What should I expect/what should be included in renovating an old piano?
February 2, 2025 6:11 AM   Subscribe

I own a ca. 1870 (small) Blüthner grand piano, and due to a bit of a windfall I am looking to get it renovated. What should I know about this beforehand, and what level of restoration should I go with?

At the very least, it needs to be restrung (a few individual strings are missing) and likely the hammers and dampers, which are rather old, need to be replaced.

The piano is very lovely and old, and part of what I love about it is how it plays. To what degree would a full restoration change the feel and sound of the piano?

Is there any reason to do only a partial restoration, or is this one of those things that might leave it in worse shape if I only do half-measures?
posted by vernondalhart to Media & Arts (10 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
The way it plays is a result of how worn the components are. You’ve adjusted your playing technique to the worn pieces, and any work done, no matter how minimal, is likely to change that.

You should probably discuss the restoration with a trained tuner, and determine how complete of a restoration can/should be done. Personally, I would prefer a full restoration, so that I could play it as god and Blüthner intended. You’ll adjust, and probably for the better.

But, again, I’d discuss the options with a professional.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:33 AM on February 2 [1 favorite]


what level of restoration should I go with?

recondition? "results of a rebuilding job tend to be musically uncertain" [pianobuyer]
posted by HearHere at 6:47 AM on February 2


When we were piano shopping we briefly considered going the route of having something quite old rebuilt. It turned out to be utterly cost prohibitive. Because it's such a rare niche, piano rebuilding is far more expensive than buying new. So the first thing you should expect is to spend quite a lot of money to get something playable at a modern standard.

How effective the rebuild will be depends on a few things, most notably the sound board and the peg block. Sound boards can't really be rebuilt, only repaired in some cases and otherwise replaced. And the peg block will determine tuning stability.

Parts in the action will certainly need replacing, hopefully just old swollen felt but you can't be sure til it's open. You might need to consider a full replacement, and I would recommend a WNG action in that case.

The sound of a piano is an interplay of all its parts. Replacing the strings will definitely have an effect, as will replacing hammers. Those, combined with the case itself, do most of the work producing tone, and the soundboard then contributes resonance and a bit more tone shaping on top. The more each of those components is touched, the more the piano's sound is likely to change.

You should choose your craftsperson first, as this is a rare specialty that you can't easily shop around for (in my metro there are zero people capable of a full restoration, and only one or two in my state). They will be able to demonstrate the kinds of changes in sound and feel to expect.
posted by dbx at 6:57 AM on February 2 [3 favorites]


Is there any reason to do only a partial restoration

“More is lost in so-called refinishing than many well meaning people realize.” [antiquevintageclocks]
posted by HearHere at 7:48 AM on February 2


My piano is a refurb'd 1890s Blüthner-- refurb'd to the point that the frame and case are original but everything else is new, or new-ish. I bought it from the Blüthner studio in London, so the refurb was done in-house.

I'm a singer so my playing is only mediocre, but tuners and professional pianists regularly express admiration for how good the instrument is. I bought it 15 years ago so I may need to get it revoiced soon, and I've had to have the pedals repaired, but generally it's held up beautifully.

I wonder if your piano has the Blüthner "patent action" of many pre-1920 instruments? When I asked about mine, they said "We never leave a patent action in place." So if it's a patent action the restorer may want to replace it entirely. Patent action wasn't a *bad* design, just a slightly different feel. It depends what you prefer.

A new vs. worn pegboard can make a real difference in how long your instrument holds its tuning.

I think people may say: if you're restringing, you may as well get new felt parts. If you get new hammers, they will voice it to your specifications; or they may be able to revoice the existing hammers. Generally, this is done by pricking the felt with needles to soften it; the sound then hardens/brightens with time as the felt compacts. In this video the restorer says he prefers a firm hammer on a Blüthner, so your existing ones may be fine? In any case, I've found that restorer's website to be very useful for piano geekery.

I suppose the ultimate answer is: get multiple quotes from multiple people, who will likely all have different ideas of what to do. Tell them what you love and want to preserve about the instrument.

This is sort of off the wall, but: your profile says you're in Sweden, right? I talked to a piano technician in 2019 at Edvard Grieg's house near Bergen, Norway-- he was an American living in Norway and happened to be refurb'ing Grieg's piano that day. He seemed like a sound chap who really knew his stuff. So it might be worth contacting Troldhaugen and asking who looks/looked after their pianos and whether he travels. Just a random idea.
posted by Pallas Athena at 8:52 AM on February 2 [4 favorites]


Response by poster: There is a technician near me that is offering to do the restoration, and in his words he would do either a full restoration (I believe a rebuild, as described above) or he is not interested. However, it does seem from what everyone is saying that it is pretty important to speak to several people before making a decision.
posted by vernondalhart at 9:44 AM on February 2 [3 favorites]


I know nothing about this piano.

But Grand? So cool...

We have my SIL's upright, with our tuner coming for his yearly visit in a day or so. I think it is always proper to do what needs to be done if you can afford it. I have a factory second Gibson SG that the repair folks said was worth like 3K. So was willing to pay the $400 bucks to get it cleaned up. A Grand piano seems like a similar situation. If you have someone who is going to play it, then yes. OTOH, so much can be wrong with pianos. They are complicated instruments...
posted by Windopaene at 2:45 PM on February 2


I only have experience with playing pianos, not getting them restored. Despite that, maybe this will help? https://homeguide.com/costs/piano-restoration-or-repair-cost

Pallas Athena linked to.a video from Roberts Pianos; they have several videos on Bluthner pianos restorations.
posted by foxjacket at 4:22 PM on February 2


If the soundboard and pinboard and basic bones of the piano are in good shape then don't go beyond repairing the broken strings and reparing the felt. Note that the kind of felt and how it is "voiced" *dramatically* affect the sound of the piano, so just be aware of that. Beyond that, you might as well find a different piano in a condition that you like, since the restoration will be more expensive than a different used grand.
posted by dis_integration at 9:52 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]


Mod note: [Such serendipity! We've added this post and Pallas Athena's answer to the sidebar and Best Of blog!]
posted by taz (staff) at 1:12 AM on February 4 [2 favorites]


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