LATEST UPDATE OF THIS PAGE: 2/9/04

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50" Jesse French Upright #79727 Mahogany cabinet. Built in 1920. Rebuilt and Refinished by Ray’s Piano Service, Spring 2003 This piano first received our attention in a phone call from the owners in Placentia, CA. They intended to have the piano restored and then to give it to their children and grandchildren who live in Bothell, WA. We picked it up in Bothell after it was shipped there. Our budget for this project was slightly under $4,000, including pick-up and delivery, after-delivery tuning, and 1-year guarantee on improvements. IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED: Rebuild—Dismantle. Remove strings, pins, plate. Repair and refinish sound board and bridges. Re-install plate. Install new strings and pins. Rebuild pedal mechanisms. Recondition Action—Clean, install new hammers, install new bridle tapes, install new damper pads,  tighten screws, replace additional defective parts, rebush keys as needed. Re-install loose and missing ivory keytops. Grind keytops smooth to front edges. Complete Regulation—Install new underkey punchings. Make adjustments to ensure that piano plays like new: key height, key levelling, hammer blow distance, lost motion, letoff,  sustain, spoons. Tune to A-440 Refinish—Install new plastic keytops (matte finish). Strip, repair veneer as needed, sand, stain with dark walnut, apply lacquer. Retain current Jesse French decal on underside of lid. SCHEDULE: Signed Service Agreement : April 2003 Shipped from California, Picked up from Bothell, WA : April 2002 Restoration completed: July 2003 Delivered to Bothell, WA: August 2003

 

1920 Jesse French Upright -- "After" picture:

 

Pictures of the improvement process taken in our shop:

1 – "Before" picture. The fallboard was damaged, several keys were missing, notes in the middle of piano didn't play because of chemical damage to the keys, the bench wobbled, etc. But we were confident that a complete restoration would return this piano to fine, playable condition.	2 – We dismantled the piano.
3 – We removed the strings and pins, and sent the bass strings to the string-maker for duplication.	4 – Cracks in the treble bridge would eventually lead to problems, so we decided to "recap" a section.
5 – We shaped and drilled new bridge caps on both sides of the "treble break."	6 – With the action on a special stand, we were able to make an assessment and begin the reconditioning work.
7 – We unbolted the plate and placed the bolts in order on a cardboard box.	8 – We lifted the plate out of the piano using our ceiling-mounted winch.
9 – We scraped and sanded the sound board and bridges.	10 – We refinished the plate.
11 – After installing understring felt, we installed new strings and pins.	12 – We replaced worn butt leather.
13 – We removed all dampers for cleaning.	14 – We stripped all veneered surfaces and repaired damaged areas.
15 – We applied dark walnut stain to all panels and to the cabinet.	16 – We installed new hammers and replaced several damaged butts and shanks.
17 – After the stain was dry, we applied sealer to all veneered surfaces.	18 – We repaired and refinished the "bottom board" and rebuilt the pedal mechanisms.
19 – We refinished the sharps with special black lacquer.	20 – We installed new plastic keytops, matte finish as requested by the owners.
21 – During reassembly, we noticed that this piano has a unique feature: legs are screwed on the front of the side elbows, and wood plugs are needed for the large screw holes.	22 – We purchased wood knobs at a craft store and cemented a short length of dowel to each knob.
23 – We installed new underkey punchings and key cloth.	24 – We rebushed the soiled keys in the middle section.
25 – We regulated key height and leveling, hammer blow distance, lost motion, letoff, keydip, sustain, dampers, and spoons.	26 – Before delivery, we tuned the piano several times until tuning stability had been achieved.
27 – The owners were pleased with the appearance of their restored piano.	28 – The only part of the piano that we didn't strip and refinish was the underside of the lid. The owners wanted to keep the original Jesse French decal on this panel.