cracked cast iron plate of grand piano

[mozart453]

I lived through an ordeal with a friend who purchased a piano sight unseen on the Internet, invested $10,500, only to receive a piano with a cracked plate.. but it's not completely clear if there was weakness in the plate before it was sent cross country from GA to CA or not.
I wrote up the whole epic at
http://arioso7.wordpress.com/2010/12/10 ... at-emptor/

While there is some wry humor injected, the tragedy was enormous for the buyer. I ended up reading PTG Journal articles and references to cracked plates, but in the end I came to the conclusion that the buyer should not have tried to repair what was a very undistinguished piano, aged over 100. As it turned out, a welding attempt failed.

[Barrie Heaton]

I have done a few repairs to cracked frames (plate USA) all worked out well I used the stitched screws well sent it to the Midlands and they did it but its over 10 years since my last one it cost £400 to do 5 cracks

Barrie,

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

The article is over 5000 words long.
If you could write a short summary I'm sure you'd get a better response from the forum.

Does the story go something like this:

1. A customer bought a piano from a supposedly reputable dealer without taking an independent technician
2. The piano turned out to be worthless
3. Dispute

The only part missing is... "how did it turn out in the end?"

So, did the customer get his/her money back? All of it?
If so, did it take a court order?

[joseph]

The problem is that most people know nothing about pianos. They are very expensive and people will take the dealer at face value. I'm not talking about the dealers regularly posting on here who are all scrupulous. I've seen many people buying things like a 'restored' bechstein upright for 7 grand, or a 'rebuilt' old grand for 12 grand, thinking it's an investment because of the 'antique' value, or that 'craftsmanship' was so much better 100 years ago, all of which is sales bullsh**. I'd say if you're not buying a Steinway, stay away from old pianos at inflated prices. That's not to say there aren't some nice old pianos for sale out there, but they should be priced accordingly. In my opinion, new pianos are a better and safer investment, for so many reasons.

Perhaps I'm a bit cold-hearted, but I'm not sentimental about my pianos. They have to work, and if they don't work, they have to go.

[mdw]

I'd say if you're not buying a Steinway, stay away from old pianos at inflated prices.

And a fair few of them are half restored tat. Any piano stuck together with animal glue is at risk of joints opening up, parts splitting etc. Ive seen quite a few old pianos with nice restorations and re polyestereed cases where the polyester is cracking and peeling the veneer off the case. Looks a mess and wipes a huge chunk of the pianos value.

[joseph]

I quite agree with that too. A steinway with a new plank and soundboard, action and reveneered case from Steinways in London would be a pretty safe bet for a good piano. They are priced so that you may as well buy a new one though.