Complete Piano Restoration

Ashly Piano Crafts in Oak View, California proudly presents this short video featuring the complete restoration of a Kimball grand piano, done in 2006.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ashly
• Piano
• Crafts
• Oak
• View
• restore
• Kimball

[jonnda]

My church had an old (1930's?) Kimbal like this one, but a bit longer. After using it for 30+ years they decided tuning it every month was too much effort and money. Now they have a newish Boston baby grand, which is alright- but I MISS THAT KIMBALL! I am glad to see someone out there has restored one.

[eaustin1]

@jonnda Yeah, every month would be quite an expense...that money would have been better spent on a restoration. Sounds like they got something nice as a replacement. Hopefully that older Kimball lives on!

[ronnieericsson]

Hi! Would you have a look at my squeaky, heavy played piano action?

I have a video clip of it on my page.

[eaustin1]

@ronnieericsson Great video! Sounds like you're getting some useful advice there...

[eaustin1]

kawhackitarag: a tiny primer for those who don't know: the soundboard of a piano has a slight curve or "crown" to it, which puts pressure on the wood. wood under pressure holds tone; flat boards do not! as a piano ages and the soundboard loses crown, sometimes it's a desirable option to restore that pressure. this isn't professional advice, but we have lowered plates - by mere millimeters - to increase downbearing of strings to bridge. VERY tricky to do...measure a thousand times, cut once!

[eaustin1]

libra051090: a 9 foot grand?! woohoo! you're going to run into quite a hefty refinishing charge with that one, since that's usually calculated by how many "feet" of piano is being refinished. we run into lots of ambitious folks who try to go it alone with little/no experience, and just get swamped by the enormity of it. you'd be best served to contact a technician/tuner in your area, who likely has a refinisher that they know and trust if they don't do it themselves.

[mscwsl817]

beautyfuul!0:23 is scary!

[itscodyw]

nice work!!!! I love every thing about it but that thing that holds the lid up is ugly.

[bronluke123456]

i live in oxnard california and wanted to know a place where they can restore a piano for a good price... im buying a beat up upright piano and it needs a lot of work... sounds beautiful tho for being really old... buying it for $75.. better than nothing.....

[fluterampal]

I have a kimball almost exactly like that in color and size. It is now strip of all finish. did you use shellac to finish? Im think of using red ruby shellac. Regards

[jonnda]

@eaustin1 Yeah, if I could have been part of the group that makes those decisions I would have suggested restoration. I am not sure how much they looked into that. If I understand correctly, they gave it to a guy who restores Baldwin pianos because there was some miscommunication. He in turn shipped it off to a guy in Mexico who (I think/hope) restores old pianos of various brands.

[az101010]

i like that sound a little better than the NY Steinway..