Piano Rebuilding & Piano Restoration at Chicago Pianos

You have likely reached this page because you either have a piano you are contemplating restoring or you are considering acquiring a piano that may need significant restoration.

In either case, Cordogan's has been in the business of restoring pianos for decades. We have also been in the business of selling pianos for decades so we can offer a unique perspective on the decisions you have ahead of you with respect to restoring a piano. In other words, most businesses who are in the business of piano restoration are not also in the business of selling pianos and therefore have nothing to gain in the event that you should choose to replace your piano instead of restoring it. Similarly businesses who are solely in the business of selling pianos are not likely to encourage you to restore your current piano. Cordogan's is equally invested in these two ends of the industry, therefore we can approach your situation from an unbiased place.

That said, please understand we love, love, love the restoration business as much as we love selling pianos. There is nothing in this industry that stirs our emotions more than bringing a vintage piano back to life! Sitting down and playing that piano when the technician walks up to us and says "All done " is truly a moment we rarely forget. :)

"SO HELP ME RESTORE MY PIANO!"

Sometimes a piano can be restored without complete rebuilding and refinishing; other times complete rebuilding and refinishing is needed. We can help you through these decisions by sharing with you the actual cash value of your piano – both before and after various levels of restoration – and also compare that to the monetary and musical value of new and used pianos that are in the same price range. This is a very difficult conversation for you to have with a vendor who is not in tune (pun intended) with the retail side of the piano business.

Also, one of the most important discussions you can have about restoring a piano is the various quality levels of restoration that should be options for you. I'm emphasizing "should" because many piano rebuilders only offer their way or the highway. It takes a special type of rebuilder and refinisher, with a LOT of experience to offer several different options that cover various price points and are more appropriate for the various quality levels of pianos. There are literally tens of thousands of different piano manufacturers over the past 100+ years and they all don't warrant the same level of restoration. The last thing that you want to have is a piano that is either under-restored for its quality and value or over-improved to the point where you have spent a lot of money that you will never see in the event you need to resell the piano.

If we had to give some quick advice to someone who is considering having a piano restored, it would be:

• Make sure that you have established good reasons for trusting the company you have hired and that they have the resources to stand behind their work – whether it is immediately after delivery or years into the warranty period.

• For each and every task during the rebuilding and refinishing process, there are inexpensive and expensive ways to do it. This can result in a total project cost where one company's quote can be double or even triple that of another – all for what appears to be the same exact work on paper. This is something that we can best explain either over the phone or when you are in our shop, where we can show you several different methods of achieving the same finished task. In many cases, the inexpensive method of completing a particular rebuilding or refinishing task has no bearing whatsoever on the musicality of the instrument upon completion; rather it is simply a cosmetic difference. Sometimes, the inexpensive method can have grave implications on the performance and/or resale value.

• Be patient. The restoration process can take a lot of time – especially if it is done well. Our completion times are almost always well within the time frame quoted, but we are also careful to not be too conservative with our time frames. We can offer loaner pianos if they are needed during the restoration process.

  Below are before and after pictures of a couple pianos that we have restored for our customers. Be sure to read the captions accompanying the pictures, as they will provide some interesting insight to the various quality levels of restoration...

  PLEASE CALL US FOR MORE INFORMATION OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PIANO REBUILDING AND RESTORATION: 630-584-5000