Repair cracked soundboard grand piano

Nashville piano rescue is full service and does make house calls on basic repairs, we also do piano cleaning, key top replacement, brass polishing, string replacement and full rebuilds, refinishing. A piano will go through many changes as weather and seasonal changes bring in cold and warmth. There is a crack in my piano s sound board, caused, i believe, by being stored in an arid place. Perhaps it looks less like a smooth, machined piece of carpentry and more like a freight pallet. There is a crack in my pianos sound board, caused, i believe, by being stored in an arid place. Nov 29, 2011 it is possible to force it upwards and repair the crack, but results and duration may be iffy. Cracks can be repaired, retaining the original soundboard. The sounding board is the most important single part in the piano because if the board is bad, you do not have a piano until there has been a major repair job. A new soundboard is custom tapered and fitted into the specific piano. With aldens piano repair service, your piano is in. For example, if a baby grand piano is 5 feet long, at least 12 inches of that length is going to be the keyboard before the strings and soundboard begin. Repair cracked soundboard soundboards what you hear is what you. The soundboard, which is the large wooden board you can see from the back of an upright piano or from underneath a grand, has ribs glued on it to strengthen it. It is more a repair for a piano that is incredibly special or expensive, such as a concert grand steinway or bosendorfer that has a soundboard in really bad shape but is still worth restoring.

Any piano with a little age on it will have a cracked soundboard, and any piano that is restored by any piano shop can have soundboard issues corrected and addressed properly. This is a more expensive repair depending on how big your piano is and how many cracks need repair. If you own a piano that is due or even overdue for quality refinishing, repair or restoration of any kind, from abington to yantic, to lakeville to kent to sandy hook to monroe, your piano repair is as close as the entrance to your local interstate highway. However, i played a chickering quarter grand 1904 today with glued cracks from underneath you could see the wood was missing, even.

Even then, a cracked plate can be repaired, by the right person, using the right materials but of all piano repairs, repairing a cracked plate is by far the most risky, due to the enormous tension from the strings. Piano sound board repairing cracks the sound board is a five eighths inch thick wooden board in the back of the piano. A large, fullsize upright piano has longer strings and a larger soundboard than a baby grand piano. A quick and simple test is to finger pluck your highest octave and listen if the tone projects through the entire piano and more importantly the. T he pianos that have their soundboards replaced are often vintage pianos or pianos that have been exposed to adverse conditions. It is more a repair for a piano that is incredibly special or expensive, such as a concert grand steinway or bosendorfer that has a soundboard in. This is a big big job and most pianos are just not worth it. Piano soundboard restoration is an exacting and timed honed process. One method for repairing cracks in a soundboard requires inserting a shim. Cracks in the soundboard are common in older pianos and can cause buzzing, loss of volume, and poor sustain. Cracked soundboards are actually quite common, especially in this climate. Sometimes when the soundboard gets cracks in it, the ribs come unglued from it in places.

Order piano parts and tools from our catalogue catalog. Graymarket pianos and cracked soundboards pianobuyer. A basic repair for this in an upright piano is to insert glue between the soundboard and the ribs closest to the crack and draw the soundboard back to the ribs either by screws or by some other method. Piano repair costs will be one to several thousands of dollars for the changing of strings alone, if necessary. The case against repairing piano soundboard cracks part 1. If you crack open the lid of either your grand or upright piano and look down, you will see a shiny piece of wood behind the iron plate that runs the entire area of the bottom or back of the instrument. If there is something wrong here, that has a much more influence on the sound. Other structural repairs, or repairs to the soundboard, will be expensive and will certainly need to be performed by a professional as it should be with most repairs.

You can glue the board back onto a rib, if they have separated, but that is a much more entailed process. Q i think my piano has a cracked soundboard, so it cant be tuned. In extreme cases, cracked boards can produce a buzzing sound, but this can be corrected through repair. When installing a shim repair the crack is opened, scraped and enlarged. Piano restoration rebuilding refinishing repair connecticut ct. Find a professional piano company or piano technician, that will repair the soundboard of your piano. Repair of rib separations can usually be done at reasonable cost without rebuilding the piano. The cracks will expand and only cause you trouble if you cannot have a strictly controlled and sterile environment. On the back of it, it has one inch ribs which stabilize it by running against the grain of the sound board. Soundboard replacement is not a requirement for most pianos but if your piano is lacking tone and resonance in the high treble or anywhere else, it may be time to replace your soundboard. These are american steinways first new grand piano introductions in many, many decades. So youve noticed the soundboard of your piano has a crack. The soundboard is imperative for the projection of any piano. If you crack open the lid of either your grand or upright piano and.

If you have a grand, you will have to work under the thing. With aldens piano repair service, your piano is in good hands. Talk to us about your ideas and preferences for your. When an original soundboard needs restoration, we evaluate the board to ensure structural integrity, hand sand it and repair any damage utilizing our special methods. When the soundboard looses a lot of moisture or absorbs and. This can be shimmed not a problem, unless inspection reveals a whole lot of other problems. Secondly, dont worry about a cracked soundboard unless a tuner tells you to worry. Over the years, soundboards can crack for a variety of reasons. Because the distance strings to soundboard and the tension inside the soundboard is of importance. Kurt weissman of grand purpose piano is restoring this steinway m and in the. When manufactured, the soundboard has built into it a curvature or crown. I am asked often about soundboard cracks, and often by people that have heard its a death sentence for the piano, or that it means the piano cant be tuned. Nearly all piano soundboards are made of thin planks of spruce glued together.

Frequently asked questions about piano tuning, piano care, pitch raises, soundboard issues, minnesota climate. The pianos action is the mechanism that causes the felt hammers to strike the strings when you play a key. If the crack is small, but wide, it can be cleaned and a soundboard shim can be installed fairly simply. Contrary to what the name implies, it is not one board, but several planked together, much like a hardwood floor. This usually will eliminate the offending noise when the piano is played.

Cracks in a piano soundboard are common and often are not sufficient reason to replace a soundboard. Often, depending on the size, location, and nature of the crack, it will make no difference at all in the pianos sound. Soundboards must be perfectly balanced to eliminate any sound interference. From sticking keys to broken strings, or loose tuning pins to a cracked and buzzing soundboard, grand purpose piano will come to your location, evaluate the problem, and offer immediate solutions. A piano tuner is pleased to announce that we are adding the very popular squeegie type soundboard cleaners designed by bill spurlock to our growing line of spurlock specialty tools. Soundboard repair oxford piano service piano tuning. A solid soundboard is commonly used in piano soundboard construction. Weve received so many requests for this item from customers who want keep their grand piano soundboard clean with these tool that reach all areas of the. Having your upright or grand piano restored may be the perfect opportunity to renew the surface finish, since your instrument is a key element of your interior design. Small cracks, especially cracks that form along the seams where the wood pieces are joined together, occur in most cases due to age. A question came up on another forum about the possibility of repairing the cracked sound board on a 1929 braumuller baby grand piano. If you have a high quality piano we can probably effect the repair.

First of all, dont buy a used piano without having a tuner inspect it first. This has become a popularly adopted technique for repairing soundboards. I dont think my piano is worth anythingthe soundboard is cracked. Introduced at winter namm 2006, is the rebirth of the steinway model o grand piano in the 6 10 and 34 size. Repairing or replacing a pianos soundboard bradfield piano. Any separation of a rib from the soundboard at a crack is a potential source of buzzing noises. Welcome to estey piano piano rebuilding services piano. The book tells you in plain language how to care for and repair your piano. Nov 30, 2009 this photo was taken underneath a new name brand grand piano that was only 1month old when the 1layer solidspruce soundboard cracks were discovered by the owner in their home in phoenix, arizona. One method for repairing cracks in a soundboard requires inserting a shim of wood into the cracked board.

The sounding boards function is to truly reflect and amplify that tone. When a soundboard cracks, the most effective repair involves cutting out the crack and planking in a fresh piece of spruce. Rates and answers to piano service, tuning, repair. If you open up the lid of either your upright or grand piano and look down, you will see a shiny piece of wood that runs the down the back or the bottom of the instrument. The ribs run perpendicular to the grain of the soundboard, and therefore perpendicular to any cracks. Piano owners survival guide piano parts catalogue catalog. So youve noticed the soundboard of your piano has a crackor perhaps many cracks. The belly new pianos, used pianos, piano restoration. The nostalgia of owning a piano from liszts time sounds tempting. Nearly all soundboards will crack at some point over the life of the piano. If that bad, cracked, lost crown, a new board may be needed.

If the crack is small and doesnt buzz, theres no need to fix it. During the extremely cold weather recently, apparently crack appeared in the soundboard. In a traditionally made, solid spruce soundboard, the crown is maintained by. Mar 12, 2016 this is an example of a significant crack in the soundboard of a small baby grand piano. A good quality soundboard can l ast 100 years or more. Jul 25, 2012 soundboard cracks can be very minimal. Soundboard find a professional piano company or piano technician, that will repair the soundboard of your piano. While soundboard cracks are obviously undesirable, and in some cases can cause serious problems. The newest piano is based on the second largest size. For whatever reason i see more yamaha grand pianos with pressure ridges than kawai grands, i dont know why, its possibly different spruce, but its just an observation from being in the business for a long time. Make sure its not cracked and that the ribs, pins, and bridges inside arent cracked or broken. Once you get to the point where strings need to be removed, the labor charges go up. Recently i did what i called a makeover to what was apparently a horrible chinese grand from 2005, a stencil piano from the dongbei factory with a hallet. For your piano to be considered for this repair you must email or send the manufacture, model, size, serial number, and photos of all damage and areas for repairs.

This is the table of contents to a book for doityourselfers. It can be sealed to stop the buzzing, but to cosmetically repair, the strings must be removed and the crack must be shimmed and relacquered. The soundboard is what allows the piano to project its sound. This is an example of a significant crack in the soundboard of a small baby grand piano. Oct 31, 2009 how costly is it to fixed a cracked sound board in a piano. Piano care and repair table of contents, repair, restore, and tune your piano. Check, repair bridges, refinish the soundboard, paint the plate, reinstall, restring. A piano with a cracked soundboard should be carefully checked for rib separations before purchase. You may be referring to a bad pin block which does directly affect tuning. The customer asked in advance if i knew of someone who could repair such a crack. Feb 07, 2012 so youve noticed the soundboard of your piano has a crackor perhaps many cracks.

Jul 03, 20 a basic repair for this in an upright piano is to insert glue between the soundboard and the ribs closest to the crack and draw the soundboard back to the ribs either by screws or by some other method. I inherited the piano and want to keep it in good shape and fix up the major problems. Dealing with this crack will depend on a number of things, including whether the bottom is closed or not. Most pianos on the east coast have cracked soundboards. Id like to have it tuned and learn to play it, however, it has a cracked sound board. A lot of technicians would have opted to repair the crack. The table below provides an overview of some of the many facets of restoring antique pianos at shaffer pianos and illustrates why pianos should be restored in a shop and not a customers home. We are rejecting low end pianos where the quality of plate casting was the cause of the failure. It is also one of the main reasons that a cracked soundboard will buzz when played at certain frequencies. We offer moving from any location to our shop for restoration and then. Strings also stress the pinblock which has to be replaced when it wont stay in tune.

You need someone who is expert at soundboard repair. The good news is that this has nothing to do with the tuning. Unless you have repaired a cracked soundboard before, we recommend contacting a professional. Even in this case, a quick and easy repair may be done using little. Antique square grand piano restoration shaffer pianos. In grand pianos, this condition is a little more serious mainly. Soundboard cracks demystified south jersey piano service. I know that the piano is just junk to a serious pianist, but id like to try and repair it and have it tuned.

Piano restoration costs piano restoration pricing guide 2019. Evenmore so by playing on it consistantly, you will only make the cracks worse. Smaller cracks may not impact your pianos sound enough to warrant repair. Piano repair is second nature to aldens piano company.

But if it has cracks in the sound board, than it is better to leave it for a museum. When purchasing a grand piano dont buy one with a cracked soundboard, a pressure ridge or 2 is all right. Thats why its essential to conduct regular maintenance and repair of your soundboard. A cracked soundboard the thin board stretched across the frame of a piano whose role is to amplify sound seems to be everyones greatest fear. I was under the impression this was pretty much a wasted effort. Years of vibration and climate changes can cause the soundboard s pieces to split at the seams. A pianos soundboard is one of the most important pieces on a piano. Whether you have a grand piano or an upright piano, fixing cracks is one of the most common soundboard repairs. We bring our generations of experience to the table and use the techniques passed on through the decades. They can provide insight on how to best preserve your pianos sound and give pricing for a. It is uncluttered by splash and frills so that you can concentrate on getting the job done. There are a very few belly men technicians specializing in soundboard repair who do excellent work replacing soundboards. The significance of soundboard cracks on pianos youtube. A cracked harp plate is an important issue, but in most cases can be remedied by new technologies in welding and mending.

I cant count the number of times someone has said to me. Greeb, the proper repair for the soundboard crack, if warranted, is a spruce shim. Much more important is for a grand, that the soundboard does not start to hang down instead having a convex dome. Advice for adult students wanting to learn to play duration. This photo was taken underneath a new name brand grand piano that was only 1month old when the 1layer solidspruce soundboard cracks were discovered by the owner in their home in phoenix, arizona. The common thought is the soundboard is not repairable when damaged but on the contrary can be fixed in most situations. When choosing whether to repair or replace your soundboard, its important to consider the level of damage. A cracked pinblock can be replaced, and a cracked soundboard can certainly be repaired or replaced. How costly is it to fixed a cracked sound board in a piano. I have a customer with a yamaha g2 grand about 30 years old. This table of contents will lead you through the book. Epoxy soundboard crack repair pianotech piano technicians guild.