1905 Heine Recondition

I do love my job, especially when it's clear that my objectives are met. My objectives? ... enabling the joy of music for my customers.

This 1905 Heine upright came to my shop as a neglected and beat up piano, but with "good bones". For this piano, we erased years of wear with cleaning, repairs, and reconditioning.

Today, when I saw the customer fighting the tears, expressing joy in the result, and telling family stories of the music and the piano ... then I know my objectives were met.

Technically this is the work performed:

• New keytops installed (many ivories were damaged or missing)
• New key bushings installed (giving the pianist a feeling of firmness and security when playing)
• Cleaned, stained and polished sharps (preserving the authenticity and beauty of the original ebony)
• Installed new dampers (the originals were worn and hard, preventing them from performing their function)
• Reshaped shaped hammers (improving the tonal qualities of the piano)
• CA glue treatment of pinblock (restoring the torque the tuning pins need to do their job)
• Action repairs (just making everything work!)
• Regulation, tuning, and voicing (the icing on the cake. Now the touch is smooth and responsive. The voice of the piano has clarity and uniformity)
• Clean, polish, and touchup the case (the pictures tell the story)
• Refinish keybed rub-rail (lots of door jamb damage went away)

Is it everything I want in a piano? NO. Is it everything the customer needed? Clearly, YES.

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