1887 Ibach Upright Piano

Restoration Library / Ibach

BEFORE

This treasured heirloom instrument has been claimed by time.

AFTER

After professional restoration, this unique piano looks and sounds new.

Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

About this piano:

Now in its sixth generation Ibach is one of the oldest piano manufacturers still in production today, and they are currently based in Wilhelmstrabe, Germany.

Instruments by Ibach are of superior quality and are highly celebrated throughout Europe. Although Ibach pianos are rare here in the United States, they are consistently some of the finest European instruments we see come through our shop.

This Ibach upright piano is no exception to the legacy of quality held by the brand.

Piano Restoration Process:

Assessment & Disassembly

Every part of the piano is carefully photographed and cataloged as the piano is disassembled.

Piano Restoration Process:

Cabinet Repair & Refinishing

The old, faded finish is removed, revealing the stunning German Oak marquetry. Ample time and care would have been taken by the makers of this piano to create a cabinet like this.

Piano Restoration Process:

Soundboard Repair & Re-Stringing

The original spruce soundboard is skillfully repaired before the plate or (harp) is placed back into the piano. The soundboard grain runs left to right rather than diagonally. We’ve found that this was a style used by many European manufacturers of this time period. On the contrary, most pianos made by American manufacturers of the period had vertically or diagonally running soundboard grain.

Piano Restoration Process:

Action & Keyboard Restoration

All distinctive features of the action’s geometry are noted before work begins to allow for accurate and historically correct rebuilding. This piano has a very unique “Birdcage style” action. Its name comes from the spindly, cage-like appearance of the damper arms on the front of the action. This esoteric mechanism can be found in a number of very old pianos from England, and a few from Germany. They are notoriously complicated to work on and nearly impossible to restore properly.

PHOTOS OF PIANO

AFTER COMPLETE RESTORATION

Through hundreds of hours of hard work we were able to bring this piano back to life. Each member of the team was delighted with the end result!

SEE AND HEAR THE FULLY RESTORED PIANO!

Learn more about restoring your heirloom instrument!

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Antique Piano Shop, Inc.,
1158 Lane Drive,
Friendsville, TN 37737

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