Owning a Steinway is the dream of many who enjoy the finer things in life. It is not only the world’s most desirable piano but perhaps also the most desirable object to grace a home. As well as being an instrument to bring joy and education it is also both the ultimate stylish addition to a room and a secure investment.
It is essential that any Steinway purchased has been restored to it’s full potental by a piano company specialised in this field.
“Piano restoration” can be a complicated area to understand for a customer. Different retailers may use the term to mean different things. This can often account for wildly different prices for seemingly similar pianos. “Fully restored”, “reconditioned”, “refurbished”, “rebuilt” – what do all these terms mean? To make life simple at Yorkshire Pianos we only deal in completely rebuilt period pianos. It’s best to think of this as a new piano in an old case. This represents the best of both worlds, the beauty of period materials and craftsmanship with the accuracy of a new mechanism. The original tone of the instrument is preserved through using identical parts and usually reparation of soundboard rather than replacement.
Sadly, pianos do not last for ever. It is a popular misconception that a piano will last indefinitely. It is true, they do have a very long lifespan perhaps 60 or 70 years but after this time they will be worn out and, more importantly will no longer “hold their tuning”. A piano may look and even sound wonderful but if it no longer stays in tune then it is much like a shiny car that no longer goes along! Pianos are designed so they can be rebuilt in the future. Every minute part is designed to be replaceable.
The replacement of the pinblock (also called wrest plank) helps provide a new lease of life for a piano and ensures tuning stability. A replacement of this sort is a major undertaking and well beyond the scope of most piano restoration workshops. Yorkshire pianos incorporates the manufacturing facility of Cavendish Pianos which provides the most comprehensive piano restoration service in the UK.
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