Piano Restoration

We’re passionate about pianos and it brings us great pleasure to bring old pianos back to life. We understand all pianos, as with all players, are unique and our expertise enables us to not only restore pianos, but to customise them to the requirements of players, whether this is a bold new paint job, the addition of custom features, or a unique tuning.

Completed Restorations

  • A green upright piano with a matching bench in a room with wooden floors and beige walls.

  • Green upright piano showing keyboard with white and black keys.

  • A vintage upright piano with a dark wood finish and decorative inlays on the top front panel, positioned on a carpeted floor in a room with other furniture and musical instruments.

  • A vintage wooden bench with a floral upholstered cushion in a store aisle.

  • Two women stand beside an upright piano in a recording studio. One woman, on the left, has dark hair and is wearing a black and green striped sweater, while the other woman, on the right, has curly hair, glasses, and is wearing a green vest with a scarf. They are smiling and posing for the photo.

  • Photograph of a gold-painted double action pedal harp with ornate carvings, shown from both sides and a close-up of the top. It sits on a round floral rug in a room with a plant and a small stool. Text reads: '1813 Erard Double Action Pedal Harp - a special project'.

  • An antique wooden upright piano with a polished wood finish and black and white keys.

  • Vintage upright piano with brass candle holder sconces on top, black finish, in a music store or museum setting.

  • A white upright piano with an open lid, showing black and white keys, against a dark background.

Custom Features

I enjoy working with other artists to create special features on instruments. Such as Catherine Wheel who created the beautiful stained glass shown oppsite:

A stained glass window featuring a yellow bird perched among green leaves and purple flowers, with raindrops on the glass.
A wooden mirror with carved floral and leaf designs framing the top and sides.
Close-up of a wooden-framed mirror with decorative carved roses and leaves, reflecting a window with floral curtains.

Make it truly unique.

I can create a celeste rail for your piano. This is a strip of thin felt that half-dampens the notes. It's a lovely effect that was featured in some old pianos. It is different from the thick felt on the practice pedal in modern pianos. I can convert a practice pedal to a celeste pedal if desired. 

I enjoy working with other artists to create special features on instruments. Some examples might be:

  • Re-create missing sconces (candelabras)

  • Create a feature stain-glass window in the front panel of the piano (As pictured, stained glass by Catherine Wheel)

  • Replace damaged or missing wood-turned details

  • Renew painted details on the frame

  • Create new painted coats or details

  • Create new wood carved detail

I enjoy collaborating with some wonderful artists who can add unique features to your piano. They are able to consult with you on design ideas. These features include wood carving, wood turning, glass blowing, stained glass and brass features. 

The beautiful stained glass featured above was created by Catherine Wheel. To see her stunning work more closely please follow the link to her website: www.catherinewheel.com.au

Wooden mirror with a carved flower and leaf design at the bottom, with a reflection of a glass water pitcher and glass in the mirror.

What determines the sound of a piano?

Piano makers in various times and places have had differing aims, and have designed their pianos around these aims. German makers have usually made pianos with a tone that is rich, warm, and full. Japanese pianos have an action design similar to German pianos, but have aimed at a simple, pure tone, well suited for jazz and pop.

American pianos have a strong, full tone, recognisably different to the German sound. Grand pianos and tall upright pianos, with their longer strings, produce better tone, especially on the low notes. Taller upright pianos also have more ideal proportions in the working parts in the action, which facilitates a better touch. 

What design features contribute to the tone of a piano?

  • Quality and shape of soundboard and ribs.

  • Position and design of the bridges.

  • Layout and length of the strings and where the strings change from one gauge to the next (scaling).

Of equal importance is the condition of the piano. Unless they have been well maintained, most second-hand pianos will not be playing or sounding their best. There are a number of piano parts that tend to wear fairly quickly, and these affect the tuning, tone and touch of the piano. Many of these can be re-built or restored. That's where I get involved. . .

Interior view of a piano with the lid open, showing the strings, hammers, and tuning pins.
Close-up of the inside of a piano showing the metal strings, tuning pins, and a decorative metal plate with the word 'RONISCH' engraved on it.

How a piano is restored

    • Restore appropriate crown and down-bearing

    • Reattach loose ribs

    • Repair cracks

    • Re-finish

  • Bridges make a significant contribution to the clarity and power of the piano. 

    • Reattach/Replace bridge pins

    • Reattach/Re-cap/Replace bridges

    • Re-build dampers

    • Replace worn sets of felts (worn felts compromise the relationships between parts)

    • Replace centrepins to achieve stability and ideal friction level.

  • Hammers make a huge contribution to the sound of the piano. I use only the highest-quality German hammers (Abel or Renner). I also have techniques for adjusting existing hammers, which can often be misshapen, too hard or too soft. 

  • Most pianos have tuning pins held firmly in a wooden pinblock. As the piano ages the tuning pins become looser, and pianos doesn't stay in tune. I have techniques to keep them functioning for as long as possible, after which I can re-pin the piano, with slightly thicker pins. This usually allows the piano to be tuned accurately at concert pitch for about another 40 years. 

  • Strings older than 100 years begin to sound harsh and brittle. When the piano is re-pinned it is also re-strung. This makes a wonderful improvement to the tone. I use the highest quality polished german piano wire, and custom made bass strings, modelled on the originals.

    • Adjust/replace bushings

    • Replace felts and cardboard punchings under the keys

    • Repair/replace, whiten, polish keytops. (Ivory, celluloid, plastic)

  • The cabinet, keys, and brass pedals, hinges and fittings are all important aspects of the presentation of the piano. Some of the techniques I can use to restore these include:

    • Replacing missing or damaged wood veneer

    • French polishing

    • Polishing modern polyester finishes

    • Polishing brass

    • Piano seats - we can restore and upholster piano seats with modern or vintage fabrics

Piano action and hammer restoration,
restoring hammer butt shape – restoring hammer speed!

A properly working action has a specific geometry of moving parts, and a specific sequence of events when a note is played. A peculiar requirement of piano actions is that they work silently. To achieve this many parts of the action are cushioned with felts. (The felts also dampen rebound.) Playing the piano gradually compresses these felts, and this compromises the geometry and sequence of the action.

There are many adjustments that can be made (regulating the action) and these allow the action to continue functioning, but in a somewhat compromised manner. A particularly important, but often overlooked example of this, is the shape of the hammer butt. This should be a consistent curve to allow the jack to maintain ideal relationship and contact with the hammer butt during the stroke.

Worn hammer butts can be repacked or rebuilt. This restores power, speed and correct sequence in the action. It really makes the piano play like new! The gain in hammer speed is particularly beneficial, as this greatly affects the tone and dynamic range. The tone is affected not only by the velocity at which the string is struck, but also the duration that the hammer is in contact with the string. New or well maintained hammers strike the string with a small striking point, and rebound quickly from the string.

Custom pianos

Lachlan Brown smiling at the camera behind an open piano with its keys and hammers visible, in a room with closed pianos in the background.

Sometimes it is useful to modify a piano for a special purpose. I once modified a piano so it would play a minor third lower than written, but still retain its normal tone. This piano was used with a singer whose voice had become lower. It allowed him to sing in a key that suited his voice, without having to have all written music transposed for the accompanist. 

Feel free to speak to me about any special ideas you would like to try.

Email
lachlan@pianosvictoria.com

Phone
0434 091 533

Sign reading 'The Piano Workshop' on corrugated metal wall, with a glimpse of an indoor workshop with pianos and shelves in the background.

Come Visit Our

Workshop

36 Denham Road
Tyabb, Vicotria 3913