Water, fire and smoke damage can be extremely threatening to the condition of a piano or any instrument. The type of fire and loss is very complex because of the unique behavior of both, and in particular, the smoke. Smoke migrates to cooler areas and flows through holes and crevices of the piano or an instrument. The actions you take in the next few hours will determine the final cost of the clean up and repairs or possible rebuilding or restoring. Leaving the piano or instrument in its environment, many bad things start to happen to it because of the smoke, heat, steam, humidity from the fire and water. Internal, as well as, cosmetic damage begins that is not sometimes immediately visible. Wood will swell, warp, delaminate and decompose. Felts will mold and harden. Metal will rust or corrode. The recipe for restoration is: take action fast! Have your piano or instrument moved from the environment of your home or building immediately. With our expertise, Olde Towne Piano Shop can help you! In addition, we know how to get your Insurance claim going for you properly. See information about Insurance Policy "Agreed Value" on our Piano Appraisal and Consulting Service page.

Olde Towne Piano Shop specializes in grands and vertical piano repairs, rebuilding and complete piano restoration of quality brand names, such as: Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, Baldwin, Kawai, Yamaha, Chas M Stieff, Knabe, Chickering, and Sohmer, to name only a few. A vintage piano, your heirloom piano, or an aged classic modern piano receives, whether a grand or vertical upright, the same attention to detail of its design and to the manufacturer's specifications. Our experienced piano technician respects the owner's interaction at the time of careful evaluation of the piano for its condition, whether it has been exposed to water, fire, smoke damage or whether it is usage or age deterioration. After inspection of the piano and consultation with the owner, notes in hand, spending much time considering all factors, then the owner receives a detailed listing and description of work to be done, cost for replacement parts and labor, with a written Contract Agreement for signature(s) authorization. No “job” is carelessly given a quote, a hypothetical dollar amount for total cost, in order to gain the work! All quotes are real costs for quality piano rebuilding or piano restoration. Each client receives personal consultation with discussion on the potential of their piano, the needs of rebuilding, replacement of parts, or complete restoration, the client's personal desires and their usage of the instrument. Along with their Contract Agreement, the client receives a Limited Warranty on all replacement parts and for work done.

All prospective clients should remember here that “quality is never cheap” and good research may seem like a headache. But see what an expensive headache really is by having a lowball bidder put oversized tuning pins in a delaminated pinblock, or only part of the action work done and you find the keys are still sluggish and not responding properly. In all honesty, some pianos are going to be very costly for complete piano restoration. This may be due to age deterioration, environmental conditions it has been in, the use or misuse it has had, the detailed design of the piano, whether it is a vintage heirloom, a spinet, console, studio or upright piano, a grand or square grand, a player piano, a French or an English piano with a birdcage action. The client, therefore, must decide for what reason and why it is important for them to have piano rebuilding or complete piano restoration done. It may be personal sentiment, because the piano belonged to Aunt Sally and “she willed it to me,” or the piano was purchased by my grandfather for my grandmother's wedding gift, or it is a piano name that my great, great grandfather who was a manufacturer by that name back in Civil War times.

As a client, qualify the importance for your investment in this piano. Is the piano worth upgrading? Is it the special care and maintenance of a teaching piano? Does the piano have potential for your purpose of use as a performing instrument, or as furniture? Is it the furniture style, the era for your decor? On the other hand, is it sentiment that makes the piano important to rebuild or restore? To some people, as an example, the sentiment justifies the cost of rebuilding, refinishing, or complete restoration the piano. To determine the proper decision, hire a qualified Registered Piano Technician (RPT), member of the Piano Technicians Guild who has many years of experience for consultation and evaluation. Once you, as a piano owner, have done your “homework” and feel confident the piano rebuilder has a proven track record of quality and service, then it's time to discuss the details and price of the rebuilding. Your decision, as with most job applicants, may very well come down to feeling comfortable with the piano rebuilder and being able to communicate. The piano rebuilder will be spending many, many hours in fine detail to restore your piano to its best potential, so it is important that you feel comfortable with this major project. Note: With a piano rebuilding project, you are purchasing a concept and do not see the finished product until well after you sign the Contract. To hire Snyder's Piano Service at Olde Towne Piano Shop for Piano Evaluation or Piano Appraisal and Consultation Service, Click here for more information; or call for an appointment at 301-695-6150.