Info on 1890 Ivers and Ponds piano

[D.L. Bullock]

Dear Mary Beth,

I would like to respond to some information and misinformation from some
list members concerning your Ivers and Ponds upright piano.  Having restored
many of them and having specialized in "old uprights" among other things,
for umm, thirty years now, I have a few bones to pick with a few long held
myths here.

One person puts it:   "I'm just learning piano technology; I've been on this
mailing list for six months or so."

This speaks volumes and while I cannot quibble with the places they sent you
to research, I must take issue with some of the views.  While this person is
quoting things that are often heard myths, that does not make them totally
enlightened views.

I quote:
"""My general sense from reading this list is that Ivers and Ponds was a
good quality brand, however there were thousands of upright pianos made
around the turn of the century which are still available all around the
country, surprisingly enough.  Most had a so-called "birdcage" action, which
was not a good design.

Yes Ivers is a VERY good quality brand.  Yes there were thousands of upright
pianos made. NO NO NO there were not that many bird cage uprights.  The bird
cage makes most technicians run screaming from the room pulling out their
hair.  It was a missing link between the first pianos and the modern pianos.
The bird cage piano actions were in mostly European pianos.  I have restored
several of them.  If they have a cast iron plate they are as good as any
antique piano for total restoration.  Action parts, though, are not
standard.  All those little action parts can be releathered and refelted and
made like new.  The ones without cast iron plates or straps, would be
considered for dumpster but they CAN be restored if you want to spend the
money on a museum piece.

Ivers and Pond did not make a birdcage or overdamper action that I am aware
of, and I have worked on several from before 1890.

I quote:
"""Uprights in general have very little resale value, while grand pianos
made before 1920 or so have a high value."""

This is an extremely misinformed view.  Yes, untouched uprights have a
resale value of about $50.00 while I have purchased grand pianos from the
era mentioned for as little as $100-$400---not a very high value.  I just
sold a restored upright off-brand for in the neighborhood of $4,000.  It was
on sale I had kept it on the floor long enough.  If a fine upright piano is
restored to like-new condition, then it will bring more than many new ones,
but less than a new one of the same full size.

"""  Uprights are generally not worth rebuilding"""

I must take extreme exception to this statement.  MANY UPRIGHT PIANOS ARE
MOST CERTAINLY WORTH REBUILDING.  You have to know what your values are.  Do
you refer to money alone, or do you refer to musical quality or tone?
Musically these uprights including your Ivers and Pond can beat many brand
new studio pianos hands down in tone, richness and fullness.  I have had
many that sound better than many new grands.  To get the tone found in these
median-high quality uprights you would have to get a full sized upright
Bechstein, Bosendorffer, Steinway or Baldwin.  You will pay $8K up to $35K
or more for these.  They are now a specialty made for piano teachers and
serious piano students.  Rebuild an old Ivers and Pond and you spend a
fraction of that amount.  In a good shop such work would be over $4K but
seldom as much as $8K

I usually have several being rebuilt at all times.  I have often been a year
behind trying to get them all completed.  We do not fix up or refurbish.  We
do all new piano actions, recrown the soundboards, restring and refinish.
We seldom have one to sell because we are so busy doing pianos for
customers.  Our finished product looks and sounds exactly like Grandma saw
and heard it when she bought it new.

I got started doing this on players because they take so much more abuse
that they really MUST have all new piano actions or they turn the old one
into shards of piano action in a few years after the player system is
restored.  Players will definitely bring the bigger bucks if they are
guaranteed for five years or more as our shop and others do.

If you want to rebuild your Ivers and Pond and sell it for scads of money,
forget it.  You are going for an extreme niche market because all modern
piano salesmen convince everyone that any piano over 20 years old should be
dynamited or burned.  They have so convinced the general public of the truth
of this lie that selling old ones is slow.  I do try to keep one or two on
the floor but they always sell.  Musicians just go nuts for them.

"""while grands are."""(worth rebuilding)

In the last ten years I have trashed more grand pianos for not being worth
rebuilding than I have uprights.  They are more valuable for digital
keyboard desks than they are rebuilt.  There is poor quality even in grands.

Concerning the list of maladies this list member ticks off, they are all
worst-case scenario and will rarely be all found on the same piano.  When I
am going to restore an old upright, none of those terrible problems matter
to me one bit.  I am replacing those things whether they look horrible or
flawless.  They have reached the end of their lifespan.  If they are
replaced their condition matters not.

I am sorry to be on my soapbox and I do not wish to flame anyone.  I am,
however, trying to burn down some of these strongly held myths in our
business.

D.L. Bullock
www.thepianoworld.com
St. Louis