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FAQ
If you have
remained on this website this far, perhaps your interest is
piqued and you have questions. Here are some typical questions
and answers.
What does it cost for you to restore my vintage Steinway
& Sons grand?
My services cost between 70 and 80 percent of current replacement. As an example, as of this writing, a new Steinway & Sons 6’ 2" model A-2 in mahogany veneer carries a suggested retail price of $79,800. No two rebuilding jobs are identical, but my price to restore a vintage model A-2, originally produced in Steinway’s New York facility from 1898 to 1913, is in the neighborhood of $55,000. There are no hidden or additional costs once my client and I have signed an agreement.
Lesser costs from other sources will decidedly result in lesser
work, both in scope and experience, with potentially disappointing
results. I have witnessed shameful work over my career, some
emanating from the most exalted firms, performed at substantial
expense. The manufacturer took no shortcuts 100 years ago when
these fine instruments were constructed, and he charged appropriately
for his product. The mere passage of time should not dictate
any alternate course for these worthy restoration candidates.
This sample figure looks higher than others I am fielding for
presumably the same work to my piano. Why is this?
Im asked this question often. Rebuilding a piano is a
monumental undertaking. The Sample
Rebuilding Contract presented on this website highlights
only the largest of phases involved. There are dozens of smaller
procedures too numerous to mention on this document. As one
example, I refinish the action cavity the keyboard rests in.
Though out of the piano owners view, this measure restores
the original factory appearance of this space and makes it as
bright and cheerful a spot as can be for future service professionals
to work in. In-home service technicians produce quality work
when offered ideal working conditions. Further, I place a dated
and signed information card in this cavity informing technicians
exactly how the keyboard touchweight was set up to assist in
their duties. I know of no other piano rebuilders who go to
these lengths.
My position is that the instrument should look and perform exactly
as it did the day it left the factory, when utmost worker pride
and thoroughness of craftsmanship were perfunctory daily objectives.
Details require time; time adds cost.
Do you offer a guarantee?
I offer a written five-year guarantee on materials and
workmanship. See the Five Year Guarantee
located on this website.
Does your price include moving my piano to and from your shop?
Yes.
Can you provide me a piano to use while mine is being restored?
Yes, see the Sample
Rebuilding Contract located on this website. The loaner
piano is free; its moving is the customers responsibility.
How long will the restoration of my piano take?
My default answer is nine months, the amount of time to build
the piano the first time.
How long will I have to wait for you to commence the job?
My backlog varies, attributable primarily to our nation’s economy. Current waiting time is about 8 months.
How long should I expect your work to last?
These fine instruments have lasted up to eighty years and in
many instances are still playable. I feel it reasonable that
my thorough work will perform likewise, though neither my clients
nor I will likely be present to confirm this projection.
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