ShiroKuro Last fall the humidity levels close to the piano were averaging close to 60%. We had less heat than usual and did not need to run a/c. I kept the windows open a lot for air flow. When the weather was like that, the piano sounded better overall. Suddenly it got very dry in late October and stayed that way ever since. The RH dropped to averaging 35 to 38 near the piano. The piano got twangy and out of tunish sounding. Probably a combo of needing a new board, strings and hammers. The pin block seemed very stable, but I don’t really know. I bought it in 2023 with the intention of doing some work on it. It’s a 1911 Steinway A. It was in playable shape but was badly in need of new hammers and strings and the board was original. The bushings needed replacing so the action was a bit finicky and sluggish, but you could adjust your touch and get it to play. But not fast AND PPP at the same time! It has original ivory keys which are in great shape, as well as the key sticks themselves. Since the piano was going to be open, it made sense to me to replace the pin block and board at that time as well. So I sent it up to Dale Erwin’s shop in Modesto California after he had made a visit here to inspect the piano. He builds soundboards and worked with a small artisan company in New York to develop a hammer based on the early 20th century NY Steinway hammers. They’re called Ronsen Weickert Felt Hanmers and are weighted and made more appropriately for early 20th century models. The new pin block and soundboard is in and in January they were putting the refinished plate back in and stringing. I think it will be April before the action will be done and I can go test it out before final regulation and voicing. I decided to move forward with the Dampp Chaser after watching these swings in RH around the piano. I just wasn’t sure if it was going to help that much but from everything I’ve read and having gone through all of this work I want to protect it as best I can. Thanks again for sharing your experience with yours!

I have my Yamaha P515 in the meantime and I’m working on a Chopin Nocturne and the second movement of Schubert D664 to test out in the piano when I go up there

      Sgisela thanks - yes I’m fully expecting it will need tuning probably 3 or four times in the first year or so! I decided to get a string cover, too, in order to protect from corrosion and I read that it helps the dampp chaser. And I’m getting a cover to protect the piano from cat scratches. They love to get on top of it and would also like to go inside but they are not allowed!

        @danno858 wow, thanks for the photos! How cool! You must be soooo excited!!!

        danno858 Last fall the humidity levels close to the piano were averaging close to 60%. We had less heat than usual and did not need to run a/c. I kept the windows open a lot for air flow. When the weather was like that, the piano sounded better overall.

        It's always interesting to me how these things influence the piano's sound. Certainly there's a tuning question, but I wonder if it was the hammers that contributed to the "better overall" sound, or something else....

        Suddenly it got very dry in late October and stayed that way ever since. The RH dropped to averaging 35 to 38 near the piano. The piano got twangy and out of tunish sounding. Probably a combo of needing a new board, strings and hammers. The pin block seemed very stable, but I don’t really know.

        I mean, when the RH drops so much, a big thing is just to tune the piano within that climate and often that makes all the difference. But of course your piano is from 1911, whereas mine is from 2000, so getting all the work done to it that you're doing was probably more than overdue!

        Anyway, I can't wait to hear how your piano sounds after you get it home!!

        Many years ago (around 2010??) I had lessons for about a year and half on an 85-key Steinway-B (if memory serves) that was over 100 years old and had been restored..... That piano was absolutely amazing. Because it had been fully restored, it felt so solid under the fingers, like a modern instrument. But it had a sound, a tonal quality like none other..... I miss that piano. (My current piano teacher teaches out of a music school where all the instruments are quite... in a word.... sh*tty. 😅 the quality of the teacher makes up for it though.

        Anyway, what I meant to say is, restoring these old instruments can create the most amazing results!

            ShiroKuro yes I’m quite anxiously waiting for the day when it is finished! Although a lot people say you might not be happy with sound after a rebuild, it was definitely warranted and I didn’t have the piano very long before I decided to have the work done. So I haven’t really had enough time to become attached to it. It has a beautiful tone shining through but the hammers and strings were old and due for change. I spent a lot of time researching rebuilders. Rich Galassini from Cunningham Pianos recommended Dale Erwin to me and he’s within 200 miles of where I live so it is convenient for me to drive over there when it’s time for final adjustments.

                All in all, sounds very promising! 🙂

                danno858 Nice pictures! Very cool! I have heard great things about Dale Erwin.

                I had my 1951 Steinway M restrung, refinished, replaced action parts, and various other things four years ago. When the piano came back the improvement was astonishing! It still has the character it started with but it sounds much better and the action is way more sensitive. It was nice to have its cosmetic flaws fixed as well!

                I had it tuned four times a year for the first two years, and now I'm down to twice a year. I also had it regulated about a year after I got it back.

                I don't have a dampp chaser. I leave near Sacramento and the humidity in my piano room stays between 40 and 50 year round. With twice a year tunings I usually don't notice any tuning issues, although at my last tuning in October my tech said that he was having to do pitch raises for all of his clients that month so maybe I should reconsider...

                    rogerch It still has the character it started with but it sounds much better and the action is way more sensitive. It

                    Wonderful! This is the promise of restoration, isn’t it! That you keep the distinctive character of the piano… people always say there’s no guarantee the owner will be pleased with the results (generally this is mentioned as a way to discourage someone from buying a piano before restoration, which I understand) but reading so many happy stories, I wonder how often the result is actually disappointing…

                      A storm from Hawaii is beginning to approach. We’re supposed to get rain with possible flooding next week. The RH where the piano normally sits went from 43% yesterday to 55% today and rising

                      rogerch did you have a new soundboard put in as well?

                          danno858 My piano’s soundboard, bridges, and pinblock were all in good shape so I did not have them replaced. As far as I know the piano has been in California since it was new. I bought it in 1996, and it seemed like it had been very lightly used up to that point.

                            danno858
                            Dale Irwin is an outstanding piano re-builder, in the Central Valley. He is now the only one. There used to be 2 re-builders of high reputation in the Central Valley, Dale Irwin in Modesto and Dale Fox in Sacramento. But Dale Fox retired in 2022.
                            You are very lucky and your rebuilt piano will serve you well.
                            You stated that you are 200 miles from Modesto which means that you might live in a different climate than the one of the Central Valley. Here I never had to install a Damp Chaser for my piano.