I need help here. Until now I have purchased, restored then resold all
pianos I have dealt with. I have had a few people to contact me wanting to
know if I would help them get their player working and when I told them I
would want to completely rebuild the player mechanism they never called
back. Monday I saw an add for a player with 30 rolls for sale for $750.00.
I called and told them I was interested but not at 750 and told them I
restored players as a hobby. He called back and asked if I would be
interested in rebuilding his player. I will be meeting with him Saturday
and I am needing a little help here. I looked through the archives and
found a wonderful article by John Tuttle (02-09-97) on estimating Player
Repair Costs. He mentions the figure of $2,000.00 to replace all the
bellows cloth. Would this price also include the valve work and would it
include the restoration of the upper action as well as the lower action?
The piano--!!--I have been told--!!-- is in working order and has been
tuned in the last 2 years. I suppose that all the notes work or at least
did 2 years ago. I have no idea about the piano condition but I know it has
been in the family since new. The family is interested in keeping the piano
if they can get it working condition. I will not agree to patch'er up.

You tell me if you were to remove the upper and lower action, take it to
your shop and completely restore it valves and all what would you charge?

As stated I have restored pianos that were mine and to tell you the truth I
have put more in than I have gotten out of a few, but this is the first
time I have had any people that were what I thought serious. I do not plan
on doing any of the piano work myself. I will inform them of the things
wrong and recommend a local piano man.

Please respond personally to me unless otherwise instructed by the editor.

Sam Harris
3742 Old Creek Road
Greenville, NC.  27834
Sam@Greenvillenc.com