Hello. I am the owner of a 1889 Knable, 6' 2" Grand Piano which is in need of a total action rebuild and restring. I was going to buy the parts from International Piano Supply Company in Oregon but for some reason they are temporarily closed. Their prices are very reasonable and I was wondering if anyone here has purchased from them and were you happy with the quality of the parts. If they do not open soon, I will be looking for another supplier. Can anyone recommend a wholesale supply company that will sell to the public. Thanks
Larry

I haven't bought from them, but I'd suggest you take a look at

www.vandaking.com

By the looks of it, most of their items are from Schaff, which should vouch for a basic level of quality (which I'm not so sure of with Int. Piano Supply Co.)

Some thoughts:

1. There are three wholesale vendors, that I know of, who sell action parts (Schaff, Pianotek Supply, and Wessell Nickel & Gross); none of them will sell to the public.

2. Even if they did, you cannot expect to do quality work as a DIYer. There is a lot that goes into an action rebuild (and restringing is even more difficult).

3. Any supplier open to the public (aka Vandaking, or IPS, etc.) will have a retail markup between 30-50% on most things.

4. All the tools you will have to buy, on top of the parts, will bring the budget for this project above what a technician would charge.



Conclusion: Hire a technician; it will be cheaper, faster, and less frustrating.

Thanks for your responses. Unfortunately for me, I live in an area where there are no piano technicans within a reasonable striking distance, so my only other option is to ship the piano out to where it could be rebuilt. I purchased a second knabe piano identical to mine which was and is in far worst shape so I have many extra parts of which I can practice on. I have some tools of the trade and I am a cabinet maker which involves not only skill but patience. I have refinished the rosewood cabinet which is spectacular IMHO I by no means consider this an easy job but hopefully if I can buy quality felts, hammers etc. and I can ask for some help on this forum when I get stuck that would be great. The sound board is crowned and has no cracks so I think the effort is worth it. I do have some books on the subject as well. Regulation is the thing that worries me most. Any comments and help would certainly be appreciated. Thanks
Larry

You can also order supplies through a technician that has an account with one of the major suppliers in the US. Then you would have to travel to pick up the shipments.

I'm with shipping it to a qualified rebuilder...there are many with high profiles here who can assist you (not me, we're backlogged 2+ years so we're not taking in new work for a while)...but look around here and normally you can get a 6 month turn time...and it'll be VERY worth it!
PD

It is like plumbing. You may think a plumber is expensive, and that just replacing a drain or something is well within your reach. But after 3 or 4 trips to the hardware store for the parts you did not have on hand, it all adds up to time and aggravation that you did not need. And plumbing parts are more standardized than piano parts.

Or, www.stevespianoservice.com and get support from an RPT that will keep you from the disasters that keep technicians from wanting to see DIY piano work.

Ship it! People send their pianos to rebuilders all over the country ALL THE TIME! It doesn't cost astronomically more to ship a piano 50 miles or 1000 miles. You will spend way more money getting all the necessary tools to do this job properly than you will spend on shipping.



Which is great, and everything, but it doesn't make you qualified to restore a piano. Refinish one, maybe, but action and string replacement? No!





I tuned a Steinway M rebuilt by a DIYer about one month ago (with an original sound board). It sounded and played like crap. Just sayin'.



It shouldn't; restringing should. Have you thought about how you're going to replace that pinblock?

Selecting the correct parts should also worry you; you can't just plop new parts into these things!

Oh sure they can - and will, and do.

Heck: refinishing, rebuilding, what's the diff?

Ha! Jurgen, you have such a great sense of humour! (And I even took care to spell "humour" properly for you )

The action on that piano will not take the new parts.
The whole action needs to be redesigned or replaced.
I would consider getting a new WNG action made.
You will save a lot of money by shipping it out to an
experienced rebuilder. That piano has many challenges
for experienced rebuilders.

Have fun

I second this: 1. The parts look futuristic/bad-ass! 2. Of the 10 or so pianos with this action that I've seen, they all played very well.

Now ya got me laughing! What's the difference indeed! 'Good one.

Or it needs someone who knows how to deal with old actions.

Well, from the remarks of a few "experts" on this site, it appears the piano is basically a piece of s--t and not really worth the effort. It was never my intent to have it used at Carniege Hall but to be used by me in my home for my pleasure. All I was asking was where I could get quality supplies for a reasonable price so I could improve what I have. Believe it or not, I do know the difference between rebuild and refinish. I was warned before I joined this forum that the elite few that are mired in sarcasm and self importance would certainly have something to say and I wasn't disappointed. Thanks for all the positive feedback. It's been great experience.
Larry

Well,
No-one can determine if the instrument is a basket case on the internet. Only someone who has the instrument in front of them can make this determination.
I think you have had a number of suggestions for obtaining supplies. If that is what you were originally looking for then forget the rest.

You started by saying that the piano needed a total action rebuild. You did not say how you came to that conclusion. There is no way that we can tell what parts it needs, or exactly how much work it really needs.

What is wrong with the action? How much work has been done on it already? Have you had someone who actually knows about this stuff look at the piano? If there are other pianos in your community, there must be someone who takes care of them. Has that person looked at yours?

I don't recall anyone saying the piano was a piece of s%#t, and not worth the effort; old Knabes, when properly restored are very nice. However, we have good reason to be concerned with all the DIYers who think they can do everything. They can't. I've been working in this field for a few years and I wouldn't even be comfortable doing the work you describe without having done more reading AND having supervision from someone more knowledgeable than I.

In other words, I wouldn't work on my car, or my computer, or my roof, or build an addition on my house. There are skilled tradespeople for a reason, and musical instruments are no different when it comes to needing a professional for maintenance and repair!