Conover Upright 2011

Current & Recent Projects

53" Conover Upright #156593 (1911)

53" Conover Upright #156593 (1911)
Traditional mahogany cabinet.. Action reconditioned in February 2018 for the owner in Milaca, MN.

IMPROVEMENTS:
Complete Cleaning--Clean strings, pressure bar, keybed, keypins, pedal mechanisms.
Recondition Action—Reshape hammers, Tighten action screws, Replace or repair defective parts: all bridle tapes, 15 brass flanges.
Clean Keytops--Air clean keys, check bushings, replace as necessary.

NOTE: In our experience with older upright pianos, when we recondition a piano's action we also conduct a complete regulation. By special arrangement with the owners of this piano, we only reconditioned the action to address immediate concerns--many of the brass hammer flanges were cracked and the bridle tapes were badly worn. We will conduct a complete regulation sometime in the future.

Original Manufacturer of this brand-name--Conover Piano Co.

Established--1883 by J. Frank Conover, Oregon, Illinois.

Other brand-names used by this manufacturer--Conover, Schiller Cable

Other manufacturers of this brand-name--Schiller Cable Piano Co. (after 1966), Samick Music Corporation (after 1996)

From: Pierce Piano Atlas, 12th Edition (2008, Larry Ashley Publisher, Albuquerque, NM).

Note: To obtain the age of your piano and details about the manufacturer, click: Pierce Piano Atlas--"the world's most authoritative publication on piano manufacturers, past and present." To learn how a piano works and how to go about buying one, we encourage you to purchase The Piano Book.

A - IN OUR SHOP

9 - Fine reshaping with sanding block

10 - Clean, lubricate hammer springs & hammer rail supports

11 - Re-install hammer spring rail and hammer rail

12 - Install new bridle tapes with glue

1 - Remove action rails and dampers

2 - Remove all bridle tapes

3 - Keys, rails, dampers in storage

4 - Replace 12 cracked flanges

5 - Cracked flanges

6 - Special flange repair

7 - Bend warped shanks, turn misaligned hammers

8 - Rough hammer reshaping with Dremel Sander

B - AT THE PIANO OWNER'S HOME

For contact information, go to the "Home Page"

Selected pictures of the step-by-step improvement process
CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE, THEN CLICK "CLOSE" TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE

Picture #22 - Plays well again. A great beginner's piano, has a pleasant, mellow tone. Immaculate cabinet
exterior--has been treated with care over its 106-year history.