Piano Restoration (2) Once you determine that the piano is in repairable condition , you can then determine the level of restoration that you want to pursue. This will  depend on many things. The age, maker, the needs of the person that plays the piano. Let's look at the typical piano that might be a candidate for some piano restoration - your typical old upright. The only old upright piano that would be worth doing serious restoration work on would be a Steinway upright, which properly restored can sell for several thousand dollars. Here are a few things that might be needed on an old upright. Hammer reshaping. Piano hammers are what actually strikes the strings) get grooves in them after hitting the strings over the years. The grooves compromise the tone of the piano. But, they can be reshaped to get the original sound back. This is not a big job and can be done for less than $200. Bridal strap replacement. These are parts in every upright piano that almost always wear out after 60 years or so. They help the repetition of the action. In other words, they help the piano action to play faster. They help the action reset for the next note to be played. They are made of  cloth and fairly simple to replace. This job can also be done for under $200. Adjusting the level of the keys and the key dip. When you sight down the keyboard of the white keys of the piano, the keys should be in a very straight line. If you see keys that are too low or too high, that should be adjusted since the piano player will definitely feel that. Also all of the keys should go down a very specific amount when you press them. This is called the key dip. That measurement should always in the neighborhood of 3/8 of an inch. It varies from brand to brand somewhat. If this measurement is off, it really compromises how well the  piano action can do its job and it is also something that can be felt by a good piano player.  Both the key level and the key dip commonly need to be adjusted on older pianos. The cost for this can vary quite a bit depending on how much adjustment needs to be made and on how many keys it is needed on. Home | Service Areas | Steve Huie | Piano Restoration | Paul Scott | Contact | Schedule Request