Bechstein Piano Restoration
Bechstein Restoration / Bechstein Piano Restoration Service
Carl Bechstein established his business in 1853 in Berlin, Germany. He set out to manufacture pianos that could cope with the demands of the virtuoso concert pianists of the time – Franz Liszt is one such musician. By the 1870s, after the backing and endorsement of various musicians, Bechstein pianos had become staples in concert halls and grand houses throughout Europe.
Bechstein pianos are still considered among the best available in both grand and upright forms. With a new Bechstein concert grand costing well in excess of £30k it is no wonder that older examples are deemed worthy of repair and restoration.
The manufacturer itself offers a restoration service but that entails shipping your precious piano to their factory in Hrádec Králové, Czech Republic.
Would you prefer to entrust the restoration to a company based in the UK?
Here at Courtney Pianos, we have a combined expertise of over 140 years in the piano restoration field, we know our jobs and pride ourselves on our knowledge and skills. We use only the highest quality parts and materials and the vast majority of the work is carried out in our own piano workshop in Oxford.
Courtney Pianos are recognised as one of the foremost Bechstein experts in the UK, your prized Bechstein will be in very safe hands indeed.
When you entrust your Bechstein to us for restoration we will carefully assess the instrument and provide you with a price estimate for a full repair and restoration. As a rough guide, this will be anywhere between £6000 and £12000 depending on the type and size of the instrument.
In a typical piano restoration, we will do all of the following:
Restore the piano soundboard
Restring and re-pin the piano frame
Restore/rebuild the action/keyboard/damper assembly
Strip down and hand repolish the cabinet to reveal the pianos natural woodgrain
Raise to pitch and stretch strings, fine-tune to A-440
Extensively regulate the touch and damping
Overhaul the pianos pedal assembly
Occasionally when we begin the strip back a piano we come across hidden areas that may require additional work which will increase the cost – in such instances we will always speak directly to the owner before continuing.
As we take great care with all our restoration projects you can expect to be without your piano for a minimum of four months. We are pleased to be able to offer a rental service should you require an instrument during the time we have your piano in our care. Please discuss this with us at the time of scheduling the restoration in order to minimise your time without a piano.
Our aim at Courtney Pianos is to ensure that a piano is restored, as far as is possible, to the way it would have been when originally crafted. Along the way, we may use modern parts which can often enhance the quality and durability of the piano. Your restored upright or grand piano will, therefore, sound and play better than ever whilst looking as it would have done when it first left the factory floor.
Are you ready to discuss the restoration of your Bechstein piano?