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Why choose us?
Because we have extensive experience in the rebuilding of vintage instruments like Steinway,
Mason Hamlin, Chickering, Knabe, Baldwin, and many fine European instruments, because we customize each and every job to your
own personal tastes and requirements, and because we will work within your framework and provide the information you
need to best achieve your goals.
Our two primary goals are excellent and expressive tone, and precision action performance. In
achieving those two main goals there are choices to be made: To put in a new soundboard or recondition the old one,
which parts and hammers will achieve the tone and performance goals that you desire, whether to update the engineering and
design or keep the original. It can be daunting for the non technician to understand what all those options are, how
the costs compare, what the likely tonal and performance outcomes will be. We will take the time to make sure
you understand all the options, costs and procedures that we propose to undertake to restore your vintage instrument
to its original condition using traditional methods and designs or modify it, if you wish, to optimize its performance and customize
it to your own tastes.
Attitudes and approaches vary with respect to
how to deal with 100-year-old designs and technologies, and customer goals do to. While there are many things to admire
about the original designs of the so called great pianos, the evolution of the piano did not stop in the early 1900's
nor were the orignal intended designs of these pianos necessarily achieved in the factory. Many of these manufacturers
continued to develop new design ideas and today there is a greater understanding of the acoustics
of the piano, scale design and balance and the elastic limits of materials used in soundboard construction that effect not
only predictability of outcomes but longevity and stability as well. Options for optimizing designs
now exist with the benefit of engineered modeling that can help to predict better outcomes. Depending
on customer goals and attitudes we can copy original designs, optimize original designs or modify with enhanced performance
features. Whatever your preference, we'll discuss the pluses and minuses and associated cost and help you make an
informed decision.
Rebuild or buy new?
If you've recently ventured into a new piano showroom you can easily
feel and hear the great variation in touch and tonal output even between pianos of the same make and model.
These differences are sometimes attributed to such things as "each piano's individual personality". Often
it reflects the inconsistency with which some pianos are produced. Through years of experience we have found that successful
tonal output and precision action performance can be controlled consistently by carefully analysis and engineering
and controlled manufacturing and that's what we do. We can maintain those
aspects of the original design that defined the tonal character of the piano to begin with and then engineer each detail of
the piano's design to create balance and uniformity through the scale enhancing the full dynamic range of the
instrument. We think that a properly rebuilt piano can be, and often is, better than a new piano. As much
as the original design allows we tailor every aspect of the piano to your own personal taste, that includes both tone
and touch and we can usually do it for less than the cost of a new one.
A typical restoration package
Soundboard
When
installing a new soundboard we analyze and engineer each one for optimum performance. Optimizations to the original
execution are sometimes made when we find the factory did not achieve what may have been the design goal. If the original
soundboard still maintains enough structural integrity we can and do recondition the panel to enhance
stiffness in critical areas, resurface, repin and renotch the original bridge or install new bridge caps if necessary.
All soundboards, old or new, are finished with traditional hand rubbed varnishes. ScaleEach scale is analyzed and
recalculated to insure accuracy of execution and smooth tension, inharmonicity and impedance curves for improved
tonal balance. BridgesBridges are either recapped or remade to accommodate the existing or optimized scales. Original bridges
are routinely resurfaced, repinned and renotched to insure clean and solid terminations.Pinblock For most restringing and all soundboard
replacement jobs, we make, fit & install a new pinblock. On occasion the original pinblock can be
reused but we do not recommend reuse for more than one restringing and then only if it is uncontaminated and
structurally sound.
Plate Plates are carefully cleaned, filled
and sanded prior to refinishing. All agraffes are replaced, shaped and carefully polished. Counterbearing
areas are analyzed for proper angles, reshaped, redesigned or replaced. Plates are refinished in gold and
bronze lacquers with a protective clear coat. Lettering and plate decals are replaced as is consistent with the original
design. Plate mounting systems and support dowels are typically upgraded with a modern plate suspension
system that allows for fine adjustments of the plate height for more accurate downbearing settings. Strings & Tuning
PinsTreble and bass strings are replaced with the highest quality
wire available. Each set of bass strings is custom measured and ordered to insure absolute accuracy. We use
Roslau Premium Wire in the plain wire section. Bass strings are custom made by the JD Grandt company to our specifications.
We prefer traditional blued tuning pins but can choose nickel plating if the cosmetic requirements of the instrument or the
customers demand it.
Action Parts and Hammers
We use
the highest quality Renner action parts whenever possible. Hammers are chosen based on the tonal and performance requirements
of the piano. Selecting hammers is a critical part of the rebuilding job and we take special care to sample a variety
of hammers to insure that there is a good match between string tensions, soundboard response, and hammer firmness and resilience.
The hammers we most often use are: Ronsen Special Weickert Felt designed to our own custom specifications and various Renner hammers. Each hammer is custom designed or selected based on tonal requirements
first.
Each action is then individually analyzed for leverage, inertia, geometry and alignment, weight and balance, regulation, friction
and damper action interface. Action parts are then selected in conjuntion with the hammers
to provide optimum balance, touchweight, and inertia. The dynamic
balancing of the action is of paramount importance and issues of inertia
are given strong priority in the selection of action parts to accompany hammer
weight. All actions are custom designed to satisfy the individual player.
New keysets can be made when needed and legal, prebanned, one-piece ivory key covers are available upon request.
A complete action rebuilding includes
changing not only the major action parts but all action supporting felts, backchecks, leather, key bushings,
etc. The action is fine regulated in the piano and installation includes a regulation follow up after the
action has been adequately played in.
Dampers & Damper Action
We make and install a new Renner damper
tray assembly with underlevers when needed. The damper tray is typically modified with a fine adjustment capstan
for each damper underlever for more accurate regulation.
Damper heads are cleaned, sanded and refinished or replaced if necessary. Guide rails are sized, refinished
and rebushed. Damper
felts are custom cut from the highest quality felt. Lyre, Pedals & Trapwork
All
felts and leather for the lyre, pedals and trapwork are replaced. Older non adjustable pedal rods are replaced
with adjustable type. Pedal geometry is analyzed and corrected if needed and trapwork interface with the action is often
modified for greater pedal efficiency and to control unwanted noise. Casework & Finish All finishes are done with the highest quality traditional, hand rubbed, lacquer. We
work with you and the finisher to achieve the color and sheen that you desire. We manage all refinishing jobs from
beginning to end. All hardware is polished, replated or replaced as needed.
David
Love Pianos 415 407 8320
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