Do we have any tuners or repairers on the forum?

My 50-60 year old piano has always behaved beautifully, but at the last tuning some of the bass strings broke
The tuner wants to do a complete re-string (at some £700-£800) - he even asked me if I was particularly attached to the piano or would I consider buying a new one???


Should I get a second opinion?

How "long" do piano strings last?

I've looked at loads of brand-new pianos... and my reactions is often YUK!

Petite Joueuse

Often in your case, the best solution is to look for a new piano. Restringing is an expensive, labourous process and it only make economic sense if the instrument is made by a well-known maker (e.g. Steinway & Sons) or you're really really attached to the piano and the piano itself is in a very good condition (apart from the weaknesses in the strings, it has excellent soundboard, action etc).

QUOTE (Petite Joueuse @ Nov 17 2004, 05:30 PM)

How "long" do piano strings last?

That depends on your climate. For humid, wet conditions - 10 to 20 years at best I think.

Thanks Yogesh

My "climate" is fairly damp all year round, with no real extremes of temperature. The piano began its life in Belfast (Ireland) and came over to England about 12 years ago - it has ALWAYS kept its tune really well. I'm worried about inflicting a whole new set of strings on it - will it sound different??

How can I tell if the soundboard is in good condition?
I like this piano because of the way it feels under my fingers - the keys are beautiful to touch, and the action is beautifully weighted - I find it easy to really play around with dynamics etc.

Unfortunately it is not a Steinway (I wish!!!), but a Squires (un-heard-of English maker who got taken over in the 1960s)


Petite Joueuse

It is possible that your piano can be a condition that restoration (by restringing, e.g.) can be an option. Consult other professional piano technicians for second opinion.

Read this "piano owners' survival guide" for more (detailed) information:
http://www.stevespianoservice.com/piancont.htm

And this PDF file contains information on soundboards.