1887 Collard & Collard Grand Piano
BEFORE
AFTER
Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!
About this piano: This lovely piano was built by Collard & Collard in 1887. Collard & Collard is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious piano manufacturers and their pianos were widely exported all over the world. While Collard & Collard exported new pianos to Central and South America for many decades, they were not exported to America and are a bit rare in the United States today.
This piano was sent to us from Mexico for restoration because of our specialty in restoring rare and obscure instruments. English-built grand pianos made this early are of non-standard design, and parts are not readily available for them through standard piano supply companies. The conventional piano industry discourages restoration and preservation of instruments like this one simply because parts are not readily available and most experienced piano technicians have no idea how to restore them! At The Antique Piano Shop, we specialize in rare and obscure pianos like this one. We are set up to manufacture these obscure and obsolete parts in our workshop.
This piano had sat in a large window for many years, and sunlight exposure had caused it to become dull and badly faded. The instrument was used primarily as a piece of furniture, so years of neglect had allowed it to deteriorate to the point it was no longer usable or tunable. The owners of the piano had a deep appreciation for its uniqueness and history, and their appreciation of old-world craftsmanship encouraged them to have the instrument restored and preserved for posterity.
Our team was able to restore the instrument, both inside and out, to like-new condition. While much of the interior (strings, hammers, felts, etc.) had to be replaced with custom-made new parts, the original cabinet, harp, and old-growth wood soundboard were painstakingly restored with historical accuracy which allowed us to maintain the original soul of the instrument.
Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!
Piano Restoration Process:
Assessment & Disassembly
Years of neglect had left this piano virtually unplayable when it arrived in our shop. The interior components were brittle and worn, and the exterior case had suffered extensive sun damage and fading. The piano is carefully disassembled with parts labeled and organized. The elaborate COLLARD & COLLARD name label is carefully measured and duplicated so that an exact replica can be replaced with historical accuracy. The instrument is carefully assessed by our experts to determine what parts must be ordered, and what parts will have to be custom made in our shop.
Piano Restoration Process:
Cabinet Repair & Refinishing
The old faded rosewood finish is removed and the case is carefully repaired and many damaged areas are re-glued to improve structural integrity. Broken and missing pieces are repaired and replaced which historical accuracy. Multiple coats of rosewood stain, sealer and lacquer are applied and painstakingly hand-rubbed in order to achieve a rich finish with substantial clarity.
Piano Restoration Process:
Soundboard Repair & Re-Stringing
The old brittle strings were dirty and lifeless and unable to be tuned. The strings are removed and each individual string is carefully measured for size and diameter so an accurate stringing scale can be recorded. The harp is removed and the old-growth wood soundboard restored and refinished. The harp is re-guilded and the new strings were installed, making the instrument look brand new inside!
Note the unusual bronze color of the harp on this piano; many English-built pianos had dark bronze harps instead of the standard brilliant gold color found on most American-made instruments.
Piano Restoration Process:
Action & Keyboard Restoration
The patented designs used on antique English-built pianos were very different than their American counterparts. Today, parts and materials for these instruments are generally unavailable, requiring us to manufacture these obscure parts "in house" on a case-by-case basis.
Although this piano came to us in poor condition, the keyboard and action assembly was in surprisingly good, restorable condition. The ivory and ebony keyboard was restored to perfection. The interior action assembly was painstakingly restored with a historical perspective in mind, making the piano play like it did when it was a new instrument.
PHOTOS OF PIANO
AFTER COMPLETE RESTORATION
This instrument serves as an example of 19th Century piano building at it's finest. The old faded finish now shines with rich luster and clarify and the tone quality is warm and mellow. The restored piano looks, plays and sounds like it did when it left the factory over 120 years ago!