[pianotech] Mirror Piano

[Coleman, Jim]

In my experience in Arizona, most 'Mirror' pianos were done because the piano had so many problems (loose tuning pins, split boards and bridges) the toners made the piano look snazzy with the mirror and most often sprayed the cabinet with Zolotone which is similar to the spray-on bed liners for pickup trucks today.
I picked up a Mirror piano last week here in Knoxville, TN.  It looks ok on the outside but is dump-worthy on the inside.
But hey, I got a new mirror for my wife!


Jim Coleman, Jr   RPT
  Staff Piano Technician
     University of Tennessee
     Knoxville, TN
President/Piano Technicians Guild
Worship Leader/Mt. Carmel Baptist Church
jcpanoman at colemantools.com
jcolem21 at utk.edu
(865) 748-0998
(865) 465-7100
(602) 989-0005

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Noah Frere
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011 9:29 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Mirror Piano

I told someone yesterday that the cut-off portion of an old Upright, where they added the mirror, did not degrade the structure of the piano. I still believe that, but I wanted to confirm it with others. She found this online, not I don't think to argue against my point, but just as an anecdote:

"During World War 2, American piano manufacturers ceased production to assist in the war effort. Rationing made it impossible to build a piano during those years, so piano tuners and rebuilders saw a golden opportunity to keep up with the public's demands by introducing the "mirror piano". They simply took a large old upright, often a gutted player piano, cut a step-shelf along the top, and secured a mirror across the exposed back so that the piano had the appearance of being smaller or more modern. These "re-styled" pianos became very popular during the war, and unfortunately this trend continued for another 30 years. Hundreds of thousands of heirloom pianos were butchered during these years, and they are still commonly encountered. Because irreparable damage was done to the integrity of the instrument, mirror pianos are seldom worth more than a few hundred dollars at best."

Are we all in agreement that the "irreparable damage" is cosmetic only?
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