<html> <body> Hi Terry, From what I was able to glean from their post, I think they'd have a heart attack if I hit them with that kind of price. But who knows. I'll include your post when I respond to them tomorrow and we'll see what happens. Thanks. Avery At 07:51 AM 6/13/2006, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""> This sounds like a potential fabulous opportunity for a rebuilder. The K&B are generally well-built pianos. 1912 should have metal action brackets - but yes, the actions do have weird parts - the action will be more expensive to properly rebuild than normal - either need to use custom parts, or convert to more traditional action.   The owners obviously know it needs rebuilding - they may not be aware of the full extent needed, but they clearly appear to be half-way there. The piano is obviously a family heirloom - no other piano is going to work in quite the same way.   Such a small piano is potentially a prime candidate for belly design improvements (need to evaluate rim, framing, plate, etc to determine what exactly can be done with it). IMHO, assuming the thing needs a new soundboard, I would just recommend a full remanufacture with a redesigned belly (assuming plate, etc. allows proper redesign) and tell 'em you (or whomever) can make the piano sound and play better than any new small grand for $30 to $35K and see then where the family heirloom thing pushes them.   Hey, if you are not interested, I'd jump at an opportunity like this!   Terry Farrell <dl> <dd>----- Original Message ----- <dd>I got this e-mail today. Should I tell them what I "think" I should? <dd>I don't want to deal with it at all but if it might be worth it, I <dd>could refer it to someone else here. <dd>Isn't this the brand, Conrad, that you made a planter out of? :-D Or <dd>am I thinking of something else? <dd>Comments? <dd>Avery Todd <dd>University of Houston <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""> <dd>The piano is a 1912 Kranich & Bach 5'4" baby grand that has been in  <dd>the family since the 1930s. It has been primarily a furniture piece  <dd>for the past 25 years and probably hasn't been tuned in nearly that  <dd>time. There are a few dead keys. It has been in a climate controlled  <dd>home in Houston for over 40 years.  There is no water damage or major  <dd>structural compromise that we are aware of. <dd>We anticipate some reconditioning will be necessary and possibly even  <dd>partial rebuilding. <dd>We are contemplating the addition of a PianoDisc or similar system to  <dd>allow for recording and playback.</blockquote> </dl></blockquote></body> </html>