Grand piano restoration

My wife is a pianist. We've had this 1910 7'4" grotrian concert grand for a number of years and finally getting around to restoring it.

A professional is doing the action work and we are doing the casework.

Here is the 2nd coat of gold gilt on the frame. Ready for a few more swipes of ebony shellac on the inside case before pins, strings and action goes back in.

Not too many of these around. Steinweg's brother was also involved in the business before going to NY and changing name to Steinway.

It's a once in a lifetime project for us made possible under the tuteledge of Kevin the piano tech.

The hunting credits are building up well with this one.Attachment 151901

Just don't let anyone with a Morris marina near it.

Haha, how so?

Cool project, I had to dismantle a piano once.... What a mission.

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Just don't let anyone with a Morris marina near it.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-sh...SGQ&index=4031

I recall taking some older pianos down to local rubbish dump with a fella who tuned them etc for living..he insisted he wreck them beyond repair before chucking over tip....really struck me he was just a prick...anyone who would use a rubbish dump piano couldnt afford to buy a new one or pay to have one tuned...seen same with furniture.

Yes, furniture can easily go another round at batches and workshops. Dump scavenging was a favourite activity for us back in the day. Some transfer stations ferrit out stuff that can be useful

thats the worst bit...Timaru HAS a collection area and shop.....someones kids may have been nagging to learn and a not quite right oldie may have just lit the fire....
lovely restoration job.
I remember shifting a grand piano one afternoon in one hell of a hail storm...I had just hours before found out mate had drowned in lake tekapo so it was a hell of a day....we had piano strapped onto trolley and truck backed up close to door with ramp across gap...we made run for it and scooted across with big hail stones pelting us as we went...couldnt move truck for half hour as wouldnt move on marble sized hail....funny the things you remember.
another time unloading normal piano in snow this time in Tekapo...mate on back,me on front,she came out of truck on trolley and took off down ramp,both of us skidding and sliding but no way was it getting away on us....5 yards down street we stopped her and continued in more controlled manner.

Good stories, thanks MD. Funny how and when these events link up and come back into our thoughts.

Bloody piano's - a cobber of mine shifted house about 3 times within a 12-15 month period and "muggins" was enlisted to help each time, you wouldn't believe it but the flaming piano (luckily an upright) had to be "upstairs" at each house

When I was in the 4th form at college we moved the grand piano from Wairarapa College to the War Memorial Stadium by the Masterton Baths. It arrived on the truck and Mr Henderson, our form teacher, divided the class in half at the back of the truck. The piano came out of the truck into the trusting hands of the class and it was carried in to the Stadium like a big coffin and placed on its casters on the floor. I still marvel at Mt Henderson trust in a bunch of skinny kids!!

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strings went on today and casework is coming along nicely. Will be playable next week with the fully restored action in place.

i had to microphone up one years ago, it was a cast iron frame, is this bronze/brass or plated iron ??
in the end i fitted a boundary layer mic to the underside of the lid, worked bloody well too

My Dad used to have the New Eagle hotel in Bluff in the 1960's When 10 o'clock closing was introduced he pulled out the big U shaped bar and installed a new bar along the back wall and put in more leaners and tables. All very civilised but the trap door to the cellar (formerly in the head of the U) was now in the middle of the room. Whilst changing the tanks one afternoon he heard the local wags put the upright piano on the trap door and announced loudly that they were going to help themselves. He promptly turned off all the tanks and the piano was moved quick smart! The piano was bought at a charity auction at the local convent and we quickly gave it a coat of white paint and a sprinkle of double distilled Irish 'holy water' to exorcise the accumulated demons from its years at the convent! It certainly gave a lot of pleasure in its second life!

Haha, good tail @gundoc. Would be all fishermen and smelter workers and families in bluff?

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Originally Posted by gonetropo

i had to microphone up one years ago, it was a cast iron frame, is this bronze/brass or plated iron ??
in the end i fitted a boundary layer mic to the underside of the lid, worked bloody well too

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its painted cast iron.
My wife has a condenser Mic that records well with her ensemble of piano, singer and flute. She moves it around and adjusts the pre-amp to suit

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Originally Posted by stevodog

its painted cast iron.
My wife has a condenser Mic that records well with her ensemble of piano, singer and flute. She moves it around and adjusts the pre-amp to suit

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condenser mics are fine but do not like "sharp attack" audio as they tend to compress the audio and make it sound metallic.
but if a piano was awful to mic up a pipe organ was a frickin nightmare !!! i did 2 of them and it was a nightmare

Got 4 piano's in the old homestead. All 4 are 'Player Piano's'. Got about 200 piano rolls dating back to early last century which are a mix of classical and honkytonk. Also have titles from Phantom of the opera, Les Mis etc.
Had to replace the tubing on one a few years back and did some minor repair work on the others but now they all work.....After 'playing' 6 or 7 rolls I feel like I have been to the gym as they are pedal powered.

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Originally Posted by stevodog

Haha, good tail @gundoc. Would be all fishermen and smelter workers and families in bluff?

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In those days it was fishermen, wharfies and freezing workers mainly. The smelter was not built until later. Mates and I used to row over to Tiwai in a tin dingy and shoot rabbits as it was nothing but desolate waste land.

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Originally Posted by Allgood

Got 4 piano's in the old homestead. All 4 are 'Player Piano's'. Got about 200 piano rolls dating back to early last century which are a mix of classical and honkytonk. Also have titles from Phantom of the opera, Les Mis etc.
Had to replace the tubing on one a few years back and did some minor repair work on the others but now they all work.....After 'playing' 6 or 7 rolls I feel like I have been to the gym as they are pedal powered.

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my dad would love that. He's always getting the wife to playhonky tonk and ragtime tunes

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Originally Posted by gonetropo

condenser mics are fine but do not like "sharp attack" audio as they tend to compress the audio and make it sound metallic.
but if a piano was awful to mic up a pipe organ was a frickin nightmare !!! i did 2 of them and it was a nightmare

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yeah I bet. I don't think we'd be able to establish a balanced sound if getting too complicated. That's why they have sound engineers right?

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Originally Posted by stevodog

yeah I bet. I don't think we'd be able to establish a balanced sound if getting too complicated. That's why they have sound engineers right?

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unless you can capture the original sound you are wasting your time, well unless you are in recording what's now commercial audio. i have been in the studio with some people and what they sung to what you get is 2 different stories i assure you

Very nice, some family friends have an early 1800s Erard, have always liked what a grand brings to a house, would love a baby grand at some point. Impressed with the finish you are achieving, looks a very satisfying project and nice way to add your mark to something with a strong future

Yes, its coming up better than expected. Sound should be big and balanced.
Erards are great pianos with a nuanced sweet balanced sound. Some enthusiasts think these era pianos were made of superior tone woods and have better sound. Actions can be worked to be better than new though still aren't quite as crisp as a modern action. This isn't seen as an impediment to the adept.

Opinion parroted from my wife

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another night on the polish here. Action went in today and wife is impressed with the touch and control. Regulating and tuning tomorrow, so first concert pitch notes soon.