> I was astounded to hear that although the strings were fine, the
> restoration to make it play again was over $2000.  Restoration
> of the cabinet was $1,100 extra and electrifying another $600.

Boy, the questions aren't easy today!  What is the cost to restore
a player piano?  Is it worth it?

You can look at the pure financial side: if you buy an unrestored
player for the price of shipping it to you, or at most a couple of
hundreds of dollars, depending on the shape of the piano, then the
cost is in restoring it to its original glory.

I'm not a professional restorer, but I have done a few for myself
and I can tell you that $2000 for rebuilding the player is very cheap,
but it depends on what level of restoration they're doing.  Will they
rebuild the valves?  Will they rebuild the pump?  How long will they
stand behind their work?  What materials do they use?

If they use white glue, aquarium tubing, garden hoses and radiator
hoses to replace the tubes, you're throwing your money away, but if
they use proper pneumatic cloth, hot hide glue and tubing specifically
for this type of work, it may be worthwhile.  The same is true for
restoring the cabinet -- the price seems reasonable to me as I've
'been there, done that,' and I can tell you it's a lot of work.

Still the question remains: what kind of workman is he (or she?)
Have you seen pianos that have gone through his shop and if so, how
did they look and sound?  You didn't mention restoring the piano
itself; it's important for it to sound good too and the minimum needed
here is a new set of hammers and strings.

I don't mean to scare you -- this work is all very expensive and very
worthwhile for the enjoyment that you and your family will receive from
it.  A player piano working properly is a heck of a lot of fun, and for
entertainment value it's definitely worthwhile.  If you want to know
whether you can sell it for what you invest in restoring it, the answer
is a very loud "No."  You won't get your money back.  Buying a "restored"
instrument also is like buying a used car: there are a lot of short-cuts
that someone can take to get the player to sound nice for a while, but
they don't last.

Electrifying?  Perish the thought (my 2 cents).  The _music_ should
be electrifying!

How do you know if the technician is good?  That's a good question.
The best way is to see their work and have them explain what they do
and why.  If after that you don't know, you can ask questions both
from them and from the MMD.  Mr. Tuttle has an excellent web site,
www.Player-Care.com ; read up about what is involved so you can know
if you're going to get your money's worth.

Best of all, see and play a piano that they have restored.  When you
have a roll on the piano, push down on the pedals -- there should be a
lot of resistance, but it should also have a lot of effects.  The old
Gulbransen pianos had an advertisement with a baby pushing on a pedal,
playing the piano.  The music should be strong and even, and you should
be able to control the volume by how hard you pump.

Good luck,

Eliyahu Shahar