Another year, many more pianos...

Spring 2019 news

Somehow we're well into 2019 and this is the first blog of the year! We're delighted to say that we've never been busier and our team continues to grow.

The team expands
Our Man Friday, Mark, who helps with casework is still incredibly helpful, coming in once a week to speed up repairs and is enjoying developing his refinishing skills, as well as burnishing brassware, reassembling cases and fitting backcloths. We still undertake veneering and polishing work on other pieces of furniture - skills honed on large grand piano lids are always in demand for dining tables and so on!

Our tuner Tom Read is in great demand with private clients and venues alike; he's currently with us 1-2 days a week but is planning to increase his availability for us this summer, which is very exciting. He will shortly be taking on the dubious honour of booking in tunings, so we hope to have slightly more organised systems in place very soon! Tom is also a skilled technician so is able to undertake minor repairs on the road and advise on larger jobs. When he's not out tuning, he loves coming into the workshop for a day or two, helping Bill restore the numerous pianos always awaiting repair.

Pixie loves to help Tom sort out his tuning schedule...

Finally, (and continuing the part time, self-employed theme!), we were delighted to welcome Henry Perry to the team late last year. Henry has two degrees, including a Masters in piano performance, and is keen to learn the other side of the keyboard as a complement to his recital and teaching work. He's already enormously helpful on the technical side, and is restoring an upright piano for his own use in his spare time - finished in Farrow and Ball dark grey, which looks fabulous. The only downside is that we're all reluctant to play in front of clients now when Henry is with us! We're all far too rusty these days, so we're only too happy to let him demonstrate when clients aren't experienced pianists.

Henry and Tom are also going to help us develop a proper client database so that we're far less reliant on memory and scraps of paper - which, although a huge challenge for them, will hopefully be a great bonus to both us and our long-suffering customers!

Sales company
Although piano sales are a comparatively small part of our business, the administrative side can be tricky to manage so we've been advised to create a new company specifically for sales. This has just been done and we're awaiting new business cards and invoices for that side of things. The new company is called W Young Piano Sales Ltd and will run seamlessly alongside the current Tuning and Restoration business.

We were delighted to agree the sale of our gorgeous Bluthner grand the other week.

This restored Bluthner boudoir grand in rosewood came from the BBC's Maida Vale Studios, where it had been used for many years for recordings. It will go to a new home in the French Alps in the next few weeks.

A Canadian couple living in London have earmarked this ex-BBC beauty for their home in the French Alps, which is currently under construction. We will all be sad to see it go but it couldn't wish for a more glamorous new home!

I keep meaning to get some 'team' photos on the website and blog and hopefully this will happen soon. However, in the meantime the office is as busy and chaotic as ever. I'm hoping that Tom taking over tuning bookings will free me up for more of my own work as well as making it easier to stay on top of repair estimates and scheduling.

It's wonderful to see the sun this week and Spring finally feels as though it's here. Working from home in the glorious Devon countryside is always a huge blessing, but never more so than at this time of year!

Does your piano need help?
We'll be back soon with more news, but in the meantime if your piano needs any TLC, from a sticky note and fine tune to a full rebuild, do get in touch. Our additional pairs of hands mean that we've brought the waiting list for large repairs down from over a year to about 8 months now, and we're hoping to refine that even more. In the meantime, we can usually squeeze smaller jobs in within a month or so.

Many thanks to all our valued clients for continuing to trust us with your heirlooms - whether it's a priceless ancestral instrument or an auction bargain brought here on a cattle truck (that happens more often than you might think!), we're always delighted to help.

Spring and summer news

Somehow we're into a new season already - we're enjoying the sunshine here in Devon! No time to hit the beach just yet, though...

Our team is growing!
We're busier than ever and now have over a year's worth of large repairs on the books, which is astonishing for such a small business. We can still squeeze smaller jobs in between but a year's wait for full restorations is long enough, so to make sure we can keep up with all the work we're adding to our team.

We want to say a big thankyou to all of our clients for their patience while we try to clear the backlog of orders; some repairs and sale pianos which needed restoration after having been reserved have taken longer to complete than we'd have liked. Without exception our clients have been kind and patient and thankfully delighted with their pianos once they've made it home! We're very grateful to everyone for bearing with us while we try to increase our capacity to keep up with demand.

Our most recent Instagram post - follow us @w_y_pianos

We have a new prep and casework person helping out one day a week - he's already helping to speed up the progress of repairs through the workshop. We're hoping that in due course he'll be able to join us for more days.

Next month, we'll have help from an almost-qualified piano technician too! A mature student nearing the end of his course will be with Bill two days a week throughout the summer and hopefully beyond. His presence in the workshop should make a significant difference to waiting times for both minor repairs and larger restoration jobs and will be a great help to Bill.

Bill's trying to do as many deliveries as he can in the evenings to free up workshop time - easier with the traffic too! - and he's delighted to have a strong pair of hands to help him out now. His helper is a delivery driver by day, but enjoys the variety of piano moves one or two evenings a week. Much more helpful in keeping Bill's back injury free as he used to do the majority of moves alone!

Summer parties, weddings and festivals
Wedding season is well under way of course, and we have lots of hires booked in for summer parties and festivals too - from our Yamaha digital stage piano to the beautiful restored rosewood Bluthner grand. Bill's also in demand for playing work - in the last couple of weeks alone he's played for two events in glorious cottage gardens: a wedding in an ancient house not far from Bickleigh Castle in Tiverton, and a 50th birthday celebration and BBQ in a village closer to home. He loves being able to contribute to making these events really special and the piano is always a great talking point.

A piano with a view! Perfect for any summer occasion

Tunings - waiting time
Tunings continue to pour in from as far afield as Plymouth, Braunton in North Devon, and Beaminster in Dorset - it's taking us a month or two to fit most of them in, so please help us by looking ahead if possible! If you know your piano needs attention, get in touch sooner rather than later, especially if there's a concert or special occasion coming up.

All in all, a exceptionally busy year is showing no signs of slowing down. Hopefully the new additions to the team will enable us to keep pace with demand.

Looking for a piano?
We're struggling to keep the website fully up to date as things change so frequently - often pianos available for sale don't make it onto the website before being snapped up. If you're in the market for a piano, please do get in touch to discuss your requirements. We may well have exactly what you're looking for, and if not we can almost certainly find it for you!

The gift of music

We have quite a few people awaiting our new delivery of Yamahas - watch this space! Bill is today choosing his next arrivals from a vast warehouse in the Midlands. He's extremely discerning and will only bring back the very best examples of these popular pianos for his customers. There's limited space on the van, so make an early appointment to view to avoid disappointment.

If you've been thinking about a piano as a Christmas gift for a loved one or just a timely addition to your home this winter, keep a close eye on this website! As well as the Yamahas, we have a couple of fabulous little upright pianos for sale which will be uploaded this week. As always, first come first served...if you'd like to find out more or book an appointment to view or play our pianos, please get in touch. 

Tunings | now booking for February

Tuning clients, please note: we have had to close the tuning diary now until the third week in January. There are just so many requests coming through at the moment and Bill has to leave time to do several repairs that have been promised by Christmas and are waiting in the workshop. 

We are currently booking tunings for the end of Jan through to March, so please do look ahead and if you know your piano could do with some attention, please book early! The office number is 01823 681605 or you can email us at wypianos@gmail.com

Devon Life | fame at last!

We were very excited to see a profile of Bill featured in Devon Life's November issue! It's lovely to have a wider audience and we're grateful to the editor for choosing to turn the spotlight on the piano industry this month. The fact that we have tunings booked in 8 weeks in advance and large repairs booked in 6 or more months in advance is testament to the fact that there is still an enormous demand for careful, traditional and top class repair and restoration work to pianos. People are often surprised at how busy we are, but it's a small industry and we're busier than ever! We'd love to see more young people coming into the trade as we keep hearing of tuners who have retired or passed away. If you're a young piano restorer or tuner, please get in touch and we'll do our best to champion your work! 

Piano hire | Will Dutta

You may have heard of Will Dutta, a groundbreaking musician who is currently touring the UK. He has booked our Bluthner grand for his performance in Plymouth on Wednesday 29th November and it looks set to be a fabulous evening. Find out more at www.willdutta.com

www.wypianos.co.uk

The workshop at dusk. Bill is currently working 7 days a week to try to get as many tunings and repairs as possible
done by Christmas; order books are now full, but call 01823 681605 for a New Year appointment.

Interesting article on pianos as investments

Found this Telegraph article from a few years ago which makes interesting reading on pianos as investments!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/9966145/Buying-pianos-a-grand-idea-for-an-investment.html

If you had money to invest, what would you be buying?

Compact modern upright pianos PLUS Yamaha uprights now for sale

Hello sunshine! Summer is finally here and the workshop is beautifully cool to work in thanks to all the insulation needed to keep pianos comfortable!

As well as the usual restoration and repair work, I've managed to get a couple of small modern uprights ready for sale.

Both will be on the Pianos for Sale page on this website soon, but in the meantime they're listed on eBay - seller name is pianoredwood73 - and can also be found on my Facebook page (see Home page of website for link).

Rogers, small modern upright piano in light oak case. Refurnished throughout and case has been stripped and refinished. 

£750 including delivery and tuning in Devon/Somerset. Further afield just ask for a delivery quotation. 

This is a school model with safety casters which are super easy to manoeuvre and a robust lock on the fall (keyboard cover). Perfect for school, village hall, choir, pub or home use. Ideal for beginners right through to later grades. 

Eavestaff, small modern upright piano in teak case. Refurbished throughout and case has been stripped and refinished.

£950 including delivery and tuning in Devon/Somerset. Further afield just ask for a delivery quotation. Perfect for home or studio use and as above, this piano is also ideal for beginners through to later grades. 

YAMAHA

We are also very excited to now be stocking top quality secondhand refurbished Japanese pianos including Yamaha and Kawai. These are stunning instruments, always in bright (shiny) black finish, and excellent for pianists of any standard; also extremely popular for their attractive appearance which looks perfect in contemporary homes. They range from £2,500-£3,500 depending on age and amount of refurbishment work done. Again, more details on Facebook and eBay or give us a call on 07881 644911 to discuss your requirements. These pianos are superb value for money - they're often in mint condition, indistinguishable from new, yet to buy a new piano of the same model would be thousands more. They give many years of uncomplicated service to pianists of all standards through to professionals and teachers - no wonder they're so popular!

We have had an excellent working relationship with one of the largest importers of these pianos in the country for over 20 years and are lucky enough to be able to choose each of our Japanese pianos from an enormous number in their warehouse. We frequently choose pianos according to clients' specific requirements; there's no obligation but we pride ourselves on finding the right one for you!

Image credit: Venetia Norrington

In other news, our hire pianos continue to grace weddings, parties, festivals and all kinds of events. Our beautiful rosewood grand piano recently paid a visit to the stunning Deer Park Hotel near Honiton for a classical recital - doesn't it look incredible in that amazing space?!

WATCH THIS SPACE!

We are in the process of updating our Pianos for Sale page on this website - other pianos will be coming soon. In the meantime, please keep an eye on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WYPianos/

Do check back soon for more news from the piano workshop. Enjoy the summer sunshine! 

Ebay - making some space!

With Spring in the air, it's time to do a bit of a Spring clean in the workshop. Well, make a bit of space anyway! I might leave the actual cleaning for now...With 9 grand pianos in the workshop as well as clients' pianos in for repair, it's time to move a few on.

I've listed four grand pianos on eBay to upload this evening, all featured on my website and some are heavily reduced!

The Steinway Model O grand - what an amazing piano, but it's going to be a while before I have time to do all the work for a full restoration. It's already a lovely instrument and plays really well - my wife has been teaching on it for a year! So if someone would like it, I can either do a full restoration as planned when my workshop schedule allows, (price then will be around £18,000), or it'll play beautifully for them just as it is. I'm asking £12,500 for that one as it is, including FREE UK wide delivery.

BBC Maida Vale Bluthner - another incredible piano with a fabulous provenance. So many famous hands have played and recorded on this gorgeous rosewood piano. £12,500, again with FREE UK delivery.

Bechstein Model A grand - ebonised case. For those in the know, please rest assured that the frame is definitely intact with no cracks! Another lovely piano. £5,000 as is or again, can be fully restored if buyer wishes, at additional cost. A bargain for someone as it plays nicely already and FREE UK delivery.

Tiny baby grand - this is so cute and a really unusual shape. It's a 6 octave Barratt and Robinson from the late 1950s and its retro/mid century design would look amazing in any home, especially a modern space. The lid can be hinged to the left or right which is very unusual and of course makes it extremely versatile. It's small enough to tuck under the stairs - the lid is a D shape rather than the usual traditional curve. This piano plays surprisingly well, in fact better than most 1930s baby grands I've come across over the years. £2000 including a repolish for the case and FREE UK delivery.

Check out pianoredwood73 on eBay and you'll see these listings. I'll also put a note on my Facebook page so please spread the word and help me make a bit of space in my workshop! I'm not allowed to build an extension on it just yet... ;)

Workshop space is more limited every month...we're moving a few pianos on!

Another year older...

Another busy year has gone, and I'm still bad at updating this blog! I do, however, now have pages on Facebook for both my business and for my piano duo, the Pianoraks. Click through to my Tuning and Restoration page here. I'm also still part of the Sharp Tones 1950s rock n roll/rhythm and blues band; we pick and choose the gigs these days as we're all so busy, but they're always great fun.

The main news this year is that my pianos have an amazing new home. I rebuilt an outbuilding to upgrade the insulation (pianos are fussy - my wife regularly points out that the pianos are warmer than people round here) and it's brilliant to have somewhere I can put most of my many grands on their feet! It also meant that we could reclaim our music room from the 9 (!) grand pianos that were stored on their sides in there for ages, so redecorating that room was a priority later in 2016.

Boiler suit, model's own

I reused old wooden cladding for the internal walls as I have an aversion to plasterboard in spaces like this. The industrial style lights were sourced on eBay and I also reused the original rusty tins on the outside - it's just warmer in there now! There's no water in the building though, so I still make regular trips back to the house for tea breaks or the family would never see me! I kept some space at the rear of the shed for the sheep, so they've still got somewhere to retreat from the worst of the winter weather.

The Pianoraks have an inspiring space to practise! Check out our FB page for more details. 

The antique Pianofortes sign is my new pride and joy - it was a present from my wife, who spotted it on eBay late one night. The hand carved wooden sign came from a piano shop in Putney High Street and dates from the 1880s. This was an incredible find and graced our stand at the Honiton Show last August to great admiration!






Our friend Sacha of Gonzofotography & Styling in Taunton visited when the shed was first upgraded and worked her magic on some incredible images including this one of my long-desired Steinway Model O grand piano. It's one of several pianos for sale on my website; customers love being able to commission the level of restoration on their chosen piano. There's always got a selection on my Sale page to choose from, most of which are works in progress. Check out more of Gonzo's stunning imagery on Facebook.

Copyright: Gonzofotography & Styling, Taunton

In other news from 2016, I've enjoyed working on numerous jobs for clients, from a fabulous old ship's piano bequeathed by a retired Admiral to his local church, to enormous antique dining tables which had seen one too many parties.

This Bluthner rosewood grand was at BBC Maida Vale Studios for years

Video of ex-BBC Bluthner grand

Another amazing addition to my current stock list is a Bluthner grand piano which came from the BBC Maida Vale Studios before being purchased by a client of mine. This piano was apparently chosen by many famous performers over two Steinways for recording, and I can see why - it's an incredible instrument to play, made all the more special by the knowledge of how many famous people have played it over the last hundred or so years. It's now ready for the next century of service and it's not only an excellent instrument but a stunning piece of furniture - the rosewood case is glorious and I only wish I could afford to keep it at home!

We took the girls to London last summer for our first family visit. We had a fabulous time - walked miles, saw Matilda the musical which was the highlight for them, but one of my favourite days was our visit to the V&A museum. The antique pianos on display are truly spectacular examples of craftsmanship and I'd love to go back again soon.

Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Victoria & Albert Museum, London

There are lots of photos on this website and my Facebook page of recent projects, but here are a few of my favourites:

Ship's piano before

Ship's piano after restoration

Ship's piano - the keyboard folds up to save space on board

Ship's piano - what a contrast!

This original door on an Elizabethan manor house needed careful repair

New feet and full repolish - this elm console is unrecognisable from when it first came in

Family heirloom: antique chest of drawers

Repaired and repolished

Now back in pride of place in the owners' home

 

Beautiful but battered!

Unplayable and tired

 

The silk fabric behind the fretwork panel was matched to the original

Now a working antique which shows off the original craftsmanship

Dining tables are regular visitors to the workshop - many restorers are unable to achieve a good finish on
such a large surface, but grand pianos provided the best experience for me! 

No doubt my next blog will be a while, but do keep in touch on Facebook or in person. Fingers crossed that Spring is just around the corner.

Bill