Piano restoration & rebuilding.
From a single renewed component to a complete concert-grade rebuild, returning a fine piano to genuine performance condition, part by meticulous part.
Restoration and rebuilding renew a piano’s major structural and tonal components so a worthy instrument plays and sounds as it was built to. Done well, a rebuild does not merely repair a piano; it restores the tone, touch, and stability that made the instrument worth keeping in the first place.
The words matter, because owners often compare quotes that describe different jobs. Reconditioning is the lightest level: cleaning, repairing, and adjusting existing parts. Rebuilding replaces the major worn components rather than servicing them. Restoration means rebuilding to original specification, returning the instrument as closely as possible to how it was when new. We specify the scope honestly after inspection, and recommend a rebuild only when an instrument’s quality, value, or meaning justifies it.
What a comprehensive rebuild addresses
- Soundboard. The heart of the piano’s tone. We repair and re-crown the existing board, or install a new solid spruce soundboard, restoring the crown and downbearing that give power and sustain.
- Pinblock. When it can no longer hold the tuning pins tightly, the piano will not stay in tune. We fit a new, custom pinblock rather than oversizing pins as a stopgap.
- Restringing. New plain wire through the tenor and treble and new custom-wound bass strings, matched to the scale, for restored clarity and stability.
- Action. New Renner hammers, shanks, flanges, and wippens, from Germany, plus new dampers, followed by complete regulation and voicing.
- Bridges. Recapping and renewed bridge pins to restore clean, solid contact and good tone.
- Keys, cabinet & plate. Recovered and rebushed keys, and refinishing worthy of the work inside.
What “concert-grade” means
A concert-grade rebuild is held to the standard of an instrument fit for the stage: new premium components, exacting structural work to restore proper crown and downbearing, and the highest level of finish regulation and voicing. It is the difference between a piano that has been made to work again and one that has been returned to genuine performance condition. A well-rebuilt vintage Steinway can rival, and cost far less than, a comparable new instrument.
Frequently asked.
What is the difference between reconditioning, rebuilding, and restoring a piano?
Reconditioning cleans, repairs, and adjusts the existing parts without major replacement. Rebuilding replaces the major worn components, the soundboard, pinblock, strings, and action parts, to renew the instrument’s structure and performance. Restoration means rebuilding to original specification, returning the piano as closely as possible to how it was when new, including the cabinet and finish.
Is it worth rebuilding an old piano?
It is worth rebuilding when the finished instrument’s value, in quality, money, or sentiment, justifies the cost. Fine instruments such as Steinway and Mason & Hamlin are excellent candidates because they were built to be rebuilt and reward the investment. Rebuilding an inexpensive, mass-produced piano is usually not economical, and we will tell you so honestly.
What parts are replaced when a piano is rebuilt?
A comprehensive rebuild can include a new or restored soundboard, a new pinblock, all new strings including custom-wound bass strings, recapped bridges, a new action with Renner hammers, shanks, flanges, wippens, and dampers, recovered and rebushed keys, and a refinished cabinet and plate. The exact scope depends on the piano’s condition and is set after inspection.
How long does a concert-grade rebuild take?
A full rebuild of a fine grand is major craftsmanship measured in hundreds of hours, and elapsed time depends on scope, the components used, and the shop schedule. It involves structural work on the soundboard and pinblock, complete restringing, a new action, cabinet refinishing, and extensive final regulation and voicing, so it is planned as a project rather than a quick repair.
Related services.
Considering a restoration?
Send us details and photos of your instrument, and we will give you an honest assessment of what it needs and whether a rebuild is worth it.