The piano industry has been increasingly challenged since the 1920s. American manufacturing has been both shrinking and moving to cheaper labor forces. Still, there have been steps forward with automated technology, new materials, and new glues. And the rebuilding industry has matured enough just recently to leverage for itself some efficiencies and part quality improvements. Emergent makers like Fazioli and Fandrich have shown what is possible in new piano design and manufacturing, and that has resonated back to the rebuilding community.
In the Boston area, well-established companies with good reputations have gone out of business. Both retailers and rebuilders have had a hard time. Having said that, this area still supports 60 RPT and 70 Associate Members of the Piano Technicians Guild, plus an unknown number of non-members. Apparently there are still plenty of pianos needing attention in Boston, whatever the markets might seem to be.
The Piano Rebuilders welcome all makes and models of pianos, but for the present, Steinways and Mason & Hamlins represent the majority of our rebuild candidates. This is largely due to the expensive economics of doing the job properly. Viable upright rebuilds are few and far between.
Select and stable wood supplies are limited. New parts often do not quite fit or are simply not available. Today, the heyday pianos are all over 80 years old (with many over 100) and the tradeoffs for whippens or keytops or soundboards between restoring originals and replacing with new are becoming less equal.
Our group includes five companies in the Boston area that have survived this period of attrition. We employ new parts, materials, and techniques to equal or exceed the results and expectations of the old, falling back on the traditional when it better serves.