Collard Grand - To Restore or Not that is the question

I got to take another look at this piano I mentioned last week. The serial number on this Collard & Collard grand is 11418. The collard web site states that it was mfg around 1825. The case needs to be refinished and it needs legs and a top cover. The piano measures around 6' 6'.

The current tech who owns it is willing to leave it in his shop and let me come and learn from him how to fix the action etc. I imagine it will need a new pin block & strings.

I would be interested to hear from other techs who have worked on Collard & Collards from around this time frame about this piano.

Thanks! ~Knute

Sounds very interesting. Collard pianos were quite well known and this should become a really interesting restoration project. This isalready a historical piano, so rather than changing everything during the restoration, you might want to try to preserve as many original parts as possible. But don't expect it to play and sound as a modern piano - it will be quite different, and that should be part of it's charm. Do you have any pictures of it? What is the address of the Collard website?

Calin

hi knute-

how many thousands are you willing to put into this pianoforte? without a top cover (lid?) and legs. it's a 175 yr old structure, with period mechanics. unless your intent is playing with other period instruments, or you are just utterly charmed by that earlier sound, i would pass on this _major_ project. it is specialty work that commands high prices for the few skilled craftspersons that do it.

How does a piano lose its legs???

The website that has the serial number information for Collard & Collards is:
http://www.ukpianos.com/info/pianos/collard.php3

However I am confused about this, as another web site states that the company was known as Clementi from 1822 to 1832. But the plate has the inscription C&C on it and it has the rounded sharps that are known to be a collard and collard thing. The web address that I got the info is :
www.ptg.org/museum/ english.htm

Thanks for any and all advice!!!

If this piano was complete and in it's original form then there may be some merit of restoration from an historical perspective but they are not rare enough to warrant time , money and effort on half the piano that this hulk is. The owner tech seems very generous with his offer of instruction and indeed the restoration process is very enjoyable and satisfying but only if the project is worthwhile which this 'piano' is not. But OTOH , if you enjoy each others company and want to have some fun and pick up a bit of knowledge along the way then go for it! As a pragmatic killjoy , I just wish that you both were putting your efforts into something that would yeild more satisfying results Gary.