Hammers and general regulation are the two things that wear the most on all pianos, according to how much they are used. But what about strings? How long do they last? When should they be changed?
Living in a corrosive climate near the sea (not that the sea is the only source of corrosion!), I have seen grands with stings rapidly written off to rust solely because the hinged section of the lid covering the music desk has been left open permanently, allowing salt and dirt to settle on the strings. We can still enjoy the sound of a grand with the entire lid shut and the music desk placed on top, only opening the lid occasionally when feeling like a blast. It's amazing how long strings can last if the piano is looked after. What a lovely Bluthner this is, and a rich bass for a small model.
Of you contact Steinway they can give you all the information on the model O you were questioning as to whether or not they restore it. They can even tell you for whom the work was done. I have a restored 1901 New York Model O and with one brief phone call they laid out the three previous owners and when they took the piano back and when it was fully refinished & restored. Give th a call in Hamburg or New York.
I always enjoy the detail you provide in your videos. Your passion for pianos really shines through! At minute mark 1:15, I notice the screws in the sound board. My 1943 NY Steinway M appears to have come from the factory this way; I can not find any documentation regarding this. Can you provide clarity/your thoughts on this process?
With Steinway grands, the strings in the top three sections cut into the capo d’astro bar, which leads to increasing “hardness” of sound, and these sections require re-stringing after the underside of the bar has been rubbed down. Several tunings will be needed after these sections have been re-strung: it’s not cheap!!
I would guess it would depend on the conditions in which the piano has been stored, but I agree that the strings can last 100 years in good cases, so generally no need to replace unless the wrest plank or wrest pins need replacing, and even then the original strings could be re-cycled.
Yes that is true, however in the later part we would in most cases replace strings if wrest plank and pins need replacing as they are all connected and replacing one merits replacing the strings, it is the best opportunity to do the job as for re-stringing pins will likely need changing then. It's mostly a paired task. Greetings from Roberts PIanos Oxford, Evan Roberts
