CHINAS GOT TALENT, 23 YEAR OLD, ARM-LESS PIANIST

Armless pianist Liu Wei, 23 from China...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7CeoUZbW3Y

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FULLY RESTORE A GRAND PIANO?

A common question we are asked is how much does it cost to fully restore a grand piano?

This is a difficult question to answer given the variety of grand pianos, however in short, the majority of grand piano restorations we do generally cost between $2800 - $5500.

Below is a photo of another happy customer of ours shortly after taking delivery of her retored 'Zimmerman' Grand Piano.



HOW IMPORTANT IS THE TUNING / WREST PLANK OF A PIANO?

The tuning plank (or wrest plank as it is sometimes called) of a piano is a treated and often laminated piece of timber that sits behind the iron frame. The tuning plank is the structural component that houses the tuning pins which are wound into the plank at a slight upward angle acting as an adjustable string base. In hot and dry climates such as those found in many parts of Australia, tuning planks are prone to dry out and cause tuning pins to become loose. For those looking to purchase a secondhand piano, the tuning plank is an important structural feature to take into consideration when making your purchase.

Below is a photo of the beginnings of a recent re-pin and re-string job to a baby grand 'Baldwin' piano. After having removed all the old tuning pins, we install the new pins with tuning pin installation powder to ensure a smooth tuning feel.



HOW TO TELL IF A PIANO HAS AN IRON FRAME?

People often call us asking how they can tell if a piano has an iron frame. There are 4 easy steps that can be followed to tell you if a piano has an iron frame rather than a wooden frame. These are as follows:

1. With the top lid open, look down inside the piano.
2. Whilst looking down inside the piano and looking at the back section, you should see approximately 250 tuning pins exiting the tuning plank.
3. Have a look around the tuning pins, if you can see or feel a metal structure running the length of the piano (Usually a gold colour) around the tuning pins, the piano has an iron frame.
4. If there is no metal structure around the tuning pins, the piano is most likely a wooden framed piano and may not be tunable.

Below is a photo of what the inside of a 'Zimmerman' brand upright piano looks like with the top panel removed. Note, the large gold coloured iron frame surrounding the tuning pins of the piano...



ELI MATTSON - SEMI FINAL PERFORMANCE

Yet another must see piano performance by Eli Mattson...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcrnwliD7CE&feature=related

ANOTHER RARE FIND ON AMERICAS GOT TALENT - PIANIST ELI MATTSON

Another rare find on Americas got talent, Check out pianist and vocalist Eli Mattson...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-ULPv47e8U&feature=related

RESTORATION TO IRON FRAME ON AN 8FT GRAND 'PLEYEL' PIANO

In many cases, a full piano restoration will include restoring the iron frame and soundboard. Below is a photo from a recent restoration job on an 8ft 'Pleyel' grand piano. In particular, this photo shows the process of re-spraying the iron frame in the original 'antique gold' colour. This piano was also fully re-pinned and re-strung following restoration of the iron frame and soundboard.