Without meaning to, I have caused some strong opinions to be expressed.
Below is my response to Andy's responses sent to me.  While it should
perhaps go to him personally, I have gotten so many and such varied
responses that there is some very definite interest  in the subject.  I
think the problem is I have a higher threshold for trash when it comes
to pianos.  I have seen only one piano in my thirty years that I could
not restore and its whole action was made of non standard snap together
plastic with no screws.  It was a small cheaply made case and back that
did not warrant the thousands that it would take to put a real action
into it.  Thank you all for your kind words and chastisement. But let us
all remember...whatever we read on MMD is just one  person's opinion.  I
did not mean to be hateful and there were several people who posted to
me on the positive side.It is running about 50/50 at this time.

To Andy Taylor:
See?!  You took it exactly the wrong way.  That was not an attempt to
step on your toes as I noted in the first lines.  It was merely an
answer to your "Original" question.  I do not verbally attack people as
it is not in my nature.  It was certainly not my intention to imply that
you were in some way lazy as your industrious nature shows. However, I
do feel that mixing and altering is not what we should prefer as
restorers and collectors.  I do have pianos in as bad and probably worse
shape than the ones you had.  I do plan to restore them because they are
rare or in some way special.  The only reason they have not been done is
time and money--- both not being available at the same time.

I, too take the junk that others throw out and make them new.  I am well
accustomed to being laughed at for that...until they see the finished
product..

> Wood deteriorates like anything else. it must be replaced if it
> reaches a certain point, paticuarly in the area that bears tension. I
> have absolutely no desire to risk having a badly rotted strung back pull
> apart and seriously injure Chris or I  while chipping.

Of course restoration sometimes includes dismantling the timbers,
soundboard, etc. and cleaning all old glue off and regluing it all with
new glue.  Wood that has deteriorated is replaced with new. I have had
to replace timbers, bottom blocks, pin blocks, bridges hitch pins,
soundboards.  In fact the only thing that would make me toss a piano is
if the plate is broken and in rare instances that, too can be
repaired.   If I tossed out pianos with badly rotten timbers in the back
I would have had to turn down half of the instruments we have restored.
We are constantly aware that we are dealing with 30 tons of pressure on
the back of many pianos.

> Then again. you have to consider what the piano will be worth. do you
> think a restored upright would sell for $15 thousand?

Yes it will if it is nice enough!  We have one now listed at $22,000.00
We will tell you what it actually brings when it sells.   I hear you
snickering.  I have sold them for up to $12,000.00.  (Upright players
all)

> Both of these pianos had major problem. neither of them had enough to
> rebuild both. not even close. Nor would I rob a restorable unit of parts
> either

Once again, I maintain, that they are ALL restorable units.

> 2-5 years????? it will last the rest of my lifetime Sometimes we have
> look about us and face economic realities, but the end result will be
> the same. it will be a fine piano It will sound like it should and play
> good an any other Ampico A out there.

If the parts you assembled are original it is just a matter of time
before the hammers get so loud that you can't stand them.  The action
begins to throw jacks, springs, buckskin.  I hope you have a long life
that will allow you to enjoy your piano for the next 50-100 years.  I
intend such for myself.  But all original parts on a piano will not be
listenable for more than a few more years

I have some pianos that I restored over 20 years ago.  These pianos were
in great shape back then and needed only player restoration.  And back
then I did not know how nor need to replace as much piano action as I do
regularly now.  The families have used the pianos to raise now grown
children.  I went to one of these instruments to tune it a while back.
The player still played like a son of a gun, but the piano barely made a
tune.  The pins were all loose, the piano action was mere shards of wood
with next to no leather or felt still attached. Some notes just made
clunks because all 3 strings were missing.  Needless to say the piano
was not tunable and will need a complete piano restoration as soon as
they are ready to spend the money.  All players will be just like that
unless we replace as much in the piano as we now do in the player
system.

I apologize to you Andy for making you think I was in some way putting
you down.  That was never my intention.  On the other hand I was trying
to challenge you to expand your horizons and not consider anything
unrestorable.  When you see something you might consider unrestorable,
instead think "How should I do it?"

For everyone in the list, consider this: No matter how bad it looks, IT
IS RESTORABLE!  Just figure out how to do it, get help if needed and go
to it.  They are not making any more 1920's player pianos, but they are
making more people to enjoy the dwindling number of restored ones.

D.L. Bullock --Piano World  --St. Louis
Found on our  flyers and business cards:
"Restoring the Unrestorable"