1902 Emerson Upright Piano

BEFORE

AFTER

Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!
About this piano:Â Years ago, this beautiful piano suffered a poor-quality refurbishing job that ultimately did more harm than good. Â The cabinet was badly refinished, and the interior was fitted with the wrong size felts which caused the piano to play poorly. Â The beautiful gold script EMERSON name label was even replaced with mailbox block letters from a local hardware store! Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â The piano is carefully disassembled and each individual part is labeled and recorded. Â Our crew assesses which parts will have to be ordered, and which parts will have to be made. Â 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. Â 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. Â The harp is removed and the old-growth wood soundboard is restored and refinished. Â The bridges are repaired and the piano gets a new pin block. Â 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. Â The old brittle celluloid keys are restored with high-quality new faux ivory keytops. Â The old worn felt and leather is replaced, and new hammers are installed. Â 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. Â Note the beautiful gold script "EMERSON" name has been replaced with incredible accuracy to match the original decal. Â The beauty of the imported Honduran Mahogany woodgrain shines through once again!

SEE AND HEAR THE FULLY RESTORED PIANO!
