1926 Steinway Grand Model L

[GEaston]

I have just become the very happy owner of an old and neglected Steinway, for the meagre sum of gbp2500. It is a NY Steinway rather than a Hamburg model and having not been touched other than tuning in 81 years it is in need of complete restoration. It's in Satin Black and will travel back to the UK with me when I return from Bermuda later in the year. I guess in the UK these are rare, as most will be Hamburg supplied.

All the keys work, none stick, the sound is very nice considering so I think it has a lot of potential as a restoration project.

Now I understand that I need to do a proper job of restoring it, but I imagine that handing it over to the Steinway repair shop will cost as much as a new piano (might be wrong about that but just expecting it).

So, what are my best options? I guess my second best option is to find someone with a great reputation who uses genuine parts. Can I get a total restoration done in say polished Ebony for around gbp12,000 or less ? I'm sure that would be a good investment and while I have no plans to sell it I would hope it would be worth equal to or more than gbp15k when finished. Is that realistic ?

All opinions welcome.

[PianoGuy]

So, what are my best options? I guess my second best option is to find someone with a great reputation who uses genuine parts. Can I get a total restoration done in say polished Ebony for around gbp12,000 or less ? I'm sure that would be a good investment and while I have no plans to sell it I would hope it would be worth equal to or more than gbp15k when finished. Is that realistic ?

Firstly, NY Steinways don't have the investment potential of the Hamburg pianos, so don't expect to make a killing.
This is because the biggest market for used S&S is the USA (where they have too many NY models of their own to get on with) and Japan. As we all know, the Japanese are Europhiles, and a US Steinway will be unloved there too. Bear in mind that the L is the least desirable of all S&S grands, because even a rogue dealer will have difficulty in passing it off as German, since a 30 second bit of research on the net will reveal to any interested punter that they're USA only. On saying that, your figures are probably not too far off the mark, and a restored L if done properly could be a fine piano. The price you're paying is very fair.

You're right in that a restoration by S&S themselves will be pricey. I reckon your best bet would be to try Oxfordshire based Shackell Pianos who have an excellent reputation for restoration of Steinway (Shackell's will not touch any other make except in certain circumstances will condescend to working on Yamaha if you ask nicely) but it may cost more than you think. In the East of England is the excellent Barry Caradine, who will also do justice to your piano, as will the tiny but superb firm of Musical Instruments Ltd based in the West, who were at one time under the Blüthners banner together with the Blüthners restoration workshop in Perivale. The highly capable Leverett brothers who were the mainstay of Blüthners restoration now run Piano Restorations and are dab hands in soundboard replacement if your S&S should need it. They're well capable of handling a Steinway, and I believe that Steinways' Acton depot used to use them for soundboard work, but don't quote me on that.

I've been in the Home Counties too long and it's been a long time since I left the North, so I don't know of a good restorer up there these days, and there are bound to be some, but all the above cover the entire UK. Webmaster Barrie may be able to fill you in with others.

Resist the temptation to use a firm who is simply going to ship the old girl off to Poland where there are a number of companies who tosh up pianos on the cheap. A Polish restoration will look great but unless the action at least is reworked and regulated by someone capable, it's unlikely you'll get much player satisfaction out of one. Ever played a Polish piano? Look out for a Calisia or Legnica, and you'll see why we shouldn't allow the same people who made them to attempt to restore anything half decent. A number of dealers are doing this, so ask where it's going and view the workshop yourself. Above all, speak to the technician who'll do the work and get a feel for how well he thinks it will respond. Don't be content with talking to the sales staff alone.

[GEaston]

Thanks for the opinion Pianoguy. I didn't buy the piano to make a turn, I reached Grade 7 as a pianist by age 13 myself and then gave it up until I was 30. I have 2 kids 4 and 2 who will obviously learn so acquiring a suitable instrument was always in the back of my mind.

The opportunity to rescue this Steinway came my way and I just couldn't not buy it for gbp2,500 because even in unrestored form it plays as well as anything I learned on. I want to do the restoration on the piano because it needs it, I'm curious as to what it will sound like and it'll be a great piece of functional furniture so I'm excited about the whole venture. Just want to be careful that I do it right but don't throw money away in the process. There is no chance of it being shipped to Poland. Rebuild a conservatory, maybe, but not my piano.

[GEaston]

Anyone familiar with the work of Barry Lusher of www.tyneside-piano.co.uk ?

[doctorbaz]

Hi there,

You could do a lot worse than to get in touch with Fergus Hoey of Alcyonis Pianos in North Norfolk. He has his own workshops and from my knowledge of him and his work, it's a real labour of love for him. He emphasises conservation and authenticity in his restorations and will not try to turn your 1920s Steinway into a brand new one! He does all the work himself except for the obvious like hammer recoverings etc. which will go to Abel in Germany or similar. This is based on my own experiences of the advice he gave and work he did on my 1904 Steinway Model O; I visited his workshops and was hugely impressed with his restorations. Should not think distance would be any kind of problem for him.

http://www.alcyonis.co.uk/

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Barrie

[PianoGuy]

No experience at all with Tyneside Pianos, but Fergus reputedly plies his trade regularly at various piano auctions in the Smoke. As for Polish restoration, it's worth reiterating that many pianos bugger off to the Baltic without their owners being any the wiser. The only excusable reason for this is for a cheap polyestering job, with UK craftsmen carrying out the important work. Polish polyestering work was always decent even in Communist times, and it was tough enough to withstand a Solidarnosc riot. Shame the pianos so coated were as grim as an FSO Polonez

[Barrie Heaton]

I've been in the Home Counties too long and it's been a long time since I left the North, so I don't know of a good restorer up there these days, and there are bound to be some, but all the above cover the entire UK. Webmaster Barrie may be able to fill you in with others.

There are a few but………! Hmm would I send a piano certainly not a Steinway. This guy is good www.tostevinspianos.co.uk/ Stoke-on-Trent but tends to be booked up.

There are workshops that claim they do quality work and some may do, not seen everyone’s work . I have been told about some rebuilders by folk in the trade but when you see their work you just smile politely.

The problem in the UK is there is not the work for the rebuilders that there use to be, you need to be working on quality on a daily bases to produce the standard.

Barrie,