Heirloom Pianos

26/05/2026

Traffic in the country can be killer….

22/05/2026

Today, amongst other duties, I undertook repairs to this heavily moth-damaged keyboard on a Kawai K60 upright.

Unfortunately the moths and silverfish had absolutely gone to town on this one, with significant damage to both the balance punchings and front rail punchings throughout the keyboard. Every punching had to be removed and replaced.

What many people don’t realise is that replacing the felts is only the beginning of the job. Once completed, the entire keyboard then has to be re-levelled and regulated — including key height, key dip, touch, checking and catching — to get the piano playing evenly again.

A surprisingly time-consuming repair, but very satisfying to bring back to life properly.

Hopefully the local insect population decides this piano is no longer on the menu.

If you’ve noticed moths, silverfish, sticking keys, uneven touch or strange noises in your piano, it may be worth having things checked before the damage becomes more extensive.

Give us a call today!

20/05/2026

First job of this morning: replacing a full set of tenor and treble damper felts on a 48-year-old Kawai upright.

Over the years, the original felts had hardened and suffered a fair bit from humidity, which meant the dampers were no longer stopping the strings properly. The result? Notes ringing on, inconsistent damping, and a piano that never quite sounded “clean”.

Fresh felts make a remarkable difference — not only do they restore proper damping and control, but they also dramatically improve the overall feel and refinement of the instrument. Safe to say this old Kawai is behaving itself again.

And honestly… there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing a row of brand-new damper felts lined up properly.

If your piano has notes that ring on too long, strange sympathetic vibrations, or “leaky” dampers, feel free to get in touch.

📞 Heirloom Pianos
Servicing upright and grand pianos across NSW & ACT.

18/05/2026

Expressions of interest are now invited for an upcoming full restoration currently underway at Heirloom Pianos.

Presented here is a genuine German-made Richard Lipp & Sohn Stuttgart upright piano, dating from approximately the turn of the 20th century (c.1900), featuring a beautiful figured timber cabinet and the warm, lyrical tonal character for which these European instruments are known.

Over the coming 3–4 months, this instrument will undergo an extensive mechanical and structural restoration including:

• Complete new custom bass string set
• Structural bridge stabilisation and conservation work
• Full action refurbishment
• Specialist hammer restoration work undertaken in Germany
• Replacement bridle tapes, damper felts and damper springs
• Complete replacement of keyboard felts
• Full regulation, tuning and servicing
• Soundboard conservation and reinforcement work
• Cabinet detailing and minor cosmetic restoration

One of the unique advantages of securing an instrument during restoration is that aspects of tonal character and touch may be tailored to the eventual owner’s preferences throughout the rebuilding process.

This is an exciting opportunity to acquire a beautifully rebuilt European piano while also preserving a remarkable piece of musical history for another generation.

The piano remains fully playable and serviceable as restoration commences.

Expressions of interest are welcome via the Heirloom Pianos page. Delivery can be arranged throughout New South Wales and interstate.

– Ben Taylor
Heirloom Pianos

17/05/2026

Good to catch up with this Schimmel Empire Series grand again a few weeks ago.

This beauty had a full restring and brand new action fitted in 2022, and I have to say, it’s aged exceptionally well. Still an absolute weapon of a piano — huge sound, beautiful clarity, and one of those instruments that reminds you why Schimmel built such a strong reputation in this era.

There’s something deeply satisfying about revisiting a piano a few years later and finding the work has properly settled in. This thing absolutely sings now.

Not bad for a “just an old piano”.

13/05/2026

Just a quick message to wish all competitors in the Armidale Eisteddfod starting today the very best of luck.

Also, for those based in the local community, be sure to buy a ticket in the raffle, which has first prize as a brand new Kawai ES60 digital piano donated by Heirloom Pianos (yours truly).

Get in quick, as tickets are selling fast!

For raffle enquiries or tickets: [email protected]

12/05/2026

Dear customers in the Central West & Riverina

Just a gentle reminder: if you happen to find a spare afternoon between droughts, floods, livestock movements and harvest season… grading the driveway would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,
My new set of shock absorbers.

08/05/2026

Sometimes you’ve just got to stop and appreciate the scenery

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

02/05/2026

Earlier this week, I shared one method for repairing a split piano bridge.

Today, same problem — completely different approach.

In this case, we’ve taken a different route for a couple of key reasons. Firstly, this is a high-quality, very usable Yamaha upright from around the mid-90s. Secondly, the split itself is clean and well-defined — not crumbling — which makes it a great candidate for a more surgical repair.

The process:
• Strings are carefully detensioned and removed from the bridge
• A high-quality West System epoxy is worked deep into the split using fine blades
• The crack is gently agitated to ensure full glue pe*******on
• Wedges are installed and driven in to clamp the joint tightly
• Excess glue is cleaned off, leaving a solid, reinforced repair

Two repairs. Two methods. Same goal — restoring structural integrity and musical reliability.

So here’s the question…
Which method would you trust more?

27/04/2026

This mornings first repair job was an interesting one

This 70 year old English upright had a substantial split in the bridge making it impossible to tune this note. Normally I’d recommend a new bridge or an epoxy repair but none of these were viable due to cost.

As a result a metal repair agraffe was installed to restore structural integrity and tunefulness to this note.

These are a last resort repair to add useful life to an instrument.

Important to carry all the tricks of the trade, especially when, as in this case, you’re working in a remote location where no other tuners visit.