You will recall the whole piano moving trauma.
The piano tuner has got back to me after reviewing the photographs of the piano I sent him. In fairness, he seems to be able to tell a lot from the photos. This is what he said:
Thanks for your photos.
Sadly your piano, which is at least 150 years old, is in a very distressed state. It is a wooden frame piano with a sticker action, that has the moving parts glued into position. This will make servicing the action almost impossible. In addition, it has had some moth infestation which have been nibbling on the felts and leathers over the years. The missing ivory keys can be replaced but not matched to the others.
However, all the above issues that I can see, pale into insignificance because of the broken strings and the oblong tuning pins. At the very least the piano needs restringing, a replacement set of tuning pins which would have to be specially manufactured and this piano does not justify any investment to try and improve it.
Finally, due to the age of the piano, we would expect to find significant weakness in the original timbers and possibly it may have had a woodworm problem during its life.
I particularly enjoyed “pale into insignificance”. I think I will call him and say that it doesn’t have to be perfect, just alright and can he do anything for me. Do you have any advice, internet?
Oh dear. Poor Waffles and poor piano. If I’d received that letter I’d be paling into insignificance myself.
I do have advice re the piano or rather I know what I would do, but you may not want to hear it …
On the plus side, you’ve nearly finished NaBloPoMo! Well done.
I think it may be time to put it out of its misery … It sounded as if you weren’t short of offers of pianos, and I think it’s fair to say you have done all you could with this one
I have to tell you, people, these are the WRONG answers. Sigh.
Piano teacher/pianist here. I know you don’t want to hear this, but he is gently trying to tell you that the repairs are 1) nearly impossible/insanely expensive (manufacturing a whole new set of tuning pins is a HUGE job, never mind ungluing (??!!!) the supposed-to-be moving parts of the action)) and 2) not worth the effort, as the piano will never sound good if the wood does not resonate properly due to age, woodworm, etc. He might be able to make it into a lovely piece of furniture, though…sorry :/
From memory, your house is big enough for two pianos. You can keep this one for ornament and, when funds permit, buy another! Unless, of course, it really does have woodworm. Alternatively, you have several winters’ (very expensive, or free, depending on your outlook) kindling there.
Oh Praxis, oh Angeline, oh dear.