Larry Toto was asking about suggestions for refinishing a Chickering
grand.

If you use aniline dye stains, buy good quality acid dye stain that
will not blanch out or change with age.  I am not familiar with the
reds in Minwax.  Red is most susceptible to bleaching out by the sun.
It turns tan in a dozen years or so.  Only quality acid dyes from
Germany (like as sold by the Earl Campbell Co and surely others) are
the only thing to use.  Aniline dyes are not acid dyes, and they will
bleach out, but as luck would have it, aniline dye stains are the ones
most readily available because they're cheap.

Regarding the finish: my personal preference is to leave the old finish
on unless you're going to do it right.  A poorly refinished piano is
far less attractive than the original alligatored finish, in my opinion.
These pianos that look like they were refinished in somebody's shed is
a crying shame to me.

You don't need "dust-free" at all.  Look at any refinishing shop and
tell me they are "dust free"!  If you know anything about finishing,
dust doesn't bother you.  I strongly suggest, Larry, that you pay to
have the piano properly refinished.  You will be very happy that you
took this advice in years to come.  Every time you look at the piano,
you will love it.  Don't scrimp on the finish.  Give it to somebody who
knows what he's doing!

Craig Brougher