Full Piano Restoration Time-Lapse

[@shortliner68]

I always enjoy seeing something that was well made to begin with like this fine piano, be restored and looking (and sounding) like new again. Hate to see old items trashed simply because they are old. Honestly, I never realized how complex the inner workings of pianos are until watching a few of these restoration videos.

[@thylaswing]

Fabulous video which helps explain the process and why a fully restored piano is so expensive.

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

Some of the big uprights of that era, like this one, were absolutely splendid, though needing a lot of rework to bring back to new condition. I had another one made in New England, a Huntington from Connecticut. We couldn't afford a refinish of the now rough outside or new strings, but still was able to get the works reconditioned and felts replaced, and it served well for years yet till basement flooding took its toll. Still it was rugged enough that it took several of these floods before the cabinet came unglued and gave up the ghost. That was a prosperous era and pianos like this were built like tanks.

[@RemiLeBon99]

Amazing ! Keep up the good work! You need more appreciation for the work you do.

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@davidhofman4341]

Forty years ago I was given a WEAVER piano built in York, Pa. The piano was used by a school music teacher that lived next to the school. For many years it played every night after school and morning to night on weekends. It was played so much that the brass was worn through on one of the petals. I scraped the case and finished with clear. A piano toner rebuilt the mechanical parts and sent the white keys to get plastic tops. He tuned it up in 3 stages over 3 months. He was amazed that every pin and string was original. I spent weeks using compound and car wax to clean the brass hardware.

[@elrey8876]

Do you still have it?

[@davidhofman4341]

MY youngest daughter has it

[@anderslandgren6745]

Wonderful labour of love! Every home should have a proper piano. The world would be a better place.

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you. Agreed!

[@ThePianoMan1953]

I moved across the country to the mid-west and am renting in what they call the "historic" section of the town with Victorian/Edwardian era homes. As I walk at night, I can see through the windows and it is interesting that I often see the classic, old upright through the windows. With the amber lighting, I often see in the house, it always seems so fitting.

[@franks4103]

Absolutely magnificent restoration!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you!

[@De_mitaSiburian-uw7xs]

Nice 🎉

[@DocBree13]

I’m speechless! ❤️❤️❤️

[@PASHKULI]

Great restoration! Pleasure to watch!

[@josipmuzic2733]

Wow, I was considering renovating a piano I had recently bought. This video completely demotivated me 😅 I now finally realize why it's expensive to renovate your piano. 1. The space and tools (I know it's not a big thing, but it's still worth noting that I don't have that kind of space and tools) 2. The time (this must have taken days! and it would've taken me even longer because I would've been alone and it would've been my first time) 3. The great knowledge of the piano (I would definitely not even consider taking off the strings because I wouldn't know how to assemble it properly) 4. The great knowledge of the proper practices to restore the piano (what kind of materials to use and when) 5. The materials that you use in general must be quite expensive

[@WillieCleo]

Great restoration, beautiful.

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you!

[@kathykoeven]

Beautiful!

[@MrPianoTech]

Thanks!

[@JohnK-gl3um]

Mesmeric! I thought you might have given it a final test - The 'Minute Waltz' - in 5 seconds!

[@MrPianoTech]

🤣

[@fw1421]

I am in awe! Beautiful job.. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you!

[@laurenloertscher1319]

My family owns an M. Shulz Co. Piano of a very similar type. We think it was made in 1906, and it still sounds beautiful. It needs to be refinished and restained, though, and we're going to try it DIY. This video was helpful.

[@MrPianoTech]

Great! There's nothing like bringing a piano back to life!

[@deldridg]

Thank you for this wonderful video. It does my heart good to see new life breathed into old pianos. Many thanks from Sydney, Aust - Dave

[@MrPianoTech]

Thanks Dave!

[@jasonpark5906]

I just got an old Koehler and Cambell upright from1920 given to me a couple weeks ago. It’s the first piano that I’ve ever owned. It plays beautifully but definitely needs some TLC. I’m Not sure how much I should spend on it.

[@laurenloertscher1319]

A piano restorer/tuner would be happy to drop by your house and give you a quote on it. We had a guy look our antique piano over, and his estimate was $2000 for just the aesthetic restoration. Tuning, repairing, and string replacement are more expensive on top of that.

[@JacobEmch91]

Nice.

[@lemaitrethemonk]

Bravo!

[@robertacton1271]

I'd much rather listen to a narrator explaining the process.

[@gregoryfrolov2537]

what's the name of the tune in the background on the video? It's beautiful, I wanna add it to my playlist.

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you for the kind words, you can find both tracks here: soundcloud.com/mike-28-2?

[@rgriffith6476]

Im working on my first... half restoration , we'll call it lol. Your help would be greatly appreciated! 1) how do you effectively strip old finish and stain out of the really ornate areas without sanding away the detail? 2) how do you maintain, or re-do the logo on the key cover?

[@MrPianoTech]

Hey Reece, good luck with everything! 1. sometimes I've had to put liquid stripper in my spray gun and hose down the fine detail areas while scrubbing with a brush. Also, these can help miracleeraser.com/. They'll conform to the details but they wear out quick, and they stink. 2. I order my decals from here: www.decalsunlimited.com/

[@rgriffith6476]

@@MrPianoTech thanks! Man they aren't cheap are they 😳 Good thing it isn't a steinway!

[@MrPianoTech]

@@rgriffith6476 haha yeah, and most of the soundboard decals are at least $150 so it's no fun damaging it 😒

[@rgriffith6476]

I appreciate it! I'm using a brush application stripper, and a cheap set of wire and nylon brushes. It's working well! I want to do a high gloss, classic black 'piano black finish. That's the last thing I need to figure out!

[@MrPianoTech]

@@rgriffith6476 Mohawk makes a good black "Piano Lacquer".

[@aliar11]

Wow 👏👏👏

[@cazzacbaghdad]

What is the background music?

[@MrPianoTech]

Sorry for the late response, looks like youtube quit notifying me when comments are left. Some pieces that I composed.

[@cazzacbaghdad]

@@MrPianoTech So good! The melody at the 1min mark had me hooked. I watched more of the video because the music didn't suck. Thought you should know 😃

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you, that means a lot. I'll put a link up in the description to download the music soon.

[@johnnyp6202]

Cool video. What ballpark did this cost? Would have loved to seen how you handled the action, keys, etc... it was mostly the cosmetic stuff

[@anthonybruno2069]

I really enjoyed watching this video.. There is a lot of work restoring a vintage Piano.. I was wondering, do you also restore or replace the Pin block ?

[@MrPianoTech]

If necessary, although that repair process is much simpler in a grand.

[@danhunt2425]

Nice reno! Brovo!!

[@MrPianoTech]

Thanks!

[@Feldspar__]

How did you get the lettering back on the fallboard?

[@MrPianoTech]

I typically purchase a new decals from Decals Unlimited, they are a rub-on then your finish goes on over the top of it.

[@motiv311]

Love the background music... hope that was your composition ~!

[@MrPianoTech]

Thanks! Yep it is. I plan to put more up on www.formlevelmedia.com as soon as I can. Thanks for watching!

[@satchieA]

Good day, Mr Piano Tech. Are you accepting piano restoration from abroad? How much the shipment back and forth would cost? Thanks!

[@MrPianoTech]

Hello! Yes we do. For shipments within the US we recommend Modern Piano Movers. You'd have to contact them for a quote. Internationally there are a few companies but we haven't done enough business with them to recommend any certain one.

[@johnfloy]

Amazing!

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you!

[@Thelegendofme]

I am curious why it took many months, I mean I've literally rebuilt an upright action and restrung the same piano in 2 days, I didn't refinish the case, but everything else was 100% restored down to even sandblasting and painting the plate. I don't imaging sanding staining and refinishing a case would take that long. Assuming I had all the parts on hand I probably could have gotten this restoration done in a week.

[@MrPianoTech]

Not if done properly. Once the stripping, sanding is done then it's time for repairs. I've never had a piano in the shop that didn't need them. Whether it's broken parts or most likely spots of veneer that need repair it takes time to build up repair layers or even fully replace pieces of veneer. Then comes the final sanding then staining. Then the really long part, the nitrocellulose lacquer. Lacquer takes a considerable time to cure between coats, again if done properly. It needs about a week, preferably two weeks between coats to properly harden to be able to be sanded between coats. When you figure 2-3 sealer coats, then usually around 4 top coats, yeah, it adds up to months. Plus, you'd better let it cure up some before piling on pads and strapping it down inside a delivery truck unless you want to redo the job.

[@patnorth3381]

And the expertise to repair and regulate the action, replace all the hammer felt, felts throughout, several tunings, the ears to make it a great sounding instrument ...you know the things you learn in a several years long piano repair apprenticeship. --All the things that make the thing a professional piano again and not a diy kit.

[@daphneblake7889]

I have an old Conway Boston upright with a simplex player that has never been restored. It's not a fabulously valuable piano but has been in the family for at least 65 years. It was already well used when my parents bought it. Over the years the player fell silent. However it was well used as a piano up until my sister set out on her own. I have inherited it and want to restore it to working order. It has a very old-worldly saloon sound. (Does not have a mandolin bar) it just sounds so much better than even the new pianos people buy for their homes. I don't want to loose this sound. What should I leave untouched? Tuning pins? Hammers? Strings? Anything? I want to do a good job but not destroy the pianos sound.

[@MrPianoTech]

Most of the sound comes from the soundboard. They’re typically made of spruce and tend to sound better with age, that’s the benefit to restoring an old piano. Also they tend to be quite a bit bigger than modern pianos which adds to the sound as the soundboard itself is also bigger. Keep the soundboard, I’m sure everything else has a lot of mileage on it and probably needs replacing. The hammers would be next thing that affects the sound but if they’re in bad shape, they should be replaced.

[@johnc7309]

Hello! I have an old Cable Euphona Player Piano that I would love to restore. Is there any way we can get in touch to talk about pricing?

[@MrPianoTech]

[e-mail]

[@dorisbrinkerhoff8124]

that looks very nice . but i still have a soft spot for our piano

[@sixtiesfan11]

Hello Mr Piano Tech, greetings from UK. What do you use to get the wood clean? We have rescued a Lipp upright and don't know how to get all the dirt and nicotine off. 🤔

[@MrPianoTech]

Hello, thank you for watching! I recommend using Murphy's Oil Soap (diluted) to remove gunk from finishes.

[@sixtiesfan11]

@@MrPianoTech Thank you 🤗

[@deldridg]

Wow - I grew up with a Richard Lipp Twin Crown upright in my teens way back in the 80s. My parents still have it and dad plays it daily. It has a very light touch but is still a lovely piano to play. No dirt or nicotine on ours thankfully. Hope you've managed to get it back to its regal state! Cheers from Australia - Dave

[@sixtiesfan11]

@@deldridg Nice to hear from you Dave. We have repaired it all, replaced broken strings and it has had its first tune since 1980. It will take some time to resettle. It indeed has a light touch, but very controllable. Will put video on when tuner has been again. Hoping to get over to Aussie to see my bro again when we can. ☺

[@Gruuvin1]

I am very curious about the value of 100+ year old Kurtzmann uprights such as this. And how in the world does this piano survive the Florida humidity in a building like that? I ask because I owned a 1913 Kurtzmann upright and now a 1919 Kurtzmann upright. These are very tall. Both held up very very well, except for the action and hammers (to be expected), and I wish I could pay someone a reasonable price to have the action completely reworked and hammers replaced. But it seems professionals don't value these old uprights enough to work on them. I could spend $5k on a used Yamaha U3, but I would prefer to hear my Kurtzmann sound as best it can. Any advice? (Atlanta, GA).

[@MrPianoTech]

I think older, taller upright are underrated and undervalued. The spruce soundboards only get better with age, assuming there’s no damage to them. There’s no “blue-book” value on pianos, the value all depends on condition and what someone is willing to pay for it. The U3’s are wonderful pianos, built to professional standards. It think the U3 would “play” better due to it being newer and being engineered and built better than the Kurtzmann but when it comes to acoustic instruments it’s a very personal decision based on how you enjoy actually playing it, it’s very subjective. Either piano in great condition would be a great piano. Just depends on which one you get along better with.

[@Gruuvin1]

@@MrPianoTech thanks for the reply. It looks like a U3 is about $5k used, and it seems some older ones have a warm sound and the newer ones have a more consistent bright and crisp sound. But I wish I could pay someone to rebuild the action of my Kurtzmann so I could at least experience how nice it could sound. My gut tells me I'd love it.

[@racsan9740]

This is my piano, and Mr Piano Tech did an awesome job! In answer to the "Florida humidity" question. That shed has an air conditioner in it. My husband curtained off the area he had it in and ran the A/C. The bigger threat to this piano was that my mom had it in her garage in Iowa for a few years... freezing cold weather up there, and fortunately, the soundboard wasn't cracked. She bought that piano for $10 in a church auction in the 1960s, so it's the piano I grew up with. There's a big sentimental attachment! Since the restoration, we have an insurance policy for the piano, for replacement value.

[@Gruuvin1]

@@racsan9740 my Kurtzmanns have sentimental value to me too, and I'm pretty curious how it would sound if the hammer felts were voiced, and by that I mean needled and sanded so the years of wear and compacting the felt are reversed to get rid of the harsh sounds most old pianos have due to this. Did you have your hammers voiced. How did the sound change?

[@MrPianoTech]

@@racsan9740 Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying it!

[@khurrammozaffar]

I have a piano that I assume would need a similar amount of rebuild. The external appearance not so much, but definitely all the internal work. Can you give me a sense of how much this whole procedure cost? Sorry if it is mentioned in the video - I watched it without sound in bed so as not to wake up anyone :)

[@MrPianoTech]

Hello, thank you for watching! Hard to say, prices charged by techs can be all over the place but if it needs just a mechanical restoration I'd say expect to pay anywhere from $2,000-$5,000. Just a guess, have a tech give you an estimate after they look at it and go from there.

[@TM-jo4wz]

A full restoration, a new action, new strings reguilding the plate, polishing all hardware, new key tops, restoration of key pins front and back. Cleaning all the key bed etc. A closed grain factory finish that you do yourself plus all the labor. Then putting it back together. Two or more chip tunings then several tunings before delivery then two tunings in home. Pick up and delivery etc. polished pedals. Decal If the pin block needs replacing that’s a big cost. I estimate easily 10,000. Pin block replacement more. I used to work in a shop probably 14 years ago. His top notch closed grain refinish was around 2500.00 average sized upright. Restringing around 2000.00. That included tuning. A complete new action 3000.00 Xtra for regulation. New key tops 500.00 Then all the labor Delivery etc. That is a guesstimate around that Time. We restored a Midsize Baldwin grand 13,500.

[@TheSamehemil]

I am wondering If anyone can help me take to study and work in manufacturing of this amazing instrument, I work in piano restoration since 2010 , I live in Egypt and I can't find anyone to help me learn more in that field

[@MrPianoTech]

Hmm, I'd reach out to the PTG and see if they have any connections to people or groups in your area. Thank you for watching!

[@TheSamehemil]

@@MrPianoTech thank you so much

[@seancregomusic]

How often do you have to tell a customer that their old piano is simply...an old piano...and the cost of restoration isn't worth the value of the instrument? Or do you just restore whatever the customer wants restored?

[@MrPianoTech]

It depends. Most of the restoration work that I do is on pianos that people have a sentimental attachment to so the possible return on investment doesn't concern them. Every now and then I'll get someone that wants to flip one for sale but that's not very common. Typically if a grand piano has a cracked plate, if an upright has a destroyed pinblock, and some other major issues I would tell them just not to do it it's not worth it. But if it's important to them and it is restorable they will usually do it. I also tell them that there is a mechanical restoration and a full restoration and that a mechanical replaces things like the strings, pins, hammers, things that wear out and they should have no problem getting their money back if they ever decide to sell it. A full restoration can sometimes be different because restoring the cabinet is pretty labor intensive and isn't cheap so really just depends on how much it means to them.

[@seancregomusic]

@@MrPianoTech that's pretty much exactly what I thought you would say. Thank you! (I have had lots of students buy old, junk pianos just because of the name on the fallboard and time period before they were stencils. They ask me what I think, and I often bite my tongue because now their kid is going to be learning to play on an old piano that hardly functions at all, but it's better than not playing anything, I guess. Sometimes they will ask a restorer for the cost to restore and they decide it's not worth it.) I have a friend with a 106 year old Waltham player piano that would be worth a lot if fully restored, but the cost to get it to that point is also quite a lot, so she hasn't done it yet. I hope she is able to someday, though! :)

[@MrPianoTech]

@@seancregomusic Yeah, the best piano for someone to learn on is a brand new one! Unfortunately most parents want to start cheap to see if the kid will keep playing. Most are worth restoring though, regardless of brand...nice aged 150 year old spruce is hard to find!!

[@grandcarriage1]

@@MrPianoTech . I read that and laughed a bit. I rescued a 1919 Holland Cabinet Grand Player because it was going to be broken up by the resale shop that had it, but mainly because the instrument itself sounded so good and despite a rather obvious lack of care by some previous owner, it still had a very good feel. Far better than the assortment of spinets (1960-80's? Baldwins, etc) that were also on display. At the moment, I don't care what it looks like. A friend who's a piano tech is going to work on the action and tuning, and I, with the help of some friends in the industry, am going to learn to restore the player action (which sort of work, but many leaks, etc: original 101y.o Pneumatics, LOL). I loved the video. May I ask what a full restoration such as this would run, out of curiousity...

[@MrPianoTech]

@@grandcarriage1 Glad you liked the video! I've always been more of a "function over form" sort of person myself. If the piano sounds and feels great that's mostly what matters to me. Good luck with the old pneumatics! In my experience unless you're replacing all of them don't touch them lol. I do a "mechanical" restoration as well a sa "full" restoration. The mechanicals typically range from $2,500-$5,000 and the full $6,000-$12,000. Just depends how much is involved.

[@yepihendramaya4203]

How much cost that's has been spended for that restoration? Thx

[@MrPianoTech]

Most Full Restorations we do run between $8,000 - $14,000. Depends how much needs to be done. Mechanical Restorations are between $2,500 - $6,000 typically.

[@michelprimeau4531]

What about the action?

[@tuileriesantiques9057]

wonderful! what did you use to stain it?

[@MrPianoTech]

Thanks! Minwax

[@matteonator]

Very nice work :)

[@simon-oy6um]

Do you have a 1935 martin d 18 yeah we'll take it away for you 😢

[@CruelLion7]

Wow

[@MrPianoTech]

Thank you!

[@nc8414]

How much did this cost?

[@MrPianoTech]

A few thousand. We offer a "mechanical" restoration and a "full" restoration. Mechanical is typically between $2,000-$5,000, and a full between $8,000-$12,000 depending on how much needs to be done.

[@zapzapzappa8887]

........play the damn thing at the end!!........sheesh! heh Great job!

[@MrPianoTech]

😆

[@kevinbush4300]

12:35... I can't look at men moving an upright piano without laughing. No matter how professional they are.

[@austingraves3425]

The original piano would have been French polished😊

[@LarcR]

Kurtzman better than it was new... hopefully.

[@Serg010]

Горе реставратор. Каподастр не открутил, пианино не разобрал. Залил лаком и отдал. Смотрю на это и думаю нафиг я стараюсь? И так прокатывает...

[@somethingoutdoors1412]

I just liked your video simply because you didn't even play anything

[@MrPianoTech]

😄