into believing their line that "You should just = throw that old piano away.", we have more work than we can ever get = done.  I like the victorian uprights most.  The actions are mostly replaced and = every spring and piece of felt or leather is replaced as well.  I only = replace a soundboard if someone drove a truck through it.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004>I have had a couple with such bad = water damage that the soundboard and all the back wall timbers collapsed into = a pile of separate wooden pieces.  One had the soundboard separate into a = stack of spruce about 8 inches wide.  All got glued back together and I = loved getting to sculpt a crown into the old and some new ribs.  The = piano has been back together over a year and it roars.  All with the original = board.  I love it if I can remove the soundboard to recrown it, but = most are too well attached.  </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004>I find most of my customers have = Grandma's piano.  Some Grandmas have me do the piano so they can hand it down = to the grandkids.  They don't care that it costs over $10K for rebuilding = Mammaw's old player piano.  They aren't going to sell it.  I have = several fine musicians willing to spend the money on an old upright because they know = how much it costs to buy an equivalent Bechstein or Steinway.  The last = time I checked (a while back) a full sized 52" Bechstein was $40K  A fully = restored high median to top quality brand name upright from 60-100 years = ago will out class the sound of many a new piano costing more than the restoration of an old one did.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004>D.L. Bullock</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004><A href="http://www.thepianoworld.com">www.thepianoworld.com</A></SPAN></D= IV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = Erwinspiano@aol.com [mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 22, 2004 = 9:46 AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Rebuiling uprights<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=937202204-23012004> With = snips: </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=4>    Although our usual rebuild is some form of grand piano this year I've = had a small run of people willing to rebuild solid post Victorian uprights. No = boards but full sets of bridge caps, strings, key&action work = & hand rubbed lacquer refinishing of the cases. These piano are well = preserved Calif. pianos with boards still offering musical potential & of = course the never to be seen again Victorian beauty.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>  = These pianos are by brand name,Schaaf bros. 1903, Mason& Hamlin 1908. Baldwin = 1885,(one of the first) & A Steinway k 1911. This is really weird. We don't = usually do more than one per year. My question, is this a trend anyone else is = seeing? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=4>   My criteria for agreeing to take on these projects is that the boards must still = sing & not seriously cracked up & that basically a very good musical & aesthetic outcome can be assured. If the piano is a train wreck I don't = take the job & I tell them the truth. Nothing marginal. been there done that & it's no fun.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>  It's = true (at least in Ca) that perhaps one in twenty uprights is worth doing in the = musical sense but none except the Steinway is worth doing in the financial value = sense. Make cents? Any way, despite my disclaimer statements to the client = (prior to rebuilding) as to its Monetary worth after rebuilding, which is that it = wouldn't probably retail for half what they had in it they still choose to do it. = The reasons are: Family piano, we liked the old look and sound. It sound = better than the new pianos. The case is gorgeous. They'll never make these again etc.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>  = That's it. I guess there's folks with money & a different sat of priorities out there = willing to do this. Oh yeah I love these  Pianos man.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3 = PTSIZE="12" FAMILY="SERIF">Dale Erwin<BR>Erwins Piano Restorations<BR>4721 Parker = Rd, Modesto, Ca. 95357<BR>erwinspiano@aol.com</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>