What Happens to Old Pianos?

livingpianos.com/what-happens...
www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/ar...
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The question today is: What happens to old pianos? I'm going to tell you right now that what I'm going to share with you today is very disturbing. For those of you who love piano like I do, seeing what I'm going to show you is really heartbreaking.

[@peter5.056]

Old pianos never die, they simply decompose.

[@texaswildcat6425]

I hate seeing pianos not being able to be restored. But I also realize it can be costly. In which case I'm very appreciative of you restoring the ones you can. Thank you for the video and as always blessings to you and yours 🕊💞💒💞🕊

[@danaroland9971]

This picture literally broke my heart . There are always other options instead of getting rid of this beautiful instrument .

[@kinkoshinkai]

Having worked in piano restoration, it's always sad to see the mistreatment of instruments that lead to early death. But even those who've simply outlived their musical usefulness, still sad to see them disposed of.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci. And thanks for the work you do on old pianos.

[@MemphiStig]

My mother had an upright, a standard cheap piano that you can't give away when you don't want it anymore. So did both her sisters. Never knew what to do with them. But then I had an idea I have no way of using, so maybe someone else can. Strip the insides out of the upright, and install a lifting mechanism for a large tv, which nests in the body but can be raised for viewing. I got the idea at a funeral home, where they had a screen come up out of what appeared to be a chest of drawers type thing. I can't believe you could make money with this idea, but I'm just a musician, not a builder, and I think it would definitely look very cool, especially if you could tie its operation to the keys (as well as a remote of course). If you could do it cost-effectively, there are plenty of those pianos you could buy for less than a song. Just wish I could afford to try.

[@AllThisOverASliceOfGabagool]

Oh it's been so great to find this channel again, like reuniting with an old friend 😊

[@TheMisterGriswold]

Been in many homes where the piano was just a piece of furniture.

[@MathsYknow]

This describes the majority of pianos I find in public places like hotels, campgrounds, airports, pubs etc.

[@clydebermingham121]

This very subject matter is really very significant … and very touching 🙏🏽

[@melissarey2973]

What a video to start with a trigger warning. Lol! But it's valid. Seeing any instrument damaged or destroyed makes me sad. Mythbusters tested dropping pianos on a house for some reason. I cried.

[@stephenwilson8356]

Great video Robert. There are DISPOSABLE pianos (most of them) and SUSTAINABLE pianos. Steinway says “It’s a lot easier to build pianos than to rebuild them.” ‘Easier’ maybe, but still more expensive, by a wide margin, as the market economics tells us.

[@brucealanwilson4121]

I had a terrible time finding a new home for my family grand. It was an early 1940's Kimball Baby Grand which had been cared for lovingly. I couldn't sell it or even GIVE IT AWAY. (I have developed severe arthritis in my R hand and can no longer play.) It seems that people who want a grand piano come in two categories: serious musicians and those who think a grand looks classy in the living room. The former either have one already or can't afford one; the latter get a cheap Chinese "piano shaped object." I couldn't sell it privately, and no piano store in the area would accept it. I couldn't even find a church that wanted it. I finally got a local university to take it. I made it clear I didn't want it to go into a practice room for kids to bang on; it became the studio instrument for the music department chair.

[@clara7517]

My parents have a pair of Heintzman pianos. It's an old Canadian piano company that went out of business in the 60s. They have a soft touch and a very sweet tone. The upright is from 1928, made of mahogany, with all of its original ivory keys. The grand is from the early 60s and it's had a rough life. The previous owner had dropped it during a move, damaging the legs, and they were replaced with three legs that belonged to old upright pianos. My parents keep it tuned and maintained and it still sounds wonderful .... but those makeshift legs grow more wobbly every year. The entire piano sways gently when played. I really love both pianos and my parents want me to have one of them. The upright is certainly the more "valuable" instrument but my heart lies with the grand. It's a very difficult choice, made worse by the knowledge that these pianos are seen as disposable by so many people.

[@tm502010]

The destruction is ghastly!!

[@leetingler619]

I have a sad story 😢. I have an old Velodyne subwoofer. It was very expensive, when new. Unfortunately, the servo amp. died. It was not replaceable due to its age. The casework is beautiful. Unfortunately, no one wanted to use the cabinet for a rework. I held onto it for years, trying to find a home. Tomorrow, it goes to the dump. This, along with some old electronics that cost too much to repair 😢. So l feel your pain.

[@robostoic]

I'm a pianist and weekend composer; degrees in music comp. I have a 1939 Model S Steinway baby grand. I bought it in my 20s back in the early 90s. Had it regularly tuned every year. Almost 10 years ago, I found out it had verdigris, which hampers the action. It is now unplayable in any true performance setting. I also have a digital music studio, with access to sampled and modeled pianos from all over the world, of all sizes, and all manner of mic placements and room/hall acoustics. These virtual pianos are the bread and butter of modern sound recordings for film, bands, and live performances in many settings, though not all settings, obviously. They reproduce not only the character of different manufacturers, but also the sound of sympathetic string resonance, hammer and pedal noise, and open and closed lids. Due to these virtual instruments, I have no reason to spend $4-$6K replacing all the parts in my Steinway to bring it up to the standard it was 10 years ago. For that price, I can put together a composer's studio to die for that will also generate revenue. That's the reality for some, not all, of us. And I'm an old fart who still thinks Medtner, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Chopin, Schubert, Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and all the rest are still relevant. Still...I'm not resurrecting my Steinway. It had a good life. I can find a FREE upright online on any given weekend if I want more wood and wire in my house. It's sad, but true for me.

[@clydebermingham121]

Actions can always be replaced …

[@ThePolypam]

​@@clydebermingham121He knows. He wrote a very long post with his reasoning, if you cared to read in full.

[@knowledgeapplied]

Sorry, uprights don't have a repetition lever the same as grands, and lack sufficient leverage (key length, sound board size, action touch weight, and action design) to play dynamics properly. I don't buy it. You should invest in your Steinway and rebuild its action. It will pay you back rich dividends for more years to come.

[@ThePolypam]

@@knowledgeapplied I don't think you understood that very well written and detailed comment. The bit about the upright is sarcasm. He's simply not interested in undertaking costly repairs and will stick to digital. Clearer now?

[@knowledgeapplied]

@ThePolypam So you're the one using these instruments, I take it?... Or, do you just care to answer this thread more than he does?.... Digital will always have its limitations. .... How does the bit about upright pianos equate to sarcasm, exactly?...

[@alanclarkeau]

I visited a sweet old couple quite a few years ago. And, pride of place was a small Grand Piano - English Challen I think. After a while, he said "would you like to give us a tune?" - neither of them played. Eeeek - it was awful. Most keys worked, but the action was sloppy, the tuning I suspect was from several decades ago. I had a glance inside - unlike the beautiful outside, it was dirty, I could see one damper missing. They said their children had learned on it - they were now 60 or 70 years old. And they were giving the piano to their granddaughter (or was it great-granddaughter?). Who was doing really well in piano studies. I thought - "or sadly, the dump".😢😢😢😢

[@clydebermingham121]

If a soundboard is still intact , actions & strings even can always be replaced … and bring new life to an old piano

[@steveschramko2386]

The key phrase here is..."The expense is MORE than what they're worth..." i.e. the concept of value. Unfortunately, we live in an age when the art, and love of piano playing, and the piano itself as a part of this is at a very low ebb. Let's just face the truth. At some level, we all know this, though there is much denial here. Moreover, this describes EVERY serious art form, not just music. One hopes that eventually we will awake from this malaise, but how long will this sleep of reason last...? Who knows...? In the meantime, all these beautiful instruments that belonged to an age of higher cultural aspirations will have disappeared, never to reappear. Something will have been lost FOREVER ! My heart weeps for the TRAGEDY of this...

[@velcroman11]

202402. I had a circa 1970 Yamaha Spinet, I paid AU$2200 for it and I named “her” Kimiko, kimmy for sort. An idiot piano mover “DROPPED HER 😱😵‍💫!”. Fortunately, the only damage was one of her legs. The new leg cost AU$800 dollars to be made. The remaining cost for staining which I did, cost AU$200. The stain was not all that expensive but matching the stain colour was a challenge. All up the repair cost AU$1100 to stain and mount her repaired leg. That repair was half the price of Kimmy when new. She has since been adopted by a family with young children. I cried when she left for her new home. It was hard to see her leave but her new family are very nice and I am sure that they too will love Kimmy as much I do.

[@johnmac8084]

Sad, but true 😢

[@gjoseph1628]

Somebody in Louisiana many many many years ago knew what to do with old pianos. Henry Roeland Byrd; *Professor Longhair* !

[@abe_nuh]

always wanted to know this lol

[@gwenacma4654]

We have a Putnam brand upright piano built in 1900's 5foot tall , it was badly out of tuned and a worn out hammer felt eaten by mice now end up scrapped..😢

[@pianostudy4403]

Ouch!

[@zdogg8]

Robert, I love your videos. How about a enterprise zone (usually inner city, gov't zoned for tax breaks) training project center to teach teens craftsmanship skills, that would translate more broadly in the jobs market: carpentry, wood finishing, painting, refinishing, cabinet building, furniture making, furniture repair as well as all the usual skills associated with piano repair/rebuilding/maintenance. Pianos could be saved and given away or sold cheaply.

[@bearkt]

I grew up playing an upright Chickering. It has three pedals, the middle one being a partial sustain like grand pianos mostly have. Can you say anything about this?

[@WolfieNamira]

My upright chickering has a middle pedal that lifts the dampers in the bass strings, my grand piano from Apollo has it too. A really cool bonus feature it can do is create a sympathetic resonance effect, making the upper notes played resonate the lower undamped strings.

[@thomastereszkiewicz2241]

I have a 1927 Chickering six feet six inches grand, my favorite piano, beautiful.

[@janetgambler6563]

Do you know anything about the Milner Musical Company? I was just given an upright piano with that name on it (under the name, it says Cincinnati and New York), complete with the serial number, but I'm having a hard time finding information about it.

[@ds61821]

Ok. I just bought a new Yamaha B3 studio polished ebony. They agreed to "dispose" of my 45 year old crappy Baldwin spinet. The wood seems to be veneer over pressed board. The new piano arrives tomorrow and then the old goes away.

[@clydebermingham121]

The value of a piano 🎹 may not always be in it’s resell value: One might think … if I ever have to sell ….. etc … But putting money as side for a moment , and of course how much money it may cost to bring an old piano to a personally desired condition, the value may not be reflected in dollars & cents $…. If one can afford to get a certain old piano up do a condition that they can be happy with , vs buying another piano that could never sound as a certain older piano would once it’s playable to one’s personal desire . It all may depend on a few certain factors If the cost to get an old piano to play and sound marvelous vs the amount to buy a piano that could never sound as nice (or desired sound ) as an older piano …. Etc ..: If we were to see a piano as a person , can a person be replaced with a newer person ? (Just because a person got older ….?) Some businesses keep a certain person on board no matter who many ‘newer’ employees are hired . There certain woods that are no longer available … (due to Governemt endangered species lists … or other situations ..) (If a type of would , &/or other material affect the sound of certain instruments …. Like violins … woodwinds … guitars ..: &/or others … it all depends ….)

[@clydebermingham121]

Reflecting in this sense beefy matter …. My mind just wondered on the fairy tale of FRANKENSTEIN for some reason . I’m thinking of various options & considerations .. Situations may vary ..: I think if maybe an old piano with certain newer technologies added , tailor made off each specific piano . Like for example … an old Mason & Hamlin piano’s action replaced with sole Carbon fiber action …. Etc .:: Of some tailor made parts to replace others I’ve heard of even a Yamaha C5 with Steinway hammers installed ..:: In other cases … there are various other stories …. To me … I can see how a value of a piano can at times not be able to be determined in $ dollars & Cents $ if the end desire is not about reselling it

[@thomastereszkiewicz2241]

if the old piano still has a decent soundboard and a good pinblock, they are worth restoring but they take a lot of time. If you learn to do it yourself, all the better.

[@JayMSinger]

I'm surprised you recently accepted a Samick piano. I didn't think Sam Ash pianos could be restored. It seems to me that, with the advent of good digital pianos, the low end piano market must be dying.

[@LivingPianosVideos]

This piano is a fairly late model and is in brand new condition. It’s an acoustic piano, not something you would find at Sam Ash.

[@Aerospace_Education]

It's sad but it's a physical device. All physical devices (sorry to say us as a human body as well) get worn out with age. New devices get created to replace the old. Classic cars get crushed all the time but new cars roll off the assembly line at the same time.

[@JadeOthen]

Don't think cars are a good comparison, everyone knows the old ones are better, and were built to last! You can't even work on most new cars yourself, they're all electronic.

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

Agree with the other reply. Most new luxury cars nowadays are mostly good for 3 to 5 years🎹🎶

[@michaelngiam6270]

I imagine an upright turned into a hidden bar.

[@clydebermingham121]

Values may not always be able to be estimated in dollars & cents But of course it depends on one’s desired objective But I can’t help but keep reflecting on FRANKENSTEIN… In certain situation cna the combinations of parts of old pianos bring a $monetary $ cost down … if one were to combine parts from a few old pianos of compatible models ? (But I’m not yet so well versed as yet . I’m nit a certified technician … not am I a experienced piano restorer ….) But instead of destroying old pianos … could perhaps there be some sort of places to have various parts stored …: like even a junkyard of auto mobiles … ?

[@leetingler619]

Robert, An easy remedy Gut out the harp Replace with a Roland, Nord, or other fine electronic keyboard. Now you have a versatile instrument in a fine case.😊

[@MichelleyB-zk3eh]

Bad karma

[@Lion_McLionhead]

The lion kingdom's Yamaha is in a landfill

[@CaptainCaveman782]

Don't see the issue tbh. They are knocked out in the thousands daily now. End of the day old pianos aren't anything as good as new ones when comparative level is considered. Many pianists find this difficult accept but their judgement is clouded by emotional attachment. Its a mechanical device and they don't get better with age (passed the bedding in period). Further practically every shop is selling 2nd hand pianos so they are going to oversell the quality of a 2nd hand one on youtube videos.

[@LivingPianosVideos]

99% of pianos being manufactured today are Asian production pianos. The few pianos being produced in America and Europe are incredibly expensive. For people who appreciate the difference, finding a good used hand-built piano is worth the search. But sadly, most old pianos are not worth restoring.