On PW PF

[Jolly]

What I posted....

Got a call from my niece in Florida. Background - My niece can play a flue (badly) and her daughter can just barely piddle on a piano. They can probably tell if something is in tune. My niece and her husband live in an old Florida farmhouse built in the 1880's. Her mom is an interior decorator, and the house is littered with antique furniture. She was drawn to the piano because of the nice walnut case.

What she found, at an antique shop, is an old Starr vertical. From the few pictures she sent me, the piano was refurbed at some point in its life. Case was refinished, keys were re-ivoried (plastic). As always, the owner of the shop said it needed just tuning. Cosmetically, though, it looks pretty good. From the Starr pianos I've seen, I'm guessing it was built in the 1920's. And no, she didn't give me the serial number. She's talked the owner down to $100 and I think it has that much furniture value, especially in her house. As always, I told her if she actually wants to try to play it, have it checked out first.

So, question...Case refinished and in good shape, keys looked good. Starr was a good piano in its day. Assuming no major problems, if you wanted to make this piano into a fair player, how much money would you dump into it and what would you do first (and second, then third, etc.)?

[George K]

You're going to invest $100 in the instrument itself.

Invest another $100 to have a tech look at it and see what needs to be done, other than tuning, of course.

If it's out of your budget, hire a couple of college kids to haul it away and you've gotten a $200 lesson.

[Mik]

The Starr spinet was a running joke at my dad’s store.

[Jolly]

@George-K said in On PW PF:

You're going to invest $100 in the instrument itself.

Invest another $100 to have a tech look at it and see what needs to be done, other than tuning, of course.

If it's out of your budget, hire a couple of college kids to haul it away and you've gotten a $200 lesson.

Nah, her brother is off work tomorrow. I moved my wife's old Briggs to my daughter's house a few years back. My nephew picked up the end of that piano, walked it across the threshhold, wiggled back and picked up the other end and finished walking it in the house.

I held the door for him.

[George K]

You have to wonder how bad is good enough.

As you say, she's a marginal player, and a crappy piano, one that's at least playable, might be worth it for the $100. If progress occurs, invest in something better. I'm sure that you can find something in her skill range for <$1000.

But, if it doesn't move her, $100 for a PSO is not a big deal.

I studied with a guy who worked in a studio owned by someone else. The piano was, without a doubt, one of the worst pianos I've ever played. The action was so light you could breathe on it and make a sound.

But, it worked, and I learned.

If she has a passing interest, $100 is not bad for an experiment.

[Jolly]

Think this piano, case refinished and re-ivoried at some point:

[George K]

@Jolly said in On PW PF:

Think this piano, case refinished and re-ivoried at some point:

That's a nice-looking PSO.

If it makes music, that's great. At worst, she's spent $100 to have a place to put plants, object-d'art, etc.

[Jolly]

Or, drop a digital into the case ...