State of Maine Locations Currently Closed For Business
Due to the economical conditions and other considerations, we at Parks & Sons Piano Service have decided it would be best to take a year long hiatus. During this time Parks & Sons Piano Service will be closed for business as we explore options for becoming more profitable.
The website will remain open and fully functional, but we will not be booking appointments for piano servicing during this time.
We would like all our customers to know how much we appreciate that they have allowed us to service their pianos.
We will update this notice as we progresses through this hiatus.
To be clear - at this time, we have not decided to permanently close the service.
Thank you very, very much -
Parks & Sons
Services :: Rebuilding
Rebuilding is the next step above a reconditioning. The goal of any rebuilding is to return the instrument to it's original condition. Each rebuilding is customized to the requirement of the particular piano.
Rebuilding can generally involve,
- New pinblock
- New soundboard
- New tuning pins
- Restringing with custom made strings
- New Hammers, custom matched and bored
- New damper felts
- New action parts
- New springs
- New key bushings, and weighting if needed
- New bridges
- New felts, cloths, leathers
- Case/Cabinet and plate cleaned and refinished
Not all pianos would need such extensive work to be considered rebuilt. It would be an economical waist to replace a fine soundboard or solid pinblock. Thus the need for a thorough inspection of the instrument before the rebuilding project begins.
Since rebuilding is usually reserved for older high quality instruments or pianos with personal sentimental value, one might ask how much of the instrument can be replaced while still retaining the character of the older instrument; when does the old instrument simply become a modern instrument within an older case?
Rebuilding is the process by which all skills are brought to bear with the goal of restoring a piano to the condition it would have been in when the maker originally presented it for sale.
It is Parks & Sons' view that rebuilding may necessitate the replacement of all parts, but the replacement of all parts simply for the sake of calling it a rebuilding is not necessary. In other words - each rebuilding requires a very sensitive view of the instrument. Rather than a knee-jerk reaction of ripping everything original from the piano and replacing with new - our goal is to analyse what can we do to retain as much of the piano's original character without compromising the end goal (i.e. to attain or surpass the quality, soundness, and function it originally had). Our opion may not sound too revolutionary, but some in the profession seem to be controled more by the label "rebuilding" rather than the goal of rebuilding.
Applying our views on rebuilding, we analyse each part for fitness and soundness of continued use. If the part will not provide reliable operation then it must be replaced. We can not compromise the goal of the rebuilding by allowing a weak link.
On the other hand, as a basic rule, all wear items items must always be replaced...
- Strings' tone become "dumpy" and brittle with age and must be replaced through making new strings that duplicate the originals. This required a custom set of bass strings be made for the piano.
- Hammers become hard, or "foamy" with wear and age. Hammers too must be replaced by making custom duplicates that will match what the original maker had selected for the instrument.
- Dampers must be replaced to ensure adequate damping of the strings.
- All felts, leathers, silks, springs, etc., etc., must be replaced.
By applying our experience and understanding, Parks & Sons strives with each rebuilding to provide a final instrument that will be as close to the original both in function, quality, and character. A piano that will provide just as much enjoyment as it did when new.
