Value of an old steinway vertical

Erwinspiano@aol.com Erwinspiano@aol.com
Mon, 19 Apr 2004 21:23:48 EDT


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 hi Ed
  Don't panic yet.  I paid $250.00 for an 1891 from the Manteca unified 
school district about 8 years ago. It was Bahama yellow with pretty flowers & about 
to fall over. Its is the one with a myriad of ogees elegant three piece front 
& the round fluted legs. The block, board & many things were quite good. The 
board has a lot of crown still. Amazing.Restrung with 3s or 4s,refinish,yes in 
original ebony, replace the missing three piece cut outs new keytops. Very 
beautiful looking& sounding. If I did this today I'd ask 15 k.
   My opinion is that stwy uprights like this are worth anywhere between 
$500.000 to $1500.00 in original & unbutchered condition. Hey do the math on the 
items needed then speculate on the Market value in your area.hmmm.
  Dale Erwin
Dear List-

I'm dealing with a difficult situation with a customer who has purchased an 
1892 Steinway vertical on Ebay.

The piano has been restrung in the plain wire and repinned in the bass, 
"turning the bass strings."  The repinning was done with 4/0 pins with apparently 
no preparation of the holes in the pinblock.  Pin torque varies wildly, with 
many high treble pins over 225 inch pounds.  I cannot imagine now how to 
restring properly without replacing the pinblock.  

Raising pitch 80 cents and tuning was miserably difficult, perhaps tuning 
will be manageable when the strings have stabilized....? 

Refinishing is a thin black lacquer (were 1890's verticals done in ebony?), 
and the brass lock plate and pedals have been carefully polished.

Hammers have been re-shaped past regulation, key pins turned in the front 
bushings, and key covers glued to fit the notch, with the tips overhanging, and 
no shaping.

The customer had hopes of buying a piano that would become a family heirloom. 
 The seller told her the old bass strings were so good that they didn't need 
replacement, and that she could eventually complete the restoration with new 
hammers and dampers.

I would be interested in your opinions of what is the going value of an 1892 
Steinway vertical, rebuilt to very good playing and tuning condition, and what 
the purchase price of the instrument as it is should be.

Also I would appreciate your comments on the pinblock.

Thank you very much.

Ed Sutton


Erwins Pianos Restorations 
4721 Parker Rd.
Modesto, Ca 95357
209-577-8397
Rebuilt Steinway , Mason &Hamlin Sales
www.Erwinspiano.com

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