The Action
Because vintage pianos were handmade, the actions vary from piano to piano. I make sure that each piano action conforms to the owner's needs. At the initial interview, the musician is encouraged to express their concerns, and the information is used as a blueprint for the rebuilding project. When the piano arrives at my shop, and before any work is begun, I spend hours analyzing how the action is working in its present condition. Then, new parts best suited to achieving the goals set out at the interview are selected and tested.

I am often asked if I use original factory action parts: no, I do not. I want to use action parts that will last and give me options when custom fitting the action to the client's needs. It is an unfortunate fact that quality action parts have not been made in this country for many years, but there are options. I use only premium Renner action parts. These are available in several configurations for custom fitting actions and have proven to be quite durable as well.

After all the work is done, the client is invited to visit the shop and play their fully restored piano. This is when the final adjustments to tone and touch are planned, in order to arrive at a truly custom fit between pianist and piano. I work on these details until the client is completely satisfied with the way their piano plays and sounds.

Hammers
The hammers affect both how the piano sounds and how it feels to play. The hammers need to be light, with soft but resilient felt, as they were traditionally made. The hard, heavy hammers favored by modern piano builders have no place in rebuilding these valuable instruments. Heavy hammers make the touch of the action heavy and sluggish, while hard hammers impart a tone with an edgy, abrasive and metallic quality that most of us find unappealing. Another side effect of a too-heavy hammer is the premature wear of strings and action parts due to the increased stresses.

I have gone to great lengths to re-create the traditional hammer. My hammers are made by hand to my specifications using vintage hand presses. I also perform all of the critical shaping and dimensioning in my shop, custom fitting each set of hammers to the piano I am working on. As a result I have hammers that work perfectly with the action and produce a round tone with plenty of dynamic contrast.

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