Steinway & Sons Model D Acoustics rebuild

In this video I'm restoring the acoustics of a Steinway & Sons
model-D grand piano
www.vandongenpianos.nl

[@UUpianoman]

The editing and music here are astounding. Kudos!! This is probably the most engaging "teaching" video I've seen. Well done.

[@fnersch3367]

202 years of piano history (1709-1911) wrapped up in a piano like this. The instrument evolved as music evolved.

[@manu974aimwill]

amazing work, the price for a restoration like that must be expensive!

[@CoenvanDongen]

It depends how you see it. The costs of this restauration was are around 5% of the new price of a Steinway D. Still a lot of money, but not compared with buying a new one.

[@manu974aimwill]

@@CoenvanDongen Well, I am well aware of that. I have my semi-grand Kawai concert piano to restore, and considering the price of a piano of the same range nowadays, restoration remains the best alternative. On a model like the D, buying new is not even an option anymore given the price.

[@pianopleasure2156]

Wow geweldig 🤩👍 René Bek

[@Erainia]

This is a lovely restoration job! It's funny, it's almost 100% identical to what we do at Shackleford Pianos in the UK :) Much praise, from another Piano Restorer!

[@CoenvanDongen]

Thank you!

[@pianoselectzwijndrecht]

Prachtig!

[@matteonator]

Chapeau !

[@andreabalmas1342]

This video is very nice and understandable

[@juanmoa719]

What glue did you use to glue the new damper felts to the wooden parts of the dampers? Great video 🎉! Thank you for posting!

[@CoenvanDongen]

I use hot hide glue. I like it for this purpose because it sits very fast.

[@user-eb5lb1uu9v]

Титанический труд вложен в инструмент!!!Браво!!!! 🤝👍👏👏👏👏

[@MrMonezh]

Клас! Вільна Україна!

[@cliftondavies5094]

It would have been nice to hear the sound of the piano, even if it were a few chords. The idea of a piano isn't the physical beauty which you did an excellent job of ... the idea is the sound.

[@CoenvanDongen]

I know, I had this suggestion a lot. The problem is that I'm not at al a great pianoplayer and I play mostly if nobody is watching ;) I will try to have a serious pianist play in the next video.

[@synergypiano]

Hey, just out of curiosity... why did you file the soundboard pins down?

[@CoenvanDongen]

You mean the bridge pins? Just for shiny reasons ;)

[@Hammondbrass]

Awesome video! Is that just a polishing compound for the dampers?

[@CoenvanDongen]

Yes, just polish.

[@aleksandrsstulpe65]

Je kunt eindeloos kijken hoe mensen werken.👍 Аalleen moet je nu vele malen stemmen totdat de snaren strekken.

[@MarcRiedel]

This is great, thank you so much for posting! I'm impressed at how nicely the dampers cleaned up at around the 21:20 mark. What did you use to clean/polish them?

[@CoenvanDongen]

It's simple polish for polyester. The brand is Zweihorn

[@emilmartinbehnharcourtedva6946]

Where can i finde the backround music?

[@CoenvanDongen]

Siren's Last Look Back Neil Cowley Trio Content found during: 18:56 - 20:56 Crazy Girl Leszek Mozdzer Content found during: 6:05 - 11:42 She Lives in Golden Sands Neil Cowley Content found during: 11:43 - 15:55 Lament Neil Cowley Trio Content found during: 15:55 - 18:56 Cantorum Penguin Cafe Content found during: 20:56 - 28:44 Human Nature Vijay Iyer

[@JaapvanDiepenbrugge]

Het ECHTE restauratiewerk

[@worldofai-games1036]

Did you put back the serial number on the cast iron plate? That's important to miss and it looks like it got painted over.

[@CoenvanDongen]

Yes I put the serial number back. I didn't conclude it in the video I see.

[@rossmorrow3013]

I can understand scraping and cleaning the soundboard, but what I couldn’t understand was after going to all the trouble of cleaning the soundboard and spraying it with lacquer, to then afterwards file off the the bridge pins, metal filings straight on to a re-lacquered soundboard???

[@CoenvanDongen]

No worries. The Lacquer was dry by that time. It al vacuumed right off.

[@amandabolah5116]

I have the harp of my old piano after it was damaged in a storm mounted on my wall and want to refinish it to bring it back to life. What primer and paint did you use?

[@CoenvanDongen]

You'll be fine with a few layers of spray putty and spray cans with antique gold.

[@suespony]

Did this piano get wet or something? Why was the soundboard finish so bad that it needed to be redone? How old was this D, I noticed you kept the dame pin block, i assume you used oversized pins? Looks great, nice job.

[@CoenvanDongen]

I think the piano got new strings in the past with the same pins. And I think the soundboard got a new lacquer back then. But the lacquer on top of the old lacquer. I think this is the reason of the crackish look. But I'm assuming. I'm not sure. The pins were 7,10 so a bigger pin was no problem here.

[@1976gerbel]

Like 👍 But what happened to the keyboard? Was it also rebuilt?

[@CoenvanDongen]

The keyboard and action were fine. Just a thorough regulation and voicing.

[@insidepianos]

I noticed a slight sheen on the soundboard as it was wheeled into the painting booth. Had it been treated with epoxy?

[@CoenvanDongen]

It was the second layer of lacquer ;)

[@sjaakdouma]

Wowie

[@sergioruiz1902]

quick question, why if they are cheap and easy to remove you didnt replace the plate pins, the gold paint doesn't look as good as a new shiny pin, I have seen it in many restorations, same old plate pins paint in gold, sometimes the paint come off

[@CoenvanDongen]

You're completely right. I've changed this and now I use rubber tubes on the platepins while painting or I change them for shiny ones.

[@AnalogueDear]

🤤

[@luciusblackmail8129]

I d like to hear bevor and after, at least how does it sound after revising?

[@BH-2]

This model D didn't look to be in such a state that requires such an extensive restoration. Are there any reasons why it was restored so extensively? Also, are there any reasons why the actions aren't changed? Just curious to know.

[@CoenvanDongen]

Yes it was in a good state overall. But the client just bought it on the second hand market and wanted the acoustic to sound and look as new again. The action was in very good state so I recommended to do that later.

[@WulfGray]

Не могу понять, для чего эта скорость? Из всего видео, полезности 50%

[@pasalabola27]

Impresionante

[@garysandiego]

You were able to use the old pins?

[@CoenvanDongen]

I never use the old pins. New strings always get new pins with me.

[@garysandiego]

@@CoenvanDongen And the pin block held them well? Or did you have to go with larger pins?

[@CoenvanDongen]

@@garysandiego always a bit larger

[@user-xxxxxn]

met het wegschrapen van de vernis haal je ook toch een deel van het houtwerk weg, en dat zorgt ervoor dat de piano na afloop toch een andere klank krijgt..............

[@CoenvanDongen]

Sterker nog. Als je niet een laagje van het hout weg schraapt dan blijft de lak die in de bodem is getrokken een beetje zitten en krijg je op den duur craquelé. Ik schraap en schuur dus altijd een laagje weg tot ik weer helemaal vers hout heb. Theoretisch zou je kunnen zeggen dat de klank daarmee veranderd. Gelukkig is dat ook de insteek van een revisie. Je wilt dat de vleugel beter gaat klinken.

[@rogerward8047]

I'd be a nervous wreck if you were doing that to my Steinway.

[@wiseview1444]

Awesome video but who is paying for all that? I wouldn't. Now, let's figure out simpler reversible methods to get fine results.

[@CoenvanDongen]

The customer wanted the best for his instrument and was willing to pay. These customers are rare and happy he found me ;)

[@stevemartin7721]

What are you on about?!😄 People pay good money all the time to have an expert fix their piano.

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

You can't put a price on quality🎹🎶

[@user-xxxxxn]

je kunt je afvragen in hoeverre dit nog een steinway is................................... want die lak........ volgens mij doen ze dat bij steinway dat toch echt anders. bijv.

[@CoenvanDongen]

Haha, de "is het nog wel een Steinway" vraag.....

[@user-wb6xv6qj8u]

Прошу прощения, мастер трудолюбивый. Но что он сделал-то? Провёл очень дорогую работу и как-бы всё обновил, типа капремонт. Но тут вопросы: выкрутил дрелью все колки и потом забил (новые?) в тот-же вирбельбанк. Если новые, то куда ни шло, хотя посадка будет какая попало, где нормально, где слишком туго, где слабовато, никаких работ с подготовкой отверстий не провелось. Если поставил те же колки на прежнее место, то лайк ему за быстрое разбивание вирбельбанка. Выбросил на помойку все стейнвейские струны. Деньги лишние или такие плохие струны были? 😊Поставил те же или хуже, особенно басовые? Сам процесс установки струн не показал, а там много нюансов. Содрал скребком весь лак с деки и часть древесины вместе с ним. Потом облил лаком (в один?) слой. Раму просто облил краской, даже не понятно, сколько там грунта, шпаклёвки, подготовки перед покраской. Что за материалы покрасочные использует? Сколько слоёв краски, лака, шлифовка их? Ничего не показано, покрасочники бы раскритиковали. Выбросил весь рабочий ещё родной стейнвейский пушель с демпферов и разломал их регулировку. Потом все что делал, было не выше советских мебельно-пианинных фабрик и это уже никак не Стейнвей. Раскрутил и закрутил на те же места все крепления, снизив их плотность, и ради чего? Вирбельбанк тот же и хуже, штеги и дека те же, только лак обновил и вопрос ещё как. Струны поменял, выбросив все басовые, родные. Демпферы после него ещё будут садиться и сколько ещё им регулировок, чтобы все это было как на Стеинвее? Простите меня, коллеги, мастер, конечно молодец, но мне кажется, что Стейнвей после такого ремонта уже не Стейнвей.

[@CoenvanDongen]

Oke, My google translate is making a mess of this comment. But I get the idea. You disagree with everything I've done. And this Steinway is no longer a Steinway. Thank you for pointing that out 👍

[@Johannes_Brahms65]

Ik las toevallig ergens dat Steinway er moeilijk over doet als "anderen" aan "hun" instrumenten komen. Het is dus nu officieel geen "Steinway" meer. Who cares?

[@CoenvanDongen]

Het ligt iets genuanceerder. Steinway stelt dat het geen Steinway meer is als er onderdelen gebruikt worden die niet bij de Steinway dealer gekocht worden. Ook al komen deze uit dezelfde fabriek als bij een andere leverancier. Een slimme manier om extra te verdienen voor Steinway, maar inderdaad... who cares?

[@velisercanbahtiyar2579]

It's a bad idea to drill out tuning nails. You should at least use a low torque screwdriver

[@CoenvanDongen]

That is an assumption. I tested this. The hole stays a lot cooler when turning out very fast. The heat builds up much more If you use low torque drivers. Drilling them out is perfectly fine 👍

[@Erainia]

Tested this thoroughly here too, Drill is infact MUCH better and gives less wear to the pinblock than doing it by hand.