To Buy or Not To Buy (Bush and Lane Baby Grand)

I have an opportunity to acquire a Bush and Lane Baby Grand serial: 54766.

It's in fair condition. It needs some pads, a little hammer work, a few strings, some peddle work (they stick), and about 20 new keys as some are chipped.

The soundboard is in excellent condition, as well as the lyre, frame and body.

I'm not a piano tech, so I would hire a qualified person to do any repairs.

I guess my question is, would it be worth it? I'm not sure how much the repairs would cost, but obviously I would not want to spend more than the piano is actually worth.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated....

Steve Springett

The term baby grand is useless. What size grand is it? Gerry

I hear the feint strains of a certain Rossini Overture in the background.

Regards, Chris

Get a rebuilder to look at it *before* you buy it, not after. No one here can see this piano to give any kind of realistic evaluation of what it would take to fix.

Your description:> It needs some pads, a little hammer work, a few is often what a layman thinks when faced with a piano that is well past due for a total restoration. IOW, it's wishful thinking. To an experienced tech, this sounds like a junker- neglected to death.

Old soundboards often look fine, but have lost tone. Most old soundboards will look good if they don't live in a place where it swings to drastically between humid and dry. But it doesn't mean they will sound good. Lyres rarely have anything wrong with them. Regards,

Rick Clark

RUN!

I understand you just love the soundtrack of 'A clockwork orange'....

'I'm singin' in the rain...'

Regards Chris

'Hi Ho,Hi Ho, It's Work from Home We Go...' (1936)