Hmmm.  I thought Art Reblitz defined those terms years ago.

Robbie mentioned the connection between vintage automobiles and pianos.
That is an interesting concept.  I have rebuilt or restored (whatever
-- I made them driveable) several Checker Marathons, a Farmall tractor,
a 1948 Frazer, and a 1927 Chevrolet.

All of these machines needed replacement parts.  Some of the Checkers
needed replacement engines.  No one laughed, or decried that I would
ruin the 'originality' of this car by replacing the engine!

Old-car buff really appreciate seeing a original automobile that still
looks nice, and they bring top dollar, but they are rare.  Most of the
people will find an old jalopy, of their favorite make and model, and
restore it.

There seems to be different 'rules' for auto rebuilders and piano
rebuilders.  Pianos are viewed to have a mystical personality about
them because they are old, so most techs mentally hang a "Do Not
Disturb" sign on many parts, lest it's originality be destroyed.

Every tech remembers the old player piano, that with a good hammer
shaping, tuning, bass string twisting, regulation and player action
rebuilding, it was ready to play again.  Every now and then you will
run across a piano in this condition, and it is indeed a pleasure to
work on such an instrument, but today they are rare.

I think we would be far better off if we forget the terminology and get
on with the work at hand.  Every one of us has a mental ideal of what a
good piano sounds like, and how it feels to the touch.  How we get the
piano back to that condition depends on us, and the decisions we make
as the work progresses.  If a major part needs replaced, then use equal
or better craftsmanship than the factory did.  The ugly truth is that
many old low-grade players were carelessly put together, strung every
which way, and many old strung backs were built out of scrap wood.  But
they still lasted for years, anyway.

The Foster & Co. pianos, and the "sister" brands, are good examples of
careless construction, especially in 1913, 1914, and 1920-1932.  This
was American Piano Company's low end model (with the exception of the
Brewster, with roughly identical plates).  I have yet to find a Foster
Piano with the same wire diameters across it's scale, even from the
same year.  It is not uncommon to find a crack in its plate in the
upper left corner, where the plate was not bedded down properly.  It
seemed that American Piano Company's policy was, "If it don't fit,
force it!"

But the fact is, despite all this, that American Piano Company had
a good reputation and managed to sell many pianos.  I have taken many
pianos apart for rebuilding, and wondered how it sounded as good as
it did.  But that is one more reason to go to work and improve it.

It doesn't matter how we arrive there, as long as the replacement or
repair works like it should and lasts for a long time.  Call it
"restored, rebuilt, reconditioned," or whatever.  A piano is a musical
instrument.  If it is not capable of making music, it is not worth the
wood and iron it is made from, original or not.

Conversely, Steinway and Baldwin, and other fine makes will not show
flaws like the cheaper pianos, and it is best to redo them like they
were built.  These brands were expensive, and the care that went into
building them shows.  My point is this: terminology serves nothing
except to roughly gauge what has been done to an old piano.  Either
it is right, or it's not and needs more work.  Sometimes "original"
is the last thing you want as far as the cheaper grades of pianos goes.

Everyone including me appreciates a piano that is untouched but
still in good shape.  But just imagine a piano salesman saying to you,
"This piano will not hold tuning, the soundboard buzzes, and it sounds
bad, but by golly, it's all _original_!"

"Original" is another useless term like restored, rebuilt and recondi-
tioned.  What really matters is if the piano looks, works and sounds
like it should.  A new soundboard will sound better than an old one
with no crown, providing that you pick close grained quarter sawn
spruce, and have access to professional knowledge and tools.  This is
a job that is best contracted out.

Parts and components go bad -- it is a fact of life.  If the component
has failed beyond repair you can either replace it, and enjoy the
piano, scrap the piano and find another one, or make excuses for it
using the "original" argument.

Pianos are supposed to make music!

Andy Taylor