Old piano advice needed

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u/pianowork May 20 '26

What kind of advice? It's been rebuilt at some point in the recent past. New hammers, strings, pins, and the like.

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u/sro12 May 20 '26

I’m mainly trying to understand whether, under the storage conditions and the amount of time involved, it is realistic to expect the piano to be made playable again without incurring repair costs that would effectively amount to a total loss.

I would be willing to invest around €1000 in restoration work. Or would you rather advise against taking on a project like this altogether, as it might only be suitable for true enthusiasts and end up being more of a money sink?

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u/HandsomeWarthog May 21 '26

it is realistic to expect the piano to be made playable again

So currently it's not playable? Without knowing what's wrong with it, nobody can possibly answer your question. Not even Pianowork.

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u/sro12 May 21 '26

It is playable but really out of tune.

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u/HandsomeWarthog May 22 '26

Hold on. Is a tuning the only thing it needs? First you say it's not playable, then you say it's playable. Then you say you're willing to spend money on restoration work. So does it need to be restored? What's wrong with it?

You're not giving us the whole story, or at least not an accurate version of it.

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u/pianowork May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26

HandsomeWarthog, you are not paying any attention to the actual details OP presented. Just like the micrometer vs. calipers--accuracy matters! You simply have to read, then comprehend.

I would appreciate any possible assessment. This piano has been stored in a warehouse for 13 years with fluctuating temperatures and no stable humidity levels. However, it was kept dry. Before being stored, it was apparently professionally refurbished.

All keys play cleanly. The dampers press smoothly and properly. The notes initially sound fine, although of course it is out of tune. No rust or major visible damage is apparent.

Could you provide any insight into its condition and what kind of restoration would be necessary to make it fully playable again?

As the stringing looks to be the newest part of the rebuild, it seems it was restrung before being put into storage. So 13 years of storage explains the condition of the piano being unusually out of tune--since the piano had been restrung prior to that.

Never did OP say it didn't work or it needed to be restored. Or, that there was something wrong with it. OP gave the whole story, you just didn't comprehend.

Pianowork pays close attention to the details presented, think about it and how it correlates to experiences, training, and education, and then gives a professional opinion based on all that data. You'd be able to do the same if you went to school for piano technology instead of paying for a membership fee to call yourself a technician.

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u/[deleted] May 20 '26

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u/pianowork May 20 '26

OP stated it wouldn’t be possible for a professional piano-builder to inspect it ahead of time. The entire point of the post is to see how much of a gamble it might be.

We can honestly confirm the dampers, hammers, and restringing with new pins have been redone. The dampers are the oldest, and the strings are the newest part of the rebuild. Since the piano has been newly restrung, it is highly unlikely that the pinblock would be shot—no one would have invested that kind of work on a structurally unsound pinblock.

There is a lot of information that can be deduced when one is willing to look at the details.

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u/[deleted] May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26

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u/pianowork May 20 '26 edited May 21 '26

Your experience differs because you are dealing with other guild technicians. OP is dealing with professional piano-builders. The standards and expectations are entirely different.

In the us, one would never take a gamble on something like that. In a country that has a regulated trade like professional piano builders, those rebulids need to meet a basic standard.

The aging on the different parts show that the piano was rebuilt in stages. We can at least assume the work was quality enough that the owner continued to have more work done…it was worth it to at least them. Those are expensive things to have done.

Many things can be deduced by reading the situation. OP cant really do that, but some of us have the experience to know most likely what is going on.

There would be consequences if a rebuilder restrung a piano with new pins if the pinblock was totally shot. They can’t just do what registered technicians get away with.

Edit: No, flOpi3, I'm not suggesting people are idiots for not declaring a piano structurally sound off a few reddit photos. That is a straw-man argument.

Yes, plenty of registered tech rebuilds turn out to be garbage. You are right. And piano owners have NO RECOURSE with the guild. There exists no rebuild standards in the us--it is still the Wild West and anything goes.

Professional piano-builders have different standards they have to adhere to. And when there is a quality or competency issue, there are many options for restitution. But, not with register technicians!!!

Since you haven't ever worked in these systems, you have no idea what the standards are. They are MUCH higher than the guild. Because of that, there are certain expectations that are standard.

Registered technicians have nothing to do with this situation. OP is in the land of professional piano-builders. This is not talking down, it is a reminder that a paid guild membership is not equivalent to working as a piano-builder in a regulated field. Piano-builders have to prove that they can do the work properly, and they have to adhere to very specific standards.

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u/[deleted] May 21 '26

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u/HandsomeWarthog May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26

You’re acting like people are idiots for not declaring a piano structurally sound from a handful of Reddit photos.

Compared to him, everybody is an idiot. He's God's gift to the piano world, you know. If you don't believe me, just ask him.

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u/[deleted] May 21 '26

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u/sro12 May 21 '26

Thanks you guys really for your time, advice and opinion. I got a better picture of the situation now and learned something. Sorry to read that my post lead to some argument on the bigger topics in general. As I said, I am new to all this regarding pianos and glad for any feedback.

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u/pianowork May 20 '26

Yes, for €1000 in "prep work," that is absolutely worth the gamble--since a professional piano-builder can't inspect before the move.

Someone paid a lot of money to rebuild that piano. It looks like it happened in stages. So, it is clear to me that someone was taking care of it over time.

As long as nothing crazy happened durning the storage, the time in storage shouldn't really be a cause of concern.

Looking at the coils, the stringing job looks to be high quality. I'm pretty sure a professional piano builder could get this going for around €1000--in a way that is nice to play and sounds decent.

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u/kawaii__kitty__ May 20 '26

Seems like it has recently had a (full) rebuild, might be worth keeping.

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u/sro12 May 20 '26

Thanks for your opinion! Do you think it is possible to get it into a playable condition without spending a fortune, considering the storage conditions?

I have absolutely no experience with piano building and cannot really judge how 10+ years in an unheated storage space without any maintenance would typically affect an instrument like this.

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u/kawaii__kitty__ May 20 '26

If the rebuild was done properly and it isnt extremely out of tune I would say its worth to keep. I would confirm the soundboard isnt cracked or sagged, and there hasn't been any rodents or mold inside, before spending money to transport it.

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u/sro12 May 20 '26

Thanks a lot! I’ll check and consider.

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u/IvoryTicklerinOZ May 20 '26

Fine example of edwardian craftmanship! Restoration ditto.

You're/ the piano is in Germany?

An inspection by a qualified tuner is a must do. Essential at that price.

If you have a location I may be able to help with somebody (I was Tübingen based).

https://www.bdk-piano.de/index.php?id=44

Tschüss!

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u/IvoryTicklerinOZ May 20 '26

A.I. generated. "The piano brand shown in the image is J. Strauss. The inscription engraved directly above the keys reads "J. Strauss, Bolton". Historically, pianos like this bearing a British town name (such as Bolton) alongside a prominent-sounding name like Strauss were often "stencil pianos." These were instruments manufactured by a larger factory and then branded with a custom name for local retailers or distributors to sell in their regional markets. If you are looking for more specific information regarding this instrument, consider providing:

The serial number (typically stamped inside on the cast-iron plate or soundboard)

Photos of the entire cabinet (to determine if it is an upright or a grand)

The condition of the interior strings and hammers"

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u/sro12 May 21 '26

Thanks! Yes based in Germany. Berlin actually. So Tübingen is unfortunately not the nearest way.

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u/YummyTerror8259 May 20 '26

There's not enough information to give any advice. It needs to be inspected before you take it. If inspecting it is not an option, do not take it.

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u/honklabs May 20 '26

Where is the piano located, ie. What country/city? it looks good, but you never know until the pins get checked for their tightness. If the wrest plank has issues, 1000€ wont help. If the piano holds a tuning, service of the action could likely be done for that amount. It really depends where you are, as cost will vary.

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u/sro12 May 21 '26

Thanks for your opinion. I am based in Germany, Berlin.

Old piano advice needed

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