*** Can you fix my broken pianola? ***
Yes, almost any pianola mechanism can be fixed. Its more a case of which type it is as some are more difficult than others (some brands were not intended to be repaired and need to be sawn apart to access inner parts) and require more time and cost to repair. Most pianolas still around today are of the normal repairable type.
One of the main factors of why your pianola does not work is simply age! Not age of the pianola itself but of the rubberised material used to cover the bellows and the leather in the valves. Also the rubber or lead tubing. If your pianola has not been restored in the past 30 or 40 years then it is likely to need a full restoration of all the parts.
Other complications for repairs are missing parts and severe corrosion, rot and borers.
As for the piano itself, almost anything can be repaired and rebuilt, from basic tuning to major structural repairs and restringing.
***Why doesn’t my pianola work?***
In most cases its basically age! Occasionally a working pianola will stop working if something breaks but generally the rubberised cloth on the bellows (usually around 100 of them!) go rotten with age and leak. And leak more and more until pedalling is impossible. They usually go hard as well making it difficult for the bellows to move.
This means the pianola action has to be fully dismantled, old cloth cleaned off, new cloth glued on and then reassembled. Also the leather in the valves is usually rotten and also needs to be renewed. Its a very time consuming process.
The parts need to be restored by hand using new rubberised cloths and special leathers, unlike appliances there are not replacement parts you can buy off the shelf for these.
The rubberised cloths and thin leather are imported from the US and the UK.
*** How much does it cost to fix my pianola? ***
The pianola mechanism repair cost can vary from a basic service call of around $200 up to a full mechanism restoration around $6500 (inc gst) for a normal pianola. And of course part repairs are somewhere in the middle.
Repairs to the piano itself, including tuning, are extra and would need to be individually assessed on the present condition of the piano action and the intended result for the piano (eg. Are you a professional pianist or just bang out a few tunes for parties?)
*** How much is my pianola worth? ***
If you are trying to sell a pianola then it depends on the condition of the piano part, how well the player mechanism works and when it was last restored. Can vary from nothing to several thousand dollars. Some grands, rarer and original electric models can be worth a lot more.
Basically whatever you can get for it at the time…
Sentimental value can make pianolas priceless and there is nothing wrong with that! But remember its only priceless to the people with the attachment.
*** How long does it take to restore my complete pianola mechanism? ***
For a normal pedal upright about 3 weeks for the pianola mechanism.
Piano work / tuning can be done while the player action is out of the piano and the piano action is then easily accessible.
*** Do you give free quotes? ***
We can easily give rough guide estimates via email from pictures.
But if we come out to see the pianola there is a service call fee, which can be reduced if the pianola is totally unserviceable. A repair quote is always available
*** Do you know of other repairers out of your area? ***
Not personally but there is a list of repairers across Australia and New Zealand on the Pianola Roll Paradise website (on the link page)
*** Can you put an electric pump on my pedal Pianola? ***
Unfortunately the supplier of kits for adding an electric pump to pianolas is no longer in business. So we cannot put an electric pump onto a pedal pianola.
*** Are all repairers the same? ***
Most people would only get their pianola restored once so its important to have it done right the first time. If a poor job is done then it just won’t work properly and reliably and you will not enjoy using it. And there it will sit for another 40 years… We restore all the broken and worn out parts AND all the parts that are still working but in poor condition ensuring that the pianola mechanism will be reliable for many many years. And we use authentic original type materials and glues, making the pianola work as it did when new and making it easy for the next restoration. The usage of PVA glue or Silastic on pianolas is probably the worst thing that can be done and can ruin a pianola.