Hi,

I have a "new" piano which was a wholesale after water damage from a fire. The piano is in great shape except for some rust. Here is a link with the story and pics:
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/1/17595.html

I was wondering if I can clean off the rust, and do I need to replace the strings? The most rust is shown in the picture and at a glance you don't see nearly as much or none at all on the other strings.

You can clean off the rust with an eraser or something similar, but eventually you will need to replace the strings. Leave the bass strings alone. Just replace them when it is time.

Congratulations on acquiring a lovely new piano. It looks a beauty.
My piano tuner told me to use nylon or teflon "Scotch Brite" style pot cleaners to remove light rust from the unwound strings. Cut the material into small pieces which are of a convenient size for working on a piano string.
I have found this method most effective and the unwound strings on my piano look immaculately clean and shining.
You have to be careful not to apply too much pressure that could stretch the string and when working near the tuning pins you must avoid scratching the plate.
A practical approach is to work carefully on a small area of the string at a time.
You must not use this cleaning technique on the wound bass strings as you can clog the windings and adversely affect the acoustic performance of the string.

Good luck and the best of enjoyment with your new piano.

Robert.

Hello Wade-

Great story on the various posts about these two damaged M&H pianos. Let's hope you really did make a good bet that your instrument will stabilize and no significant damage materialize.

Perhaps you should open your question for the technicians here to include the issue of the soundboard and the rim. To that end, I don't understand the type of water damage that occurred.

The pianos were in a Boston showroom up against a wall. A fire that evening at an adjacent building resulted in water coming down the wall and hitting the back of the pianos, after which the dealer decided he could not sell these instruments (certainly not with a warranty) and he put them up for auction.

Do you know anything more about the water damage to your piano? Was the lid open? Did water pool overnight on the soundboard, or did periodic splashes of water just hit the strings but not really accumulate? If a pool of water was created, how long did it sit there, and how far up did it reach to the front of the piano? Were the sprinklers activated? How was the lid scratched? Was there any way to inspect under the plate to see what the rear of the soundboard looked like?

From your photos it seems obvious that some water reached the strings and damaged the felt under them as well. So you are absolutely right to get some opinions from experts here on whether the strings and felt should be replaced. It would also be interesting to hear from technicians or rebuilders about the soundboard.

Assuming the soundboard sat under a pool of water for 24 hours or so (and is that the worst-case scenario), how exposed is it to warping or cracking? Should this be evident fairly quickly, or do months have to go by before it can be assumed no damage occurred?

Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer is willing to vouchsafe for these pianos, so what exactly are they concerned about?

I really hope this works out for you and your family as it would be a great steal.

I got the idea that it was not a huge amount of water that hit the pianos, but that some did reach the soundboard. I have looked and I can't see any crack on the soundboard nor can I see any place where water may have pooled. I will get out a flashlight but it seems to me the finish perhaps protected the pianos. I don't know exactly when the fire occured but I was of the opinion it was around a year ago, and that any water damage should have shown up by now.

I think the pianos did get cleaned up some after 24 hours but sounds like the water sat there. I don't think the sprinklers went off, or all the pianos would have been damaged and not just the two up against the wall.

I think the dealer had insurance and didn't want to fool with a water damaged high end piano and so got a settlement and then I assume the insurance company wholesaled the pianos. As for M&H, I can't blame them for not granting a warranty. Why take a risk on a piano that the dealer is getting insurance money for and cover it, when you have no idea the extent of the damage? I think this has to become a buyer beware type of deal. I was aware, and I think it will be okay. Right now the piano looks pretty darn good except for a little rust on the strings.

Is the the type of Scotch-Brite recommended?

http://www.bettymills.com/shop/product/v..._content=Jansan

Sounds like your piano got modest exposure to some water, and that you are past the point where you need to worry about the soundboard. The picture of the strings does show not just rust, but discoloration on the wood or felt underneath the strings. Maybe a piano rebuilder or restorer could look at that and determine if a repair is needed.

Even so, that cost can't be too large. Your risk seems to have been small for such a magnificent piano.

P.s. Your next issue is "settling in". Especially coming from a humid Houston warehouse, the piano in its new home is likely to go haywire on tuning and action performance for awhile. Mine came from a humid environment and took almost a year before reaching some stability.

Red/maroon scotch brite seems to work fine for me. Sometimes I'll go over them again just to brighten them up a bit.

Do be certain to rub along the length of the string, not across, lest you damage damper felts. Along that same line, don't knock the pad up against the dampers as you're cleaning. Further along that same line, maybe you should just have your tech clean the strings.

I can't really tell how much water-damage the piano may have suffered just from the photos, but do have your tech keep close tabs on the pinblock, soundboard, etc. Additionally, pay attention for dampers zinging--This happens oftentimes on pianos with very rusty strings.

Depending on how long and severe this 'moisture event' lasted, it is possible that you may start to see the appearance of the wood beneath the finish 'telegraph' through the finish. New black Masons though are veneered with a masonite-type material that reduces/slows this process.

The most immediate concern, as it appears from the photograph is that the lyre supports seem to be missing. Without these supports, the lyre can become loose very prematurely, requiring it be re-glued.

Best luck

p.s. , if you edit your post so that you use the URL button to post a copy of the link, instead of posting the entire link as-is, we wouldn't have to go back and forth to read this page.

Is the lyre the metal piece that supports the pedals by creating a triangle support from the base of the pedals back to the base, going in the direction of the top of the soundboard? I actually have two extra metal rods and I bet these are to support the pedals.

The lyre is the pedal assembly-everything below the keybed. The metal rods are lyre braces. You should be able to get them in by loosening the bolts that hold the lyre on and rocking it so they will fit. Or get the person who is replacing the bass strings to do it.

Okay... I have the lyre supports in place. I guess I am still not sure if the piano strings need replacing. The tech who inspected the piano prior to purchasing did not mention it. I live 1.5 hours away from where I purchased it so I need a new tech here anyway and will get an opinion from the tech. Thanks everyone for the feedback!

brazospiano, I think getting a second tech's opinion is an excellent idea. And I would urge you to do so as soon as possible, just so that you can rest content and not have to worry that there was some corrective action you need to take right away. (I'd be worried about the rust spreading, myself, but then again, I worry about a lot of things. ) You've already spent a lot of money on what is looking to be the bargain of the decade; another hundred bucks just for the peace of mind might be the next best investment you could make.