No matter what the forecast is for the economy,
restored pianos are the perfect solution in any market.

By Clint Hughes, Owner of Grand American Piano

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, a restored piano can cost almost half as much and have better sound quality than a brand-new piano. How many other items can boast an increase in value with age while providing a function everyone can enjoy? Whether you already have an heirloom piano in need of repair or are looking to purchase a piano for your family, house of worship, business or professional use, THERE IS NO BETTER CHOICE FOR BUYERS AND OWNERS than a classic, rebuilt piano

Specifically, the owner of a restored vintage piano gains advantage from:

If you are thinking of obtaining a piano, the best investment you can make is the proven quality of a classic, restored American piano. If you already own a family heirloom American piano, the best thing you can do is restore it to its full potential. The American piano was perfected at the turn of the 20th Century with decorative details embellishing the rich beauty of old-growth hardwoods. Today, restored American pianos are still state-of-the-art with hand-craftsmanship that cannot be duplicated by assembly lines overseas. They are an important part of America´s heritage, and as these beautiful instruments age, they increase in value.

To acquire the same degree of quality and construction of a restored American piano, you will easily pay double the price for a new piano from a modern manufacturer. 100 years ago, old-growth trees were abundant and inexpensive. Today, you can expect to pay top dollar for the raw materials needed to make a piano of high quality. The hand-built American pianos of the Golden Era are generally too old to be viable in original condition, but these pianos -- fully restored -- are the best value in the piano industry.

A WORD TO THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER

What about USED PIANOS offered in most retail stores today? As time goes by, and fewer people play musical instruments, the piano is looked upon as just another piece of furniture. Today, it is not as important what a piano sounds like than as how it looks. Manufacturers know this and cater to style rather than sound quality. What you can expect from most used pianos is either an American piano of questionable quality, or the mass-produced Asian piano with a limited life.

In the 1960s the Japanese pianos came on the market. With their production-line approach, they gained a strong foothold. Then in the 80s, with price being the main concern, the Korean pianos started to appear. As with anything built to fit a price point, the longevity of the Japanese- and especially the Korean- and Chinese-made pianos are very limited. In general terms, a modern used piano is around 40 years old or less. Japanese pianos used to be the “entry level” piano. Then it was Korean. Now it is Chinese and Indonesian. If you spend less than $10,000 on a new piano, you can bet the piano was built in China or Indonesia. The majority of the case parts are made of either particle board or compressed paper.

If you are interested in restored pianos but do not know where to begin looking, start with Grand American Piano’s FREE PIANO ADOPTION PROGRAM. Many piano owners are unable to restore their vintage pianos, but are willing to give their piano to someone who can appreciate its value and historical significance. Click here to find out how this program works.

A NOTE TO CLASSIC PIANO OWNERS

IF YOU HAVE A PIANO in need of restoration, how do you decide what to do with it if it is not tunable anymore? What if your local piano salesman has already told you that your old piano isn’t worth restoring? It’s amazing how many times I’ve heard that said, and how wrong a statement it is. I believe there are two reasons salesmen say it. One reason is active and the other is passive.

Actively, sales people have a vested interest in you not restoring your piano. They are in business to sell you their pianos. Of course, the scruples of sales people vary widely; from omitting truths about the potential of your piano, to downright lying about theirs. I like to believe that the majority of sales people do have scruples and fall into the passive category. That is, they just don’t know or understand the potential of the older American pianos. They mostly see those pianos come in as trade-ins into their stores in original condition with old, faded finishes, rusty strings, sticking keys, etc. Their new pianos ARE in better shape than the vintage pianos IN THEIR UNRESTORED CONDITION. However, there are very few production line pianos today that can even hold a candle to a fully restored American piano. It is a shame how many families are denied the happiness that their family heirloom can bring them.

If you own a classic American piano and do not want to restore it, but cannot bear to see it go to a junkyard, see Grand American Piano’s new PIANO ADOPTION PROGRAM. We can facilitate the adoption of your old piano to someone who is willing to give it the care needed to bring it back to its former glory. See if you qualify for a FREE PIANO PICK-UP by clicking on this link for more information.

BRAND-NEW vs. RESTORED PIANO*

The best example I can give to prove the value of restored pianos is to compare prices of new and restored models of a brand available today. The comparison below shows how much more value you receive with a classic restored piano.

*Prices as of October 2008

In terms of overall value, a restored piano is, hands-down, the best investment a piano owner or prospective owner can make. I feel that restored pianos are the best-kept secret in the music world. As a piano rebuilder myself, there is a positive and a negative aspect to that. The negative is: many people are denied the privilege of enjoying a fully restored piano by unscrupulous or unknowing dealers don’t relay the truth. The positive is: if everybody knew the secret that restored pianos sound better, look better and feel better than modern pianos, then more people would become rebuilders and I might be out of a job!

Piano restoration is such a great endeavor; it requires a lot of knowledge, a lot of care and some patience, but the end results are indisputably satisfying for both the rebuilder and the customer. There is nothing else I could or want to do, and I hope all my customers benefit from my enthusiasm for vintage American pianos.