"Rebuilt" -- what does it really mean?  Jon Page insists that a
"rebuilt" piano is one which has a new soundboard, new pinblock, new
strings, entirely new action parts, new keytops, and presumably a new
finish.  At what point does this piano cease to be a vintage musical
instrument, and instead become an entirely new entity in an old-style
case?

It sounds like there's a market for "piano retrofit" kits, whereby a
technician gets an old piano and throws away everything but the cabinet
parts.  He then phones up JoeBlowSupplyCo. and specifies the various
interior dimensions of the carcass.  Lo and behold, a few weeks later,
a complete set of piano guts arrives on his doorstep, and in a day or
two, a new "antique" piano is born!

All fine and good, I suppose, provided the piano gets a new name on the
fallboard: "Ersatz"!

Colin Hinz
Toronto, Canada

 [ Brian Thornton told me of a company which imported old English
 [ plate-less "birdcage" action pianos.  The piano was 'reconditioned'
 [ by fitting the old case to a new piano (much to the delight of piano
 [ techs)!
 [
 [ An antique auto is worth less if it has replica components instead
 [ of rebuilt or reconditioned components.  Some customers might prefer
 [ such a piano, but I would rather have a useful, working instrument.
 [ The piano is my tool for making music; I don't want a vintage musical
 [ instrument if it doesn't function as a fine and reliable musical tool.
 [ -- Robbie