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I own an about 100 year old rosewood Blutner grand. It has been in my family since it was new, but no one in the family including myself has the room for it now. It is in OK shape but needs to be rebuilt. It has never been rebuilt before.

My question is what I should do with the piano. I either need to find a home for it or discard it. Getting rid of it seems a waste - it is a beautiful piano with a great warm sound. At the same time, it doesn't seem like there is much of a market for grand pianos that need to be rebuilt.

Any suggestions or should I just have it taken away and dumped?

Old Bluthners can still be valuable instruments. My recommendation would be to find it a new home, rather than send it to the dump. If you tell us your location, we might be able to offer suggestions.

Some 30 years ago I purchased a similar vintage Blüthner for very little. All original, very little played and it is still giving good musical service to its current keeper.

The reason I could purchase it for next to nothing was because it has the old Blüthner patent action. Very few piano techs In America understood this action in those days and some otherwise experienced techs and tuners had valued the instrument as worthless.

Today, however, it is a totally different matter. There is a lot of information on the Internet about those actions and I see no reason that you could not sell the piano as the fine instrument it is, or has the potential to be.

Unless it is badly damaged, It has to be worth at least the price that rebuilders in your area are buying in core fine instruments for rebuilding.

I am in the San Francisco Bay Area if that helps

Being in a major metropolitan area is a big advantage.

Up until a few years ago, I tuned a few regularly of that vintage that were all original and with moderate care can still be viable as musical instruments. if it is playable and has the kind of Bluthner sound we rarely hear anymore, someone will fall in love with it as it is. It will not appeal to brutal piano beaters and so will not get their attention.

The manner of factory tone regulating when these pianos were built gave them a soft warm tone quality with good range of volume and left them voiced for life. They don't get nearly as harsh with age even with worn hammers.

Notify teachers and tuners first. They may have interested students or clients. I'm sure you won't want just anybody in your house to look at it.

These old Bluthners are gorgeous pianos, some of them anyway, and they rebuild so very well, but the sound world of the piano means you need to really know what you are doing.

Piano bashers, as rxd put it, don't like Bluthners old or new, because they don't feel that they're getting that immediate aggressive bite that some other makes have. However, when you really listen to a Bluthner, they have a long sweet sustain, a very clear and pure sound. They are amongst the most beautiful instruments available. I'm a bit of a succer for the old patent grands!

One of the sweetest pianos I've played recently was a Bluthner 6'3 rebuilt by piano restorations in the UK (formerly the UK Bluthner workshop, who still handle all Bluthners restorations here). The tone was as clear as a bell, yet very mellow. It had a lot of power if you wanted to drive it that way, too. The sound swells up and surrounds you, it doesn't pierce directly through the eardrum as some other instruments can.

Some repertoire and some situations require a piano with more bite of course, because concert halls that are being built today are so big, and have lots of soft furnishing in them, and I happen to like many makes of piano, but these old Bluthners have a wow factor.

I'd love to see some photos! Can you take some and download?
I agree that it seems that this is a piano that can and should be restored, but of course needs evaluation by a good restorer (IMHO). You may not make much $$ at all just by selling it to a restorer, but that's more than its worth just sitting around.

Yes it does help. I'm in northern CA and would be glad to try assisting. If you can post some pictures and further specs, such as exactly what model (and most importantly size) then I can start talking to some people I know.

Please DO NOT bring the piano to the dump. Unless something castrophic is wrong with it (such as a broken plate) it deserves consideration of a rebuild / restoration.

I would love to see some photos, and also to know the serial number if you don't mind telling us.

Bluthners are fantastic candidates for restoration depending on the action it has.
If it's 6 feet or bigger, I'm sure you could find it a home other than the dump.

Don't send it to the dump. Properly rebuilt it's an amazing instrument. Try to get it into the hands of a skilled rebuilder.

In fact, don't even worry about the action. It can be replaced with a new action and keyboard, or the original can be restored for a more historically minded player.

Sure, anything can be replaced, if you have the money and think the project warrants the investment. Installing a new keyboard and action in a Blüthner Patent Action grand (which this most likely is) involves a serious re-designing of the same. A new action and keyboard, installed, regulated, voiced, will set the owner back close to 10 grand or more, by the time the back action is also replaced.

At this point, the pinblock, soundboard, strings and case are as yet still untouched....
A good refinishing job on a 6' piano runs 6 - 9K.
Cost for doing everything? 20K ++

I agree, refurbishing the action and keeping it original for a player who prefers it is the way to go.

Yes the cost of replacing the action is high, but the quality of the piano is high. Bluthners in London sell rebuilt grands with new action and keyboard, new soundboard, repolished, new pinblock for 35000 pounds. It's actually fairly common for these grands to have the action and keyboard replaced. They offer the full rebuilding service for around 15 k.

You can also have the original action and keyboard rebuilt and they are fabulous too.

Bottom line, what needs to happen is that someone must be found in the San Francisco area who wants a project piano, and will give the OP a few bucks for the core.

In this country bluthner London will pay about 2000 pounds max for the core.

I'm seconding and third-ing what everybody has written so far. Don't send it to the dump! If you like the sound now, wait until some key parts are replaced and adjusted. You'll be in love!

That's a touch over $3000 over here. I doubt it could be shipped profitably, but there must be someone in SF who will give the OP something for it. Perhaps he should start a thread looking for a core buyer in SF.

The best bet would be to check with the PTG to find a rebuilder in the area. Many are often on the search for good cores.

Hey Tree512,

Earlier today I spoke to Jim Reeder of Reeder Pianos in Lansing, Michigan. In addition to piano restoration, Mr. Reeder is also Bluthner's U.S. distributor. I told him of your situation, and he might be interested in buying your old Bluthner rosewood grand to be used as the core of a piano rebuilding project, especially as it has the old Bluthner patent action. New parts built to the old Bluthner designs are available.

Mr. Reeder's phone number is (800)225-8641. Give him a call and see if you two can do business.

As you live in California, you also might want to contact Piedmont Piano in Oakland or Kasimoff Piano in Los Angeles, both of whom are Bluthner dealers.

Whatever you do, don't send that Bluthner to the dump. If it is rebuildable, somebody is going to have a wonderful instrument on their hands.