Steinway Rebuilding, the differences.
At Ontario Pianos Inc. we are striving to make it goal to have the largest selection of rebuilt used Steinway & Sons grand pianos in Canada.
Certain older Steinway & Sons pianos and grand pianos and upright pianos are excellent candidates for restoration.
Lately new high end grand pianos are very expensive. Steinway & Sons are very expensive and in our opinion as piano industry insiders, new Steinway & Sons grand pianos are not as well manufactured today as they were in the past.
As a consumer you could get a very good deal and a better piano if you purchased an older Steinway & Sons providing you know what to look for. If you don't, our advice is to ask assistance from someone that knows. We also think it is very important to learn as much as you can before investing a large amount of money.
Problem areas to look out for
- Most upright and grand pianos “look” good after they are "rebuilt" and sitting on a show room floor. The trouble is that most so called rebuilders are not capable of doing a good job. Or they may simply be unwilling to do a comprehensive job because they want to sell the piano for a lower price. This can be easily achieved by replacing fewer parts and spending less money on labour and a piano is parts and labor, nothing else!
- Another problem is that very few dealers and technicians have the capability, knowledge and/or the facilities to properly rebuild a grand piano. Most tuners and certainly almost all piano teachers do not know much about the workings of pianos at all!
- WARNING: There are now dealers in our area that are selling rebuilt Steinway and Sons grand pianos that have been rebuilt in China. These pianos are often found at very good prices. We have heard horror stories about these pianos. In many cases the rebuilding has been done with poor materials and workmanship. Our advice is to stay away from these questionable pianos. When purchasing a rebuilt piano make sure you trust the workmanship and reputation of the rebuilder.
- Also important is to ask what kind of quality parts were used to rebuild the piano. For example, a full set of RENNER hammers can cost upward of $500 while a full set of low quality hammers, which look virtually the same, will cost only $10 per set!
Before learning the differences it is very important to learn and identify the different grand piano parts and determine where they are and what their function is.
The three main parts of a grand pianos are:
The case
- the sound board
- the pinblock
- the pins
- the strings
- the bridges
- the ribs
- the agraffes
- the plate
- the lettering
- the dampers
- the different felts
The action
The purpose of the piano action as a whole is to accurately translate every nuance of the player's finger and hand movements into a musical note that reflects the exact intentions of the player. The slightest change in the speed of the stroke, the firmness of the stroke and even the release of the key must result in a corresponding change in the piano's performance. The explanations here will certainly not turn you into an expert piano technician but hopefully as a player you will have a better feel for the control of your instrument by grasping the sheer complexity of what happens every time you press a key down and release it. The piano technician who can expertly make the adjustments necessary to achieve the above described behavior from the piano is indeed a true artisan. The action consists of the following parts.
- the hammers
- the shanks
- the wippens
- the backchecks
- the keys
- the key coverings
- the bushings
- the balance rail
- the balance rail bushings
- the key end felts
- the key frame
- the let off felts
- the action frame
- the damper under lever action
- the damper guide rail
- the pedal lyre and trap work
The cabinet
- the music desk
- the legs
- the inner rim
- the outer rim
- the brass hardware or
- the plated hardware.
The action parts and regulation we made a separate chapter. Please click " regulation know-how" to read up about the parts and the labour.
Comments
Rebuilding should give the consumer a "brand new' used piano. In the case of a Steinway and Sons you will get a better than new piano and you will pay much less! We hope that after studying our comments carefully you will now know that a Steinway & Sons model B made in 1900 and offered for sale for $50.000 and is rebuilt properly could be a much better deal than the same Steinway & Sons model B made in 1900 for $45.000 that does not have a new pin block and a new action.
We see adds like this all too often: ' For sale by dealer: Beautiful Steinway & Sons grand piano model B, great shape, recently tuned, new strings, new pins, action inspected by licensed technician. $45,000 obo. Looks great! '
Beware!!!
Our quality Promise
All work on our used grand pianos is done locally and is inspected by us. All regulation work and installation of new actions, as well as voicing, is done in our show room, the customer's house or concert hall! 10 years warranty on everything sold by us!