Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

About this piano: Years ago, this beautiful piano suffered a poor-quality refurbishing job that ultimately did more harm than good.  The cabinet was badly refinished, and the interior was fitted with the wrong size felts which caused the piano to play poorly.  The beautiful gold script EMERSON name label was even replaced with mailbox block letters from a local hardware store!  The deplorable work previously done on the piano made it quite a challenge to restore!

This piano is a family heirloom that was restored in order to be passed down to future generations.  The owners of the piano were told by their local piano tuner to buy a new piano, but luckily they were able to appreciate the potential of their heirloom instrument and decided to invest in restoration and preservation rather than buying a generic new piano.  Now, their grandmothers piano will live on for another century and will serve several generations of piano players!

Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

Piano Restoration Process:

Assessment & Disassembly

An poor-quality attempt at restoration many years ago ultimately did more harm than good.  The piano is carefully disassembled and each individual part is labeled and recorded.  Our crew assesses which parts will have to be ordered, and which parts will have to be made.  Note the original gold "EMERSON" name decal was replaced with mailbox block letters from a local hardware store!

Piano Restoration Process:

Cabinet Repair & Refinishing

The old dirty finish is removed and the Honduran Mahogany wood underneath is carefully repaired and sanded.  Multiple coats of stain, sealer and lacquer are applied, giving this piano the deep, rich mahogany color it would have had when it was new.

Piano Restoration Process:

Soundboard Repair & Re-Stringing

The rusty, brittle old strings are removed from the piano.  The harp is removed and the old-growth wood soundboard is restored and refinished.  The bridges are repaired and the piano gets a new pin block.  The harp is re-guilded with gold lacquer and the new strings are installed.

Piano Restoration Process:

Action & Keyboard Restoration

A previous poor-quality attempt at restoration installed the wrong size keys and felts and the wrong adhesives were used.  The old brittle celluloid keys are restored with high-quality new faux ivory keytops.  The old worn felt and leather is replaced, and new hammers are installed.  The rest of the piano action is rebuilt so that the instrument performs like new again.

PHOTOS OF PIANO

AFTER COMPLETE RESTORATION

The restoration was done with a historical perspective in mind.   Note the beautiful gold script "EMERSON" name has been replaced with incredible accuracy to match the original decal.  The beauty of the imported Honduran Mahogany woodgrain shines through once again!