Undecided whether to purchase a new piano or have my family's Schulze Pollmann (1950s) repaired, I had my piano inspected by a restorer/tuner.
To my surprise, I learned that it is truly worth repairing, as it is a piece built in Italy with genuine Bassano spruce wood, with Renner action, just as they used to do at that glorious company! If the piano were new today, it would cost around 8000 euros. I have decided to invest in the repair rather than purchasing a new Kawai k3 or k5 (these were, in fact, the candidate models).
I was alternatively offered an on-site intervention of about 2000 euros to replace the partially worn keytops, replace the casters, and give the interior of the piano a general cleaning, or one for 3000 euros to be carried out at the workshop, which includes, in addition, the repair of the soundboard and also a minimum polishing of the cabinet.
I am thinking of opting for the second alternative, but I have some doubts that I would like to submit for the attention of the experts:
1) changing the keytops: the repairman said they are not ivory, but how can one tell what they are made of (among other things, they all show the classic crack in the middle of the key) and how can you tell if it could be ivory or not? In reality, they are blackened and opaque but do not tend towards yellowish, whereas good ones are very bright and shiny; furthermore, the crack is not faded but is a sharp black groove, into which one can insert a fingernail and clearly perceive the separation between the two pieces of the keytop.
I read online that it could be galalite; does anyone have any photos of this type of key covering? In fact, my keys could be described as light cream-colored, rather than snow-white.
2) replacement of the casters: does replacing a caster necessarily involve the adoption of another caster of a larger gauge? If so, in the long run, does the replacement of the casters over time not lead to damage to the rim?
3) still on the replacement of the casters: it is impossible to find original Schulze Pollmann casters today; could this affect the piano's tone?
4) still on the casters: if during the replacement of the casters some strings were to break and need replacing, what would happen to the piano if it had most of its strings from 60 years ago and some new ones?
5) does the insertion of modern spare parts (in terms of manufacture and brand) into an antique instrument alter its authenticity?
I reiterate that the piano has been used very little, both by me and previously by my mother, but for various reasons it has undergone several moves of many kilometers, and during periods of non-use, alas, maintenance was never performed. From 1990 to 1997 it was regularly tuned and then nothing more for the last few years. At the time, the AIARP technician who intervened (and who intervened every year during that period) did not deem it necessary to perform any other maintenance besides tuning (it is not the same person consulted now).
The soundboard was damaged due to moves and, probably, due to the too-dry environment of the room where it currently is (and has been there for 20 years).
The hammers are in excellent condition, with felts that just need shaving and re-felting.
The action is generally in excellent condition (the hammers are mahogany and according to the tuner are worth at least 2,000 euros).
The replacement of the casters was perhaps hypothesized to allow for better tuning stability on a structure that, once overhauled, will be ready to withstand greater stresses than those the current state has subjected the casters to.
The strings are not at all deteriorated or rusted; I hope they do not break during the replacement of the casters.
The rim is intact, so perhaps it is not necessary to use larger gauge casters (in the sense that the holes should not be widened during the removal of the current ones).
Since I started playing again, i.e., one year ago, I have been using a digital piano (a Clavinova with weighted keys), which although it has all the limits of a digital instrument, allows me to benefit from a sound that is always "in tune" and sampled from a grand piano (with all its pros and cons): I assure you that trying my Schulze, despite two strings not being in tune, I liked the sound so much, it is so warm and enveloping, that I cannot wait to hear it sing after the necessary "care", tuning, and intonation.
How the keys have deteriorated so much, I cannot say. Certainly, most of them were already cracked in 1990, but the blackening is a novelty that has manifested in the years that I have used it. I often have cold hands, but not sweaty, so I exclude that it could be a chemical reaction to the salt contained in sweat. And I also exclude having spent on average more than half an hour a day at the piano in
years in which I played it.
However, the opportunity to intervene on such an old piano, besides being driven by an emotional matter, is given by the fact that since my family was the sole owner, I truly know that it is not an instrument exploited and damaged by excessive use, and having had it in the house, I can also report with firsthand knowledge how it has been preserved, in order to identify the possible causes of the problems (the soundboard in the first place).
The tuner told me that if I were to go buy a new piano with the characteristics of my old friend, I would have to aim for figures of about 8,000 euros (it is obviously to be ruled out that my piano could now be worth that amount, considering its age): the Kawai K3 and K5, which were the models I was undecided between before re-evaluating the possibility of fixing mine, are not on the same level, and the fact that they are 60 years younger does not justify an expenditure that would anyway be higher than the restoration of the Schulze to obtain a lower quality.
Thank you for your help!
A.
