Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

About this piano:  This beautiful “Southern Gem” model square grand piano was built by J. P. Hale & Company of New York.  The piano was built in 1880, a time when more square grand pianos were being built in America than both upright and grand pianos combined!  This piano is made of Brazilian Rosewood, now an endangered species, and is of the carved Rococo Victorian style.

This piano is one of the lucky ones; it has been loved by its family and relatively well cared for most of its life.  The piano was sent to us for restoration by an heir of the original owner and will be used and passed down by subsequent members of the family.

It is important to understand that the interior mechanisms of square pianos are very different from baby grand and upright pianos.  Parts are not readily available for them through common piano supply companies, and many less experienced piano tuners may discourage their restoration and preservation.  Here at The Antique Piano Shop, we are set up to manufacture all of the obscure parts for square grand pianos  on a case-by-case basis, giving us the ability to do a complete and historically correct restoration on square pianos like this one.

Square grand pianos like this one have a softer, more "harp-like" sound quality than modern pianos.  It is fascinating to consider that when this instrument was built, there was no artificially amplified sound and the hustle and bustle of the industrial revolution was just beginning.  The sound of nature or perhaps the a steam locomotive would have been the loudest noise one would have ever heard.  Because their ears were accustom to the solace of very little noise, our ancestors considered the soft, "harp-like" sound quality of the square piano to be very desirable.

Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

Piano Restoration Process:

Assessment & Disassembly

The piano is carefully disassembled and every individual piece is carefully recorded and labeled.  All hardware is painstakingly removed. The action and keyboard are delicately removed and disassembled. The original gold scripted "SOUTHERN GEM" and "J. P. HALE & COMPANY" decals are carefully measured and copied so an exact duplication can be put back on the piano during the restoration process.

Piano Restoration Process:

Cabinet Repair & Refinishing

The old faded finish is carefully removed and the bare wood is repaired, re-glued and carefully sanded.  Broken and missing pieces of the cabinet are repaired and replaced.  Multiple coats of stain, sealer and lacquer are applied to the case, each coat painstakingly sanded smooth for luster and clarity.

Piano Restoration Process:

Soundboard Repair & Re-Stringing

The old brittle strings are removed from the piano and each individual string is measured for diameter and size.  Decades of dirt and debris are caked on the soundboard and bridges.  The harp is removed from the piano and is carefully cleaned and re-gilded with brilliant gold lacquer.  The old-growth wood soundboard and bridges are restored.  The harp is reinstalled in the piano, and new strings are carefully installed.

Piano Restoration Process:

Action & Keyboard Restoration

The original celluloid keytops are brittle and cracking so new faux-ivory keytops are installed for long-term durability.  The mechanical action of the piano is moth eaten and dry-rotted so many new parts will need to be made.  New hammers are installed in the piano and the piano action is painstakingly rebuilt with new felt, leather, springs, etc.   Because the parts for this instrument are obscure and not readily available, we specialize in making all of our parts "in house" on a case-by-case basis.  Our amazing action team was able to duplicate every last part of this square grand piano action both by hand and with the help of CNC machines.

PHOTOS OF PIANO

AFTER COMPLETE RESTORATION

After restoration, the piano looks and plays like it did when it was built in 1880! The lovely rosewood finish has a renewed luster and sheen, and the interior of the instrument has been completed rebuilt to like-new condition. Listen to its sweet delicate tone in the video below!