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I encountered a Steinway 4510 with both front legs falling off (free-hanging legs, no toe back to case to make them strong). They have large wooden pegs with wedges inserted in the top that insert into the keybed area. One peg is broken off, the other one is very loose.

The obvious repair is to drill out the old pegs and replace with new ones and glue them. However, the design has a weak link: these new pegs will also be vulnerable if nothing is done to secure the legs additionally. Thinking about adding a piece of hardwood under the keybed, gluing and attaching on 3 sides under the keybed, onto the front of cabinet (at back of keybed) and to the backside of the leg. Veneering, and coloring to match the piano. I'll have to talk the dealer into it as he has stated that you are not supposed to change the "design" of a Steinway.

Anybody have any other ideas?

Thanks,
Barb Callie
Finish and Touch-up Specialist
Pascali Piano
Durham, NC

It's your piano. You do with it whatever you want.

Any half decent cabinetmaker could do it for you, surely.

Do the legs on a 4510 actually support the keybed or are they just decorative? They don't look as though they could bear much of a load and I'd be very surprised to learn that the keybed is not designed to support itself with or without them.

If this is the case then drilling out and re-pinning is surely the better idea.

Steinway offers those legs as repair parts through their service department, so I would be wary of making any changes that might compromise the ability to change them out later.