Customers Pianos Restored
RESTORED STEINWAY 1886 GRAND PIANO
There is a piano that Henry Ford and Thomas Edison used to listen to in the audience, and the Koreshan Park Historical Site was searching for a restoring company to handle their precious Museum Piece. The team had a concert pianist, Scientist, Engineer’s, and park administrators to facilitate the delicate choice of the company that could restore their piano for them. The Steinway factory in New York was also a candidate being the manufacturer of the piano originally. In the end the team unanimously chose Naples Piano Company as the best choice to handle their piano restoration.
Engaging an engineer and two highly trained piano technicians the process began with a million dollars’ worth of insurance, and the where abouts of the piano known at all times was part of the conditions. The most important part of the restoration was to return the piano to its original condition as if it came off the assembly line brand new with the least amount of new parts used. Using the original sound board was essential. In the final finished product, it was 100% successful as the piano now sounds brand new yet using old framework and sound board. It truly is what Thomas Edison and Henry Ford would have heard when a pianist plays this amazing pure sound instrument back then or today.
Joena and Daniel Koehler consider it one of the highlights of their career to be trusted with such a precious instrument. Also crediting Mike Vitte (construction company) and engineer on the project that was exact with measurements to a 32nd of an inch, and propelled the project to completion giving it structure to guarantee success.
A point of interest was that the piano is an 85 note (instead of 88 note) instrument, and it only had one lid prop stick height (fully open). Pianists currently would play with other instruments and wouldn’t want the lid extended that high, so Naples Piano Company helped them with an 1898 Steinway dual lid prop from their own personal piano that was built in the same time era to keep the finish original, allowing two height selections from a slightly newer model.
Engaging an engineer and two highly trained piano technicians the process began with a million dollars’ worth of insurance, and the where abouts of the piano known at all times was part of the conditions. The most important part of the restoration was to return the piano to its original condition as if it came off the assembly line brand new with the least amount of new parts used. Using the original sound board was essential. In the final finished product, it was 100% successful as the piano now sounds brand new yet using old framework and sound board. It truly is what Thomas Edison and Henry Ford would have heard when a pianist plays this amazing pure sound instrument back then or today.
Joena and Daniel Koehler consider it one of the highlights of their career to be trusted with such a precious instrument. Also crediting Mike Vitte (construction company) and engineer on the project that was exact with measurements to a 32nd of an inch, and propelled the project to completion giving it structure to guarantee success.
A point of interest was that the piano is an 85 note (instead of 88 note) instrument, and it only had one lid prop stick height (fully open). Pianists currently would play with other instruments and wouldn’t want the lid extended that high, so Naples Piano Company helped them with an 1898 Steinway dual lid prop from their own personal piano that was built in the same time era to keep the finish original, allowing two height selections from a slightly newer model.
Blue Piano Roth Bros
before
after
This Roth Bros. piano was a cherished family heirloom piano and they wanted it restored in blue like the BMW or Lexis car. It consists of car paint instead of the lacquer that is normally used, changing the finish to a car shine instead of wood. Very fun project! The player system was added for enjoyment, and it can be handed down for many generations to come (again).