Every day we are approached with dozens of questions relating to pianos and organs from visitors in our store. As a service to you, we have listed several of the more frequently asked questions below, along with direct and accurate answers that we hope you will find helpful and informative.

Question: How old is my piano or organ?
Answer:  Almost any instrument can be dated by locating the serial number inside the instrument.  With this serial number, most piano tuners can look up the date of your instrument in a book called "The Pierce Piano Atlas".  There are several resources online that offer to look up this information for a small fee.  For a general overview of piano evolution by design, go to this link on our website: http://www.vintagepianoshop.com/identify.cfm  Here you will be able to determine what type of instrument you have and get a general sense of the period it was made by comparing photos.

Question: What is my vintage piano or organ worth?
Answer:  It is very difficult to ascertain the value of most vintage instruments without being able to physically inspect them in person.  Sadly, we see unrestored vintage instruments selling for only a fraction of their potential restored value.  Most vintage instruments will require total restoration in order to be worth top dollar, both inside and out.  Pianos and organs are made of materials that tend to deteriorate over time.  Felt, leather and rubber tends to simply break down and rot over the years, making it necessary for these materials to be replaced.  Many people approach us with the assumption that their piano just needs a good "tune up" to be in perfect playing condition...that simply isn't the case!  Decades of rust, corrosion and deterioration simply break these strings down over time.  These people are amazed to learn that restoration is almost always necessary on these vintage instruments to make them worth top dollar.  There are a number of websites online that offer appraisals for a fee, but keep in mind that there is no true point of reference for vintage piano values.  Perhaps the easiest way to get a general idea of your instrument's value is to compare other instruments you might find currently listed for sale.  We base our values and sale prices on what we see these instruments realistically selling for in today's market, so visiting our online showroom at  http://www.vintagepianoshop.com/forsale.cfm  might be a start.  Again, keep in mind that the prices we list on our online showroom are the prices these pianos will sell for AFTER restoration.

Question: Is my old piano or organ worth rebuilding?
Answer: In most cases, yes. Many people are realizing that investing in a restored instrument is often an affordable alternative to buying a costly new one. In most cases, the quality of these antique and vintage instruments is far superior to ones being manufactured today. Like most antiques and collectibles, heirloom pianos and organs are consistently appreciating in value, and have a great deal of investment potential.

Question: Doesn't it decrease the value of my antique piano or organ to have it professionally refinished?
Answer: Absolutely not. In fact, professional refinishing can enhance the value of your antique instrument significantly. (Please also bear in mind that a poor, sloppy amateur attempt at refinishing your instrument can certainly do more harm than good).

The general public has adopted this misconception from sources such as cable television's Antique Road Show which usually showcases pieces well over 200 years old. These very early antiques were usually finished with varnish or shellac, and these finishes remain beautiful indefinitely with proper care. These are the antiques that are considered to be more valuable in their original state. Antique pianos and organs, on the other hand, were finished using early primitive forms of lacquer that deteriorated from chemical breakdown over time. These finishes almost always look black and scaly today.  It is always in an instrument's best interest to have an attractive, quality finish.  Are vintage automobiles not more valuable and desirable with a shiny new paint job?

Question: What is the definition of an "Upright Grand" or a "Cabinet Grand" piano?
Answer: "Upright Grand" or "Cabinet Grand" is a term usually referring to certain large, pre-depression era upright pianos. Due to their towering height, these instruments usually had string lengths and musical capabilities equal and often superior to actual grand pianos, thus being labeled "Upright Grand" or "Cabinet Grand" by their manufactures.

Question: What makes a piano or organ an antique?
Answer: Vintage pianos and organs are quite different than other antiques. Some professionals consider these instruments to be antiques only when they reach 100 years of age, although it seems to be more widely accepted that an instrument built prior to the Great Depression is classified as an antique. We at The Vintage Piano Shop, Inc. agree with the latter.

Question: How often should my piano be tuned?
Answer: Most piano tuners suggest a piano be tuned every 6 months, although many high quality instruments can go much longer without becoming unpleasant to listen to. Scheduled tunings every one to two years will usually suffice. If a piano is neglected and not tuned for several years, the strings will stretch and the instrument will go flat. It can take several subsequent tunings to bring the instrument back up to pitch. This technique is called a "Pitch Raising".

Question: My piano tuner said my piano couldn't be tuned. Why?
Answer: There are actually several reasons some pianos can't be tuned. The most common reason is that with age and general wear and tear, the tuning pins that hold the tension on the strings become loose. The instrument will then require either larger tuning pins or a new pinblock. This usually requires complete restringing because removing loose tuning pins requires strings to be loosened, intern making them weak and prone to breakage.

Question: Should I keep my piano on an inside wall?
Answer: No. This popular notion came about in the 19th century when homes were not properly insulated nor were they climate controlled. (Even under such harsh conditions these 19th century instruments survived unscathed!) As long as your room is relatively climate controlled and your outside wall is insulated, your piano should be fine.

Question: My piano tuner said that my piano has a cracked soundboard. What does that mean?
Answer: The soundboard is the most important resonating part of a piano. It is the large, flat piece of wood across the back of the piano that the strings parallel. The soundboard provides the amplification that makes a piano loud and powerful, and tone quality can suffer if it is damaged. Being made of soft spruce, the soundboard usually develops small separations in their original glued wood joints due to changes in temperature and humidity. These "cracks" are very common and easily repaired. In fact, almost any piano with age on it at all will have some degree of this separation due to the nature of wood. Unfortunately, there are many piano tuners that use "cracked soundboards" as a scare tactic to discourage investing in an instrument, or as a ploy to collect a tidy sum to repair the problem.

Question: How can I tell if my piano or organ keys are genuine ivory?
Answer: There are three basic materials that keyboards are made of: ivory, celluloid, and plastic. Ivory has a definite wood grain look upon close inspection, and is often yellowed in appearance. It is also made in two pieces, and a slight seam can be seen where the front and back pieces are joined together. Celluloid, a by-product of dynamite making, was the forerunner of modern plastic keys and is very common. It sometimes has straight, gray lines running through it, and may have a wavy, uneven texture about it. Celluloid keys are more of an off-white color, always being made in one piece. Plastic keys are usually quite obvious because of their shiny white finish.

Question: How can I get my yellowed ivory keys white again?
Answer: Getting yellowed ivory white again is no easy task. Real ivory is usually made from elephant tusk. It is very porous and absorbs pollutants like cigarette smoke and oil from fingers that cause this yellow staining to occur. If a commercial key cleaner doesn't do the trick, try using medium steel wool or light sandpaper. This technique will help, but keep in mind that some ivory keys will simply never turn white again.

Question: Can a player piano be played by hand?
Answer: Yes. Most traditional player pianos can be played by hand when the player mechanism is not in use.

Question: Will adding an electric motor decrease the value of my player piano?
Answer: No, as long as the motor is added to the instrument without disturbing the original pumping mechanism. Although a professionally restored player piano is easy to pump, most people find this continuous manual operation to be rather inconvenient. Adding electric motors to player piano is very popular, and if done correctly does not eliminate the ability to pump the instrument manually. Electric motors are easily installed, having very little interference to the integrity of the instrument.

Question: My player piano has been gutted of its original player mechanism. Now it is used as a regular piano. Can the player mechanisms be replaced?
Answer: Yes. There are several options available to restore or replace your player piano's original player mechanisms. Please see http://www.vintagepianoshop.com/services.cfm for more information.