Hi everyone,
These are pictures of a 100-year-old Canadian upright. You know the type. It hasn't been tuned in ages, action feels loose, but it was her grandmother's piano etc. Recently, a pipe burst above this piano, and the water, from what I can tell, poured onto the centre of the keybed, then dripped a bit out the back. There is some corrosion on the strings near the bridges, but the bridges themselves don't appear to have been in contact with water -- no separation there. You can see that the keys in the middle of the keyboard are wonky.
She would like to know how much to repair this. I'm not a rebuilder so I don't know what might be required to restore this -- if the keybed would need to be replaced and if it's even possible to repair those keys, which must be a bit warped. I also wanted to know what is possible in terms of not necessarily the "right" thing to do, but the "good enough" thing -- they are basically sentimentally attached to this piano and if it could simply function, even if it does not function well, that would make her happier than tossing the whole thing. I'm guessing trying to regulate this will be extremely unsatisfying to say the least. Has anyone managed to get warped keys to function alright with some sanding, for example? Any advice? (Other than "run away!") The capstans in the picture look wonky, too, but I think they must have looked like that before the burst pipe because I can't see any evidence of water there. I have also let her know that the consequences of water damage often don't reveal themselves for months, so there may be other issues still to come.
As for her insurance claim ... I'm guessing the repairs would cost more than the piano is worth ...
Any advice is much appreciated!
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Andrea Routley
Roberts Creek BC
604-741-3390
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