Here’s an interesting piano repair which illustrates and important point.

This instrument was sold to a customer looking for a second piano at an affordable price. Upon inspection the piano was determined to be a good instrument in good condition. However, there was an issue with the sides delaminating from the back. This caused a serious problem with structural stability and action performance. The symptoms seemed to be devastating. In most cases this piano would have been considered unusable and discarded. However, with less than one hour’s work both sides were reglued to the back, correcting the problem. In addition, action reconditioning was performed. This instrument will now serve a family (and at least one successive generation) with years of musical quality and joy.

The take-home here is to not discount an instrument until it is properly assessed by a competent technician. Customers are often ill-advised to replace pianos like this with expense new pianos of lesser quality. Most piano stores, technicians, and even piano shops are not well-enough equipped to do work like this at an affordable cost. Therefore, the option to fix a problem like this is not offered.

We always try to work out the economics of piano work so we are able to preserve as many instruments as possible. It would be easy to resolve that this piano is not worth this type work. It is our job to manage work affordably. Our experience and facility enables us to make big jobs small [and affordable]. Even though this instrument shares the shop floor with grand pianos worth 40 – 50 times its value it is important that each are treated with the same attitude and integrity.

Work like this is a daily task in our shop. No big deal. To toot our own horn this is what sets Grand Workshoppe apart from all other shops in Central New York.  We are proud of this fact.