What is Piano Restoration and What Does it Entail?
What is Piano Restoration and What Does it Entail?
When you hear the words ‘piano restoration’ what do you imagine?
Perhaps a repair, fixing damaged areas and re-tuning the instrument?
Well, you’d be correct – at least partially…
When we say ‘piano restoration’ we mean stripping the instrument right back and lovingly repairing, restoring, restringing and repinning the frame as well as repolishing the cabinet so the beautiful natural wood grain is highlighted once more.
We recognise and want to celebrate the craftsmanship of the instrument’s original makers and aim to return an instrument to as close to its original style and character as possible.
In short, when a piano leaves us it will be restored to its original glory, ready for many more years of loving use.
How Much Does Piano Restoration Cost?
Every piano is unique and we treat it as such. Our prices will, therefore, depend on the amount of work a piano requires to restore it to its former glory.
The following prices are an indication of the cost of a complete restoration project:-
- Standard Upright £5,000
- Large Upright £6,000
- Baby Grand £6.500
- Boudoir Grand £8,000
- Concert Grand £10,000 to £12,000
These prices are exclusive of VAT and transportation costs
What Sorts of Pianos Can We Restore?
We work primarily on Bechstein, Steinway, Blüthner, Richard Lipp and Bosendorfer pianos but we can look at other makes if required.
If we feel that the cost of a full restoration of a lower value instrument is not cost-effective we will always tell the owner.
How Long Does a Piano Restoration Take?
Every single piano is unique and therefore so is every restoration project, however, you should allow for around 4 months for an upright, and 5 months for a grand pianos.
Do bear in mind though that occasionally we will come across areas needing work that were not immediately apparent – e.g.. discovering soundboard splits hidden behind the iron frame and that this could add to both the timescale and cost. Rest assured that in such instances we will always speak to the owner before continuing.
Why Should You Choose Courtney Pianos to Carry Out Restoration Work?
First and foremost…because we care about pianos! In fact, we have a passion for pianos and are recognised as one of the foremost Bechstein experts in the UK.
A family firm established over 40 years ago, our aim is always to ensure that a piano is restored, as far as is possible, to the way it would have been when originally crafted.
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.
With a combined expertise of over 140 years in the piano restoration field, we know our jobs and pride ourselves on our knowledge and skills.
Each of our team has a particular speciality – from the precise regulation and fine-tuning of each piano, through to the French Polishing of each and every cabinet, our experts work together to complete the very best restorations.
So, now you know a little more about the process, all that remains is to get in touch.