1903 Baldwin Hamilton Upright Piano
BEFORE
AFTER
Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!
About this piano: The Baldwin Piano & Organ Company is one of the most famous piano manufacturers in American history and their instruments have long been known for superior quality. This piano is a "Hamilton" brand, named after the original founder Dwight Hamilton Baldwin. Hamilton was one of the most successful brand names ever produced by "The House of Baldwin".
This lovely piano is one of the lucky ones because it has been lovingly cared for and maintained for decades. The owner's father purchased this piano for her when she was only 7 years old and this is the piano she learned to play. The piano remained with her throughout her life and became an integral part of the family. Parents, children and grandchildren learned to play on this family piano.
Now, nearly 50 years later, the owner's husband had us restore the piano for his wife as a birthday surprise! The restored piano was delivered back to the family home and was met with tears of joy and laughter as the family members reminisced about all the lives that had been touched by the instrument over the years. What an honor it was for us at The Antique Piano Shop to help make this possible!
Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!
Piano Restoration Process:
Assessment & Disassembly
While in reasonably good condition for its age, years of constant use have left the interior of the instrument worn and brittle. The piano is carefully disassembled and every piece labeled and recorded for reassembly after restoration.
Piano Restoration Process:
Cabinet Repair & Refinishing
The old original finish has chemically broken down and turned dark over the years. Decades of cleaning and furniture polish have marred the finish, losing its luster and clarify. The old finish is carefully removed and the cabinet is painstakingly glued back together to ensure structural integrity. All missing parts are hand-made for the case, and a natural lacquer finish is applied to the beautiful book-matched walnut wood.
Piano Restoration Process:
Soundboard Repair & Re-Stringing
The old rusty piano strings are removed from the instrument, allowing the harp and be removed from the case. The original soundboard has multiple cracking and splitting, but is restored rather than replaced so that the old-growth wood will have a voice for another century! With the soundboard and pinblock both restored, the harp is cleaned and re-sprayed with a lacquer finish and install back in the piano. With new strings installed against the old-growth wood soundboard, the tone quality of this piano is deep and powerful, much like a full-size baby grand!
Piano Restoration Process:
Action & Keyboard Restoration
Age and decade of use have left the interior mechanisms worn and brittle, requiring total restoration. The original ivory and ebony keys are chipped and cracked, but have been preserved well enough they are able to be restored rather than replaced. New action parts, hammers and felts are installed in the action so that the piano plays and sounds like it did when it was first built. Sorting through hundreds of individual parts of the piano action is like working with a huge jigsaw puzzle; imagine the time and patience involved in a proper restoration!
PHOTOS OF PIANO
AFTER COMPLETE RESTORATION
After restoration, the piano looks and plays like it did when it was new, rivaling the tone and touch of a brand new piano! The beautiful walnut cabinet shows incredible luster and clarity and the interior mechanisms look and function like the day it left the factory in 1903! Listen to the beautiful tone of the piano in the video below!