Piano Repair & Restoration

What is restoration?

There is of course a significant difference between repair and restoration, and the definitions of both always depend on the individual piano.We undertake numerous repairs on every kind of piano imaginable. With over 4,000 working parts (many of which are made from wood, as well as consumables such as tapes and springs in the actions) there are dozens of common repairs. If these are isolated and the rest of the piano remains in good condition, many small repairs can be done by an experienced tuner/technician at the same time as a tuning. Tom our tuner undertakes many minor repairs while on the road and will always try to achieve this where possible. However, some repairs are so significant that a piano has to be brought into the workshop, but they're still only required on a particular area of the instrument.When it comes to restoration, it's all about bringing a piano back to its previous standard, and the term is generally used to mean work that encompasses all areas of the piano. Restoration is a very time consuming and specialist job, but hugely rewarding. Whether the work is worth doing depends on the original quality and construction of the instrument. When a piano was not built to high standards in its day and now needs significant work, we will always explain when it's not economical to undertake particular work. However, many owners still require us to restore their piano, particularly when it's been a family piece for generations.When a piano has succumbed to age and the environment or treatment it's received through its life, its overall condition and usefulness decline considerably. Perhaps the casework has become damaged; parts missing; the finish stained; the action has started rattling, or the keys aren't working properly. Very often, pin blocks, pins and strings can reach the end of their useful lives, meaning that it's become impossible to tune. However, it's rare for a piano to be so far gone as to be impossible to restore - although it's common for the work needed to be so extensive that it's not strictly economical to undertake. If you're intending to keep the piano, consider any sentimental value of this particular instrument against the cost of purchasing a comparable piano. If you intend to sell or give away the piano, our advice is generally not to do more work to it than basic tuning and maintenance.We are always careful to keep as much of the original fabric of the instrument as is feasible, while ensuring that all necessary parts are replaced or refurbished to create optimum longevity for the piano. Respecting and preserving signs of a piano's life while ensuring that it continues as an important part of life for future generations, is always a balancing act. We work closely with clients to ensure that we tread as lightly as possible, while bringing back your piano's original appearance and voice to the greatest extent that we can.