Refinishing by Maggio Custom Refinishing
As well as the soundboard's finish, there is the entire case, with all its incremental parts (and bench), which need attention. When the inner workings of the piano are to receive extensive and expensive rebuilding, the case deserves to be solid and beautifully finished. Kevin DeSano is one of the best refinishers in the business.
Refinishing is a lengthy and meticulous art. The old finish must be completely removed and the core wood and veneer of all parts in good repair. Then, the surfaces must be true and smooth, grain-filled, stained, color-matched, faux-grained where necessary, sealed, finished with many thin coats of appropriate finishing materials, rubbed out, and polished. All hardware must be plated and/or polished and all felt and buttons need to be added back as part of the reassembly.
Within limits, Kevin can customize the sheen, transparency/opacity, and color. Changing from a clear finish to black is more likely to be successful than the reverse. A clear finish over an extensively repaired case or one with replacement parts would be less challenging with a black or opaque finish. And a high polish finish requires a more perfect substrate than satin and takes more buffing and polishing to achieve and is therefore more expensive.
Kevin is a master at all aspects of this process (with the exception that he subcontracts the plating, which must be done by another specialist). His combination of traditional procedures and modern materials produces an extremely durable finish that protects the case and beautifully displays the music making parts of the instrument.