Restore or replace?

[dss62467]

I inherited the piano my family has had since 1949.  My father played a very little when he was a child, and it was the one I played when I played through my late teens.  When my dad retired and moved down south, he gave it to me.   It's a Story & Clark upright, nothing really fancy but I like the action on the keys, it looks nice and it has sentimental value.

It was built in 1948 and I get it tuned yearly.  In the summer, the humidity makes the keys stick - always the middle F, which is a very important key!   I keep a humidifier going all the time next to it, though I know there are mechanisms you can install inside the piano for the same purpose.   

The problem is that it goes out of tune rather quickly after it has been tuned, and now there's some squeaking and a sort of clicking in some of the notes. 

Ultimately, I would love to get a baby grand, but space is an issue - not to mention a child to put through college in a few years.  Also, there is the sentimental value of the piano.  I would like to pass it on to my daughter.

Is it worth the money to restore it? Or should I just keep it as a nice sentimental piece of furniture and look for another piano?

[fbt]

I don't think it is worth restoring. Try to get it in better working condition. The problems you have can be fixed without restoring the piano.You need a de-humidifier for the summer. Too much humidity or to little humidity are both harmful to the piano.

[dss62467]

Thanks - I meant that I have a de-humidfier for the summer.   You must've thought I was a complete dolt.      Next time I have the Piano Tuner over, I'll see what he can do to fix the issues.

[Bob]

I'm not a brand expert, but I haven't heard of Story and Clark.

Unfortunately most of the uprights I hear about or see are worthless.  Just sentimental value.  The problem is getting rid of the things if you don't want it any more -- It's so heavy.  If you can get any money for selling it, you're lucky (better than paying someone to take it away).  And that's the problem. 

If it's poor quality to begin with, it's not a great idea to fix it up.  You can spend more than the piano's worth and "do the right thing" now on something that won't support that any way.  I remember asking a piano tuner about an upright once who said whatever he did would come undone within a few months.  Major gutting of the piano was necessary but not a guarantee to solve its problems.  In the end, it would be safer to buy a new one in that case.


If you like the piano and it feels good to you, I would look into fixing it up. 

I guess it's kind of like a car though.  What do you do with the old one? 

If you can sell it, that might be the way to go.  I hate knowing that I'm selling someone garbage or something that might hurt them though.  Although if they know what they're buying, that's their choice.

One thing that's helped me with things like that -- It had its place.  It had a use and a purpose and it did its job at that time.  And all that was good.  Now things are different and it's become a liability.  Moving on to something new can be good and just as good as the old thing.  But it might be time to part ways with the old thing if it's not filling a need any more.

[dss62467]

Bob - you break my heart.  Maybe I'll just hold onto it for sentimnetal reasons. I've always wanted a baby grand - but it's either have one of those or have a dining table.      I guess I'll just have to keep weighing the pros and cons and talking it up with the piano mechanics that I trust.

[Bob]

Who needs a dining room table?

Have a piano tech check it out.  Maybe they'll give you a free estimate.

Although... if you got a new baby grand and it's a good brand, they may have built that piano to last.  So the new one could become a family heirloom that would last.

[dss62467]

True - and if my daughter is anything like me (which I know for a fact, she is), she'd rather have the baby grand as the heirloom.  I guess I'll just keep putting Band-aids on the upright for now until I can seriously consider a big purchase.

[keys60]

Story and Clarke is a piano with a good reputation, especially the tall 48-50 inchers. Some restored models actually bring a good resale.

 However, the problems you list do not required restoration. Tuning pins can be tightened by a technician simply by sinking them into the pin block a little further (providing the pinblock in still in good shape)  Sticking keys have little to do with age. That's a very easy fix. For a few hundred bucks, you can have the piano regulated with new flange pins and felt which can take care of the squeaks and sloppy action as well as regulating the hammer blow and rest positions of the hammers.

A total resto with refinish can run 5-7K. If your happy with the finish, knock 2 grand of of that. I'm talking new pinblock, strings, pins, hammer shanks, hammers, flanges, jacks, wippens springs.
Virtually a new piano.

You can probably get it playing real nice for a little under a grand.

Find a good tech in your areal at https://ptg.org and get a consultaion. With todays economy, they could really use the work.