•2 years
How can I better renovate a Blüthner piano?
This year we are planning to renovate a Blüthner piano. The instrument is from around 1900, quite large with a length of 230cm (suitable for a larger space), with Blüthner mechanics (not suitable for professional use), a commemorative model distinguished by a beautifully designed and cast iron frame with many decorations. Such ornate frames in pianos are very rare and we consider it to be the main visual asset of this instrument. Due to its age and level of wear and tear, the piano is destined for a complete refurbishment, which will be carried out entirely in our workshop. We will be renovating the piano with the intention of selling it after the refurbishment. Let us skip the musical renovation, sound quality, and mechanical work - as we will of course carry out these to the highest standard, so that the piano plays as best as possible for this particular specimen. However, we are contemplating how to approach the visual renovation of this instrument. The first option is to restore it to its original factory appearance. This means a glossy black housing, a decorative iron frame painted in a gold color, blue string felts characteristic of the factory. So that the piano looks as it did originally, as designed by the factory over 100 years ago. The second option we are considering is a visual redesign, including leaving the decorative iron frame without paint, raw iron (the frame would have a gray color and a porous surface structure, not completely smooth, similar to concrete or stone), changing the color of the soundboard to white/black/red instead of the standard light wood color, changing the color of the string felts (different from blue), adding LED illumination under the frame to highlight the interior of the instrument, and replacing the standard wooden (black) top cover with a glass (transparent) one, also to highlight the decorative frame and make it visible even when the piano is closed. Question to you - in which version of the visual renovation will the piano be easier and/or faster and/or more expensive to sell? As an instrument restored to its factory condition over 100 years ago, it will certainly look beautiful, very classic, but not completely unique, as similar specimens from this factory can be found on the market. Or as a completely unconventional looking piano, unique in its kind, the only such specimen on the market, combining a decorative frame with a glass top cover, unusual resonance color, etc. The estimated price of the finished piano after renovation may be around 70-80 thousand PLN (specifically determined after the work is completed). I also want to add that the potential target group are not professional pianists (due to the Blüthner mechanics), but rather amateur players, with a large space and a larger budget, for whom the visual aspect is as important as the musical one, as well as companies such as hotels or restaurants looking to enhance their interiors.
This year we are planning to renovate a Blüthner piano. The instrument is from around 1900, quite large with a length of 230cm (suitable for a larger space), with Blüthner mechanics (not suitable for professional use), a commemorative model distinguished by a beautifully designed and cast iron frame with many decorations. Such ornate frames in pianos are very rare and we consider it to be the main visual asset of this instrument. Due to its age and level of wear and tear, the piano is destined for a complete refurbishment, which will be carried out entirely in our workshop. We will be renovating the piano with the intention of selling it after the refurbishment. Let us skip the musical renovation, sound quality, and mechanical work - as we will of course carry out these to the highest standard, so that the piano plays as best as possible for this particular specimen. However, we are contemplating how to approach the visual renovation of this instrument. The first option is to restore it to its original factory appearance. This means a glossy black housing, a decorative iron frame painted in a gold color, blue string felts characteristic of the factory. So that the piano looks as it did originally, as designed by the factory over 100 years ago. The second option we are considering is a visual redesign, including leaving the decorative iron frame without paint, raw iron (the frame would have a gray color and a porous surface structure, not completely smooth, similar to concrete or stone), changing the color of the soundboard to white/black/red instead of the standard light wood color, changing the color of the string felts (different from blue), adding LED illumination under the frame to highlight the interior of the instrument, and replacing the standard wooden (black) top cover with a glass (transparent) one, also to highlight the decorative frame and make it visible even when the piano is closed. Question to you - in which version of the visual renovation will the piano be easier and/or faster and/or more expensive to sell? As an instrument restored to its factory condition over 100 years ago, it will certainly look beautiful, very classic, but not completely unique, as similar specimens from this factory can be found on the market. Or as a completely unconventional looking piano, unique in its kind, the only such specimen on the market, combining a decorative frame with a glass top cover, unusual resonance color, etc. The estimated price of the finished piano after renovation may be around 70-80 thousand PLN (specifically determined after the work is completed). I also want to add that the potential target group are not professional pianists (due to the Blüthner mechanics), but rather amateur players, with a large space and a larger budget, for whom the visual aspect is as important as the musical one, as well as companies such as hotels or restaurants looking to enhance their interiors.
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