How can I fix a 100+ year old baby grand piano?
by
Susan
+7
The wood sound board is cracked and slightly splintered. The piano repair man said it's very expensive to fix that part of the piano. My question is: can it be fixed, without removing it/dismantling the piano? The piano is mostly rosewood with ivory keys; I'm not sure what the sound board is made of though; possibly oak. The strings are ok, the keyboard and hammers needs work too. Any help, any ideas? Thank you!
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The sound board is the most expensive to repair. Most of the time it would need to be replaced and the everything would need to be dismantled. Labor would be the high price tag.
You can google the value of restored pianos, entering manufacturer and serial number (found inside piano, under the lid, on a metal plate), but it will most likely be significantly less than an antique in pristine condition.
At the expense, You are better off to look for a Used Piano to dismantle it for parts. You are talking about a $1200 expense. You just buy the entire used piano and can maybe find one with the sound board intact. Good luck in your pursuit.
If it's a sentimental heirloom then leave it alone, let the broken soundboard become part of it's history. If it buzzes or is too clunky then consider upcycling into a new purpose-- as a bar or dismantled, turned on end for a wall bookcase/storage.
If this is about the value being restored by replacing the soundboard-- it becomes a judgment call.
Do you know and trust someone to do the work at a discounted rate? By all means find a used soundboard and let them try. (If you believe everything you see on YouTube then it's a breeze).
If this a valuable baby grand I think you'll have to save up until it can be repaired properly.
Get quotes...check around with music stores, school music departments, piano movers and tuners. They should have some resources.
I went through "warped soundboard repair" for my grand piano. That was $1800 + 3 sequential tunings.
It was not cracked. Just stored for 8 months in a climate controlled space (should have taken them to small claims court).
Look for parts on an other one. I see a lot of free pianos listed on FB Marketplace.