Information for my Grotrian Steinweg

[Dani]

Hello, first of all, thanks for the forum to clarify our doubts. Well, I`m from Chile (excuse my english), and I`ve got recently an upright grotrian steinweg piano. Its been manufactered in 1894, and my question it`s about the comercial value, because I`m a student and my dady has to pay for the restore, and I cannot answer him if it worth to do it, and the only way to convince him, is to be sure that it is a great piano, so please can you hel p me??
I must tell you that in my country it is quite difficult to find a reliable information about old pianos.
Thanks and bye!!

[Barrie Heaton]

Wile Grotrian Steinweg are good makes your upright is a bit on the old side if it had been a grand they it would be worth the cost of a full rebuild see
http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-forums/piano552.html

Your problem is the age of the soundboard However, changing soundboards on uprights is not normally done because of the cost. So if you do go for a restore you will have to leave the soundboard because of cost, I would seek the advise of a local piano tuner to see if the piano is worth restoring or if the money would be better spent on a new one

Barrie,

[Ben Wimpenny]

Barrie - I am going to look at an 1893-1894 Grotrian Steinweg upright this weekend with a view to rebuilding myself (as a keen amateur). The project is not intended as a money making exercise but more to achieve a beautiful sounding instrument.

Clearly as an amateur I would not be looking at replacing the soundboard myself and as you have said, it probably would not be worth the expense of getting a professional to do it for an upright. What do I need to look out for to see if the soundboard is 'shot' - major cracking etc?

If the soundboard is visibly o.k. do you think that the piano once rebuilt will be able to achieve good tonal quality (or is it simply too old?)?

The seller is asking for GBP 950 (apparently the ivories are in good condition, reasonable amount of hammer felt remaining, unchipped veneer) - of course I cannot assess this myself until I see the piano. However, do you think GBP 950 (which includes delivery) is in the right ballpark?

I would be very grateful for your views

Regards

[Barrie Heaton]

Barrie - I am going to look at an 1893-1894 Grotrian Steinweg upright this weekend with a view to rebuilding myself (as a keen amateur). The project is not intended as a money making exercise but more to achieve a beautiful sounding instrument.

Clearly as an amateur I would not be looking at replacing the soundboard myself and as you have said, it probably would not be worth the expense of getting a professional to do it for an upright. What do I need to look out for to see if the soundboard is 'shot' - major cracking etc?

Old pianos can and do have soundboards in good condition and in some cases better than 30-year-old pianos, Bluthner are a good make but like all pianos there survival all depends on how they were looked after and the environment they have been sitting in.

Cracks are not a problem only if they are buzzing. However, they are an indication that the piano has been dried out – you need to look at the back of the piano to see if the belly bars are OK not coming unglued – look at the bridges for cracks take note of the sound quality of the top treble and the treble break, the note both sides if there is a problem with the sound board that is were it will show first. I can tell you what to look for but only experience can tell you if the sound of the piano now will improve a lot or just a little.

If the soundboard is visibly o.k. do you think that the piano once rebuilt will be able to achieve good tonal quality (or is it simply too old?)?

Hard to say without seeing it. All pianos improve with certain types of work done on them

The seller is asking for GBP 950 (apparently the ivories are in good condition, reasonable amount of hammer felt remaining, unchipped veneer) - of course I cannot assess this myself until I see the piano. However, do you think GBP 950 (which includes delivery) is in the right ballpark?

I would be very grateful for your views

Regards

The price for a restore job is far too much, trade would only give 400 tops but they are looking to make a profit, is it an over damper or an under damper. Your problems will also be parts how much work are you intending to do, new strings? New hammers? In your case having the hammers re-covered would be a better option but you would be looking at quite a bit if you can get a supplier who will do for a member of the GP. I take it you are in the UK and you are aware that the UK piano industry is a closed shop they frown on DIY big time, the ones that do sell parts over the net to the GP can be expensive for the big stuff.

Barrie,

[Ben Wimpenny]

Barrie,

Once again, thanks for the prompt and very informative response. The Grotrian is underdampened - which is at least something in its favour.

I realise the seller (trade) is trying to make a profit - fair enough - although perhaps the mark up is a trifle excessive!!

I won't be viewing the piano until next Saturday so I cannot comment re. replacing strings and hammers. Do you think it's worth going to see or should I abandon at that price?

I have indeed noticed over the last few months the closed shop nature of the UK piano industry - bit frustrating for the keen amateur (would like to do the Piano Tuning and Restoration Course at Newark but can't afford to do three days a week!) but I assume it's to do with quality control.

Whilst writing, do you know of any technician in the Sheffield area who would be interested in toning my Kemble (particularly the bass/treble cross over area)?

Many Thanks

Regards

[Barrie Heaton]

If you are buying from a shop then it will be more expensive, you are better buying private for recon projects I don’t know why but I had Bluthner on my mind in the last post I should have said Grotrian too much falling down water.

The UK trade has always had it’s head in the sand as far as training is concerned – we will have to make some changes because the colleges are getting less students the ones they are getting tend to be mature students and most can’t commit to being away form home that long. I think we will have to go down the lines of bock release and the use of mentors, but that would take a big change of attitude from the PTA, IMIT and the ABPT and I have more chance of wining the lotto

Quite a few of the tuners in Sheffield are getting very old and probably could not be bothered doing anything out of the ordinary, you have Peter Millgate but I don’t know if he is into toning you will be surprised how many are not. I think Peter is going on the ABPT seminar and there is a toeing course but that is next year, it would be useful for you to contact him regarding your project he will probably get you your parts for you he is away at the moment but you could ask him to look at the Grotrian phone 0800 1077967 You have Paul Fox as well but again……. Who do you use now?



Barrie,

[Ben Wimpenny]

If you are buying from a shop then it will be more expensive, you are better buying private for recon projects I don’t know why but I had Bluthner on my mind in the last post I should have said Grotrian too much falling down water.

Do you still think it's worth having a look at the Grotrian - even at GBP 950? (Sorry to press you on this - remember I'm not doing this as a money making exercise but equally I don't want to be ripped off)

The UK trade has always had it’s head in the sand as far as training is concerned – we will have to make some changes because the colleges are getting less students the ones they are getting tend to be mature students and most can’t commit to being away form home that long. I think we will have to go down the lines of bock release and the use of mentors, but that would take a big change of attitude from the PTA, IMIT and the ABPT and I have more chance of wining the lotto

Quite a few of the tuners in Sheffield are getting very old and probably could not be bothered doing anything out of the ordinary, you have Peter Millgate but I don’t know if he is into toning you will be surprised how many are not. I think Peter is going on the ABPT seminar and there is a toeing course but that is next year, it would be useful for you to contact him regarding your project he will probably get you your parts for you he is away at the moment but you could ask him to look at the Grotrian phone 0800 1077967 You have Paul Fox as well but again……. Who do you use now?

I have used both Peter and Paul but I don't think they are keen on toning (for understandable reasons) - bear in mind that we are only talking about an upright Kemble here and I am probably being very pedantic - it's just that I believe good toning could improve the bass/treble crossover and make me less irritable when practising

Once again, thanks for all the advice

Regards

[Barrie Heaton]

Depends if you are buying the piano to rip the guts out and restore no too expensive for its age and what you intend to do, but that is me looking at it from a trade point of view. If you are buying the piano as a second hand piano hoping that it is in reasonable nick with little work to do on it, then yes it could turn out to be a nice piano but you will have to look at it.

With out seeing the piano I can’t comment if the asking price is a fare one or not named pianos can demand more money because of the name, at the end of the day you have to decide what it is you want to do buy this piano because it may be better than your Kemble or as a project to see if you wish to come into the piano trade – if it is the latter I would get a free one to start with or one no more than 50 pounds.

Barrie

[Dani]

Since a long time passed from the first post, I´d already restore my grotrian. For The question of foreignbox, yes I studied piano since I was 8, but I stopped for a long time. Now I´m back, but not with lesson, just myself, and that´s the reason from which I got the piano, because I used ti have a rubinstein, but i t was the big ones, I don´t know how to call them in english, because not as big as a concert one in spnaish we called it media cola, but my mom sold it because it was too big to my house, It was really beautiful, but the sound wasn´t very good.
Well thanks for the interest, I live in viña del mar, in reñaca. I hope that you understand me because I haven´t practice my english since I left school.
PS; What exactly do you mean with the price 2 mm$?????
2 million of chilean pesos???? Pleasi answer me that!!!

[rpthomas]

Hi

I have a 1918 six foot six inches Grotrian Steinweg, and have just sent it for comment on possible restoration to the Piano Shop in Leeds. I may sell it after restoration, or I may keep it. What should I be looking for in the restoration process?

Richard

[pawel]

Hi, coudl you help me whether indeed value of Grotrian Steinweg made in 1939, in need of modest repri, woudl be around 3500 pounds?

[pawel]

a grand piano, sorry

[Gill the Piano]

Is it an upright or a grand piano? Makes a lot of difference!

[gerard]

hola Dani

ayer yo compre un piano derecho gotrian steinweg que tiene el numero 8586. es muy antigo pienso que el tuyo tiene mas o menos el mismo numéro. por favor qual es tu numero ?
yo compre el mio 7500 euros donde un especialista de piano que lo areglo. el sonido es muy lindo y muy facil para tocar pero muy fuerte. mucho mas que un yamaha de cola que tengo tanbien. queria disminuar el sonido. a ver se lo puedo hacer.
no savia que se podria encontrar facilmente piano en chile.
gracias para tu respuesta. al final que tal tu restauration ? valio la pena ?

hasta pronto
gerard Francia Annecy