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In modern terminology as in the refinishing industry,the term refers to making it black. If the piano was originally black,it is a given that the piano should stay black. There are times whereas some owner in the piano's history might have refinished the piano in a wood finish. In most cases original ebonized pianos do not have a veneer consistency throughout. In that the piano was black it would not look good with different veneers on various parts of the piano. When a piano was ebonized in the old days,even after you strip the piano,it will still be black. If one wanted some wood tone finish one wouldd have to bleach the wood to rid the black. Not advisable in the long term. Bleach is not a good thing for wood or anything except maybe doing your whites at the laundrymat.
Actually a high end ebony satin finish is more difficult to do than a satin wood finish. Of course the exception being if the wood finish cabinet is thrashed with multiple gouges and veneer damage. Imperfections on a wood satin finish piano is technically less visible than on a black piano.
I heard that on some pianos that are painted black (older ones) That if you strip it to try and make a wood finish, you may be fairly disappointed, as some used many different unmatched woods, therefor, making the piano multicolored! :S
Hailun HU7P 1799 John Broadwood and son square 1800 George Astor London square 1810 Gibson and Davis New York square 1830 John Broadwood and sons square
Aeolian-Hammond BA player organ Conn 652 theater organ 1922 Kotykiewicz two manual harmonium 1880s karn pump organ
I would think that it would be, being all one solid color. You can see any inconsistencies, whereas on a wood grain satin model you already have the inconsistencies to mask it.
So, do they stain it black then coat with finish of whatever type is appropriate? Or do they paint? I've always wondered about how they actually go about doing it, I hope that somebody can reveal it, and that it's not trade secrets.
Ok, how about this: I've seen pictures of what is advertised as satin black but the underside of the lid is polished mirror-like, I suppose to reflect the bright shinyness of the golden plate and strings. How common is that, and is it only done on certain tiers of piano? I can't remember off hand what make I saw it in.
I know that these are a bunch of stupid questions, but you guys seem to have all of the answers so I figure that I might as well keep going. Maybe I'll learn something. Please let me know if it gets annoying.
Ebonizing is staining black then laquering over. Original evonized pianos, when stripped, frequently show mismatched vineers because they could.
Co-Author of The Complete Idiot's Guide To Buying A Piano. A "must read" before you shop. Work for west coast dealer for Yamaha, Schimmel, Bosendorfer, Wm. Knabe.
I would think that it would be, being all one solid color. You can see any inconsistencies, whereas on a wood grain satin model you already have the inconsistencies to mask it.
So, do they stain it black then coat with finish of whatever type is appropriate? Or do they paint? I've always wondered about how they actually go about doing it, I hope that somebody can reveal it, and that it's not trade secrets.
Ok, how about this: I've seen pictures of what is advertised as satin black but the underside of the lid is polished mirror-like, I suppose to reflect the bright shinyness of the golden plate and strings. How common is that, and is it only done on certain tiers of piano? I can't remember off hand what make I saw it in.
I know that these are a bunch of stupid questions, but you guys seem to have all of the answers so I figure that I might as well keep going. Maybe I'll learn something. Please let me know if it gets annoying.
Thanks, James
In this day and age there are numerous approaches /methods to doing an ebony satin finish. Back in the stoneage,actually not that long ago,I've heard persons french polishing an entire piano in a week. Think about it...What kind of coverage could one get, hand staining a black / ebony piano. The majority of piano finishes with the exception of oak,pecan or ? are a closed pore finish.In the past and present,one still needs to seal the pores. The traditional way was with sanding sealer followed by multiple color or clears coats sanded and rubbed out with steel wool,abrasive pads,pumus,ajax or ? In modern times many use a poly /primer coat to initially fill the pores before or after coloring the piano.
In an ebony satin finish whether using lacquer,polyurethane or polyester we always shoot the color coat followed by multiple clear coats.In essance we rub out the clear coat not the black colorcoat. That way you get that reflective quality in a hand rubbed satin finish. That was a crude and concise explanation of an ebony satin finish!
On the underside of the lid ,many may claim that they are doing something over and beyond the call of duty in making it highgloss but in reality one does not have to colorsand the underside and rub it out.If the factory is at higher efficiency doing high gloss polyester than they'll do it. Confusing huh!
Based on some of your comments on this thread and that the piano is in Phoenix I thought you might be interested.
Hello Andy. If you check the dates on this thread, you will see it is over 2.5 years old. Advertising in the classifieds is good. Dragging your classified ad into a forum thread is not the same.
Otherwise, welcome.
Sam Bennett PianoWorks - Atlanta Piano Dealer Bösendorfer, Estonia, Seiler, Grotrian, Hailun Pre-Owned: Yamaha, Kawai, Steinway & other fine pianos Full Restoration Shop www.PianoWorks.com www.youtube.com/PianoWorksAtlanta
That was a pretty good year for New York as I recall.
Dear Furtwangler,
pls. specify: would you opt for the last versions with Appalachian white spruce soundboard, or opt for the first versions with Sitka spruce from Alaska ranges? ;-)
Last edited by BerndAB; 12/05/1209:03 PM.
Pls excuse any bad english.
Centennial D Sept 1877
Working on Berceuse op.57 Nocturnes op. 9-1,3 15-1,2,3 27-2 32-1,2 Going Home (Mark Knopfler)
There is another "issue" related to building years besides of the "Teflon rocky horror picture show"..
:P
I don't know the exact years of production. In years around the 30ies?, 40ies? 50ies? Steinway used in their grand mechanisms, flanges, repetitions axes/wires with a galvanized copper overlay to protect the steel wire against corrosion.
..and what happened? Not the steel but the copper corroded.. ..
"vertigris".
The forces needed to lift a hammer increase, to lift a repetition, et cetera.
I bought a set of hammers and another set of repetitions both w. vertigris, obviosly extracted at the New York plant, and some clever guys had picked it out of the scap box - to sell it on ebay.. ;-)
Vertigris also to be checked and avoided.
Pls excuse any bad english.
Centennial D Sept 1877
Working on Berceuse op.57 Nocturnes op. 9-1,3 15-1,2,3 27-2 32-1,2 Going Home (Mark Knopfler)
That was a pretty good year for New York as I recall.
Dear Furtwangler,
pls. specify: would you opt for the last versions with Appalachian white spruce soundboard, or opt for the first versions with Sitka spruce from Alaska ranges? ;-)
Just my idea of a little humor Bernd
The New York Yankees (with Babe Ruth) in 1927 had great success including winning the World Series of baseball.
This team is widely considered to be the best baseball team ever
I have just purchased a 1912 Steinway Model A II - it has been expertly restored and plays better than any Steinway I have ever played. In fact it's built as sturdy as a Steinway but plays as smoothly as a Mason & Hamlin. I believe because they replaced the Action and the Hammers with RENNER Brand/Renner Blue Hammers.
As Sam knows my favorite sounding Steinway I have ever heard is a 1896 Model A II that PianoWorks meticulously/expertly restored - Derek Vann plays Clair de Lune -- THIS is what a GREAT Steinway is supposed to truly sound like.
SAM: I have to tell you something. I just had my Model A fine tuned in my home after a few weeks by Keith F. - that evening I decided to play the Pianoworks Video of Derek playing on the Model A. Well I decided to play along and at times I couldn't tell which piano was which. I was so excited to hear that my Model A - sounded almost identical to what I felt was the best sounding Steinway I ever heard.
This is all my opinion but at this point, that is what counts in my music room! LOL
had to repost again!
Last edited by brdwyguy; 06/12/2108:13 AM.
1961-1964: Emerson Upright 1969-1992: Westbrook Spinet 1992-2021: Schomacker B (1912) "Schoowie" 2021-Present: Steinway Model A (1912) "Amalia"
To Listen to my Music is to know me. To know me all you need do is listen to my music.
Hi Joey I hope most piano owners feel the brand, model, year in their living room is the best—- at least, the best we could afford and have a suitable space for. That should be the goal when buying a piano.
It’s great to hear you are so pleased—- time to work on Rhapsody in Blue 😊
