Anything is possible if you throw enough money at it. Some of the "after market" work that has been suggested here is in the realm of voicing and tidying up where inconsistency of build may emphasize the problem break. Rescaling a portion of the string may not even be considered drastic and may minimize the problem to an acceptable extent. If it gets beyond that, into the bridge design or bridge placement though, or into that further realm of the rebuilder's art, to correct a problem, I'd think the place to have gotten drastic would have been during the comparison shopping phase. Most customers do not expect to buy a new piano only to have to call in the rebuilder to correct design problems. They buy the nearest to satisfactory for their budget at the outset and try to avoid design problems. Even if a rebuilder could redesign the piano to correct the problem, there probably will not be sufficient customers willing to make that kind of outlay to permit the rebuilder to "make a name for himself". Someone could probably take an old Kimball spinet and make it sound good with drastic redesign innovation and make a name, too. Is it reasonable to consider financially? Would anyone care? The place to deal with this issue is on the sales floor at the time of purchase. If you have unfortunately bought a piano where the break is just unbearable, even after the reasonable steps that have been suggested here to temper it, you'd be better off trading in the piano and a bit more cash for another make and model without the inherent design problem, rather than get into the unknown cost and outcome of a significant rebuild.

Still curious what make and model we're talking about.

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Possibly. E-mail me privately with some details and I might be able to give you a better answer.

Del

This reply is for chickgrand.

Yes, I agree that this could all have been avoided before the purchase, but unfortunately, some of us customers still (again unfortunately) trust the dealer, and believe a simple voicing is all that's needed. I've owned approximately 15 different pianos since 1970, used and new grands, and never had an issue that voicing couldn't correct. In the mid 70's I played on a concert grand that was "my" ultimate sound, and this year, that same brand had that sound, save the tenor break which I didn't think was a concern, because due to previous experience, I assumed it could be voiced out.

For those of you intent on buying an expensive grand, learn from this...be careful...be vewy vewy careful that your instrument sounds and plays the way you want AT THE STORE, before accepting delivery, and going through an awkward, frustrating, embarrassing and possibly expensive rectification.

Your advice is good advice. I understand the perspective you had going into this purchase. I may perhaps also put too much faith in the possibilities of voicing, also based on my own personal experience. Hopefully the manufacturer and dealer will continue to work with you to find an ultimate solution that will give you an instrument that will make you happy.