Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

ABOUT THIS PIANO:  This heirloom instrument was handed down through several generations to its current owner.  Although the instrument was an important part of the family's history, it sat neglected for decades and fell into disrepair.  Exposure to moisture and extremes in heat and cold left the piano in deplorable and unusable condition.

Because of the quality of the Bush & Gerts brand, the family knew that despite its poor condition that this piano could be restored to be a fine musical instrument once again.  The family arranged for the piano to be removed from storage and it was sent cross country to our shop for restoration.  Best of all, the family arranged for the restoration project to be a surprise for the owner and arrangements were made for the delivery of the restored piano to coincide with the owner's birthday party!

This beautiful piano holds the memories of past loved ones and will once again create new memories for its heirs; just imagine how many lives this single instrument will touch over the many generations it will ultimately serve!

Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

Piano Restoration Process:

Assessment & Disassembly

This beautiful piano came to us in neglected, unusable condition.  Here we see the piano being completely disassembled for a frame-off restoration.  All the parts are carefully sorted and labeled.  Even the elaborate gold scripted BUSH & GERTS labels are carefully documented and recorded so that they can be faithfully reproduced with historical accuracy!

Piano Restoration Process:

Cabinet Repair & Refinishing

The old finish had turned very dark and scaly over the years; this piano was never meant to look so dark and ugly!  The old finish was removed, exposing the beautiful exotic woodgrain underneath.  Broken and missing parts were repaired and made for the case, and the cabinet was carefully glued back together for structural integrity.

This particular piano is adorned with beautifully carved details, many of which were actually made from plaster casting (note the lighter colored carved details after the old finish was removed).  Much of this plaster cast detail was broken or missing, and our amazing crew was able to reproduce all missing and broken carving with stunning precision and historical accuracy!   The cabinet was stained and multiple coats of sealer and lacquer was applied, all done with careful and painstaking sanding between coats.  The carved plaster accents were faux-grained and toned to match the rest of the case, exactly as it would have been done at the factory a century ago.

Piano Restoration Process:

Soundboard Repair & Re-Stringing

The old worn strings are removed from the piano and the harp is removed from the case.  The original old-grown wood soundboard is restored despite excessive splitting and cracking.  The bridges were too badly damaged to be saved, so new bridge caps had to be made to ensure the best tone quality and durability.  The harp is re-gilded with gold lacquer and new strings are installed in the piano.

PIANO ACTION & KEYBOARD RESTORATION

Decades of exposure to the elements have caused the interior felts and leather to rot and deteriorate over time.  The original ivory keys are yellow, cracked and dirty and require extensive restoration.  The piano action gets new hammers, shanks and flanges as well as new dampers.  The keyboard cleaned and re-bushed, and the ivory keys are repaired, bleached and polished to look new once again.  The piano is regulated and tuned, finally ready for delivery back to its family 2,500 miles away!

PHOTOS OF PIANO AFTER COMPLETE RESTORATION

Not only does this piano look stunning, but the sound quality is quite powerful and impressive.  The beautiful BUSH & GERTS, CHICAGO name label was reproduced with historical accuracy and gives the instrument an overall finished and polished appearance.  The instrument once again looks and sounds like it did when it was built over a century ago!