In case you ever wondered what a competent technician should check when evaluating a player piano before it gets restored, here's a list of the things that could require attention. (Some items might not apply to your particular piano.)

THE PIANO

TUNE
RAISE/LOWER PITCH

REGULATE VERTICAL ACTION

Remove action from piano
Tighten all screws
Reshape hammers
Clean piano & action
Align & tighten rails
Straighten damper lift rod
Travel hammers
Space hammers to strings
Space & square backchecks
Space & square keys
Set hammer stroke
Regulate capstans
Regulate key height
Level white keys
Level black keys
Regulate letoff
Regulate white key dip
Regulate hammer checking
Regulate sharp key dip
Regulate dampers to lift rod,stgs.
Regulate sustaining pedal
Regulate damper spoons
Regulate soft pedal
Regulate bridle tapes
Voice hammers

REGULATE GRAND ACTION

Tighten plate and cabinet screws
Remove action
Tighten damper flanges and screws
Clean piano
Tighten all action screws
Reshape hammers
Clean action
Remove action keys from key frame
Bed key frame
Regulate key frame glides
Space and square keys
Level keys
Regulate key dip
Travel hammers
Space hammers to strings
Regulate una corda pedal
Space wippens to hammers
Regulate jacks to knuckles
Regulate repetition lever height
Regulate hammer line
Regulate hammer rail
Regulate letoff
Regulate drop
Regulate hammer checking
Regulate repetition spring tension
Regulate key strip rail
Regulate dampers to keys
Regulate damper stop rail
Regulate dampers to lift rail
Regulate sustain pedal to lift rail
Regulate sostenuto mechanism
Regulate hammer lift rail
Regulate striking point
Voice hammers

REPAIRS

PIANO ACTION
DAMPERS

Polish lift rod
Polish wires
Replace blocks
Replace felts
Replace levers
Replace lifter felts
Replace spring cords
Replace spring punchings

FLANGES & BUSHINGS: (Type: Repin/Rebush/Replace)

Action brackets
Damper guide rail
Damper lever flanges
Damper lift rod flanges
Damper wire flanges
Hammer butt flanges
Hammer rail flanges
Jack flanges
Pedal supports
Repetition lever flanges
Sostenuto tabs
Stickers
Sticker flanges
Sticker tongues
wippen flanges
Other

HAMMERS

Reglue
Replace

HAMMER BUTTS AND SHANKS

Lubricate knuckles
Replace bridle straps
Replace butts
Replace butt buckskin
Replace catcher buckskin
Replace knuckles
Replace shanks
Replace under cloth & felt
Reglue catcher shanks
Reglue knuckles
Reglue shanks
Repair knuckles
Repair shanks

HAMMER RAIL

Refinish
Replace cloth

MUFFLER: replace felt

PEDALS:

Overhaul lyre
Repair pedals
Repair trapwork
Replace lyre brace
Replace pedals
Replace pedal rod

REGULATING RAILS: (Letoff/Stop/Rest/Jack/Rep/Drop)

Repair (   ) holes
Replace buttons
Replace punchings
Replace rail
Replace screws
Replace supports

SPRINGS: (Polish/Replace)

Action shift
Damper rail
Damper
Jack
Pedal
Repetition lever
Sostenuto tab
Sostenuto rod
Spring rail felt

wippenS

Polish spoons
Polish backcheck & bridle wires
Replace backcheck blocks
Replace backcheck felts
Replace backcheck wires
Replace bridle wires
Replace capstan cushions
Replace elbows
Replace jacks
Replace jack cushions
Replace repetition spring cords
Replace spoons
Replace wippens

KEYBOARD

KEYS

Clean sides
Clean entire keys
Ease
Paint sharps
Polish capstans
Polish white keytops
Polish white key fronts
Repair broken keys
Repair elongated balance rail holes
Repair ivories
Replace capstans
Replace bushings: front (   ) center (   )
Replace buttons
Replace sharps
Replace white keytops
Replace white key fronts

KEY FRAME & KEYBED

Clean, scrape, sand key frame & keybed
Polish pins: front rail (   ) balance rail (   )
Replace back rail cloth
Replace pins: front rail (   ) balance rail (   )
Replace punchings: front rail (   ) balance rail (   )
Shim & bed key frame

SOUNDBOARD, STRINGS & ASSOCIATED PARTS BRIDGES

Repair/replace bass bridge
Repair/replace bass cap

SOUNDBOARD, STRINGS & ASSOCIATED PARTS BRIDGES (CONT.)

Repair/replace bass shelf
Repair/replace bass treble bridge
Repair/replace bass cap
Drive in tuning pins
Replace (   ) broken tuning pins
Replace bridge pins PINBLOCK& TUNING PINS
Replace pinblock
Shim (   ) loose tuning pins
Reglue pinblock/back frame

PLATE

Replace (   ) broken agraffes
Replace (   ) broken hitch pins
Replace (   ) broken screws
Replace (   ) screws with bolts

SOUNDBOARD

Reglue to ribs
Reglue perimeter to back/rim
Replace
Shim cracks

STRINGS

Liven, twist and tune bass strings
Replace (   ) broken bass strings
Replace (   ) broken treble strings

RESTRING PIANO: disassemble, repair & refinish soundboard, hone capo bar, rebronze & reletter plate, install plate, set downbearing, replace understring felt & braid, replace tuning pins, bushings & strings, pull up to pitch

CABINET

Disassemble/reassemble for customer refinishing
Polish & lacquer hinges, locks, hardware
Refinish
Strip only
Reglue sides, toes, back veneer, crossbanding
Repair/reinforce cracked bottom
Replace (   ) casters, repair stripped screwhdles
Replace (   ) hinges (   ) knobs
Replace nameboard felt
Shim key slip

MISCELLANEOUS

Replate action brackets
Replate duplex bars or plates
Replate hardware
Replate pedals
Replate plate screws
Replate pressure bar screws
Repair broken parts:
Replace missing parts:

Screws:
Polish
Plug & redrill holes
Remove broken screws & repair wood

THE PLAYER ACTION

Brand:
Single valve(   ) Double valve! )

HEAD

Hardware: clean, polish & lacquer
Tracker bar: remove old tubing, polish
Tracking device: disassemble, replace pouches, gaskets, pneumatic hinges & cloth, valve leather; reassemble, test &
regulate
Transmission & roll spindles: clean, polish & lube
Replace broken pot metal transmission frame
Wind motor: disassemble, polish metal parts, repl. bushings, replace face board if necessary, seal channels, repair cracks, replace pneumatic hinges & cloth, replace slide valve cloth, lap & graphite slide valves & seats, regasket hose connector, reassemble & set timing

STACK

Disassemble
Pneumatics, fingers & decks: remove pneumatics from decks, remove fingers, clean off old glue, replace hinges & cloth, make new stationary boards as necessary, clean & repair deck boards, remove old glue from channels, seal channels, reglue pneumatics to decks.
Reglue fingers
Rebush fingers
Cover around built-in fingers
Cut off glued decks, resurface, add gaskets & screws
Gaskets: replace

Valves & seats
Replace inside facings
Replace outside facings
Replace valve discs
Replace stems
Replace stem guides
Replace Standard stem grommets
Polish stems
Polish & lacquer seats
Seal seats
Replace valve plate screws
Open unit valves & reseal
Regulate valve travel

Bleeds: remove, clean & seal (   ) replace (   )

Pouches
Replace & seal
Seal channels in pouch board
Clean/replace discs
Glue Baldwin pouches to stems
Seal pouch channels
Calibrate valve/pouch clearance
Open unit pouch blocks & reglue
Open glued pouch boards, resurface, add gaskets & screws
Remove, rehinge, recover & inst.pouch pneumatics
Regulate Schulz pouch hooks

Pushrods
Replace
Polish
Rethread
Replace leather nuts & cloth washers
Rebush guide rail
Rebush/replace flanges
Replace cloth hinges
Align top fingers to piano action
Lead tubing: replace with brass nipples/elbows
Replace (   ) lead/fibre hose connectors/elbows
Remove white glue or contact cement from previous repair job
Repair (   ) stripped screw holes
Other:
Reassemble, install new tracker bar tubing, bench test, install in piano & regulate to action

PRIMARY VALVE CHEST
Valves: disassemble, clean, replace leather, reassemble & set travel
Replace broken stems/valve buttons
Pouches: Replace & seal
Calibrate pouch/valve clearance
Gaskets: replace
Repair (   ) stripped screw holes
Other:

FOOT PUMP

Bellows: Disassemble, clean, replace hinges & covering, replace stiffeners, replace flap valves inside & outside
Replace face board of trunk
Replace flap valve springs/bellows springs
Reglue delaminated or cracked boards
Replace pedal mats
Clean & lubricate pedal linkages

Wind motor governor & accelerator: disassemble, replace pneumatic hinge & cloth, gaskets, valve facings, pouch, slide valve leather, reassemble

Action cutout: replace valve facings, pouch, gaskets
Repair (   ) stripped screw holes
Other:

Reassemble pump, governor & cutout, install in piano with new hoses & control tubing, regulate governor, cutout &
linkages

MOTOR-DRIVEN PUMP, ADDITIONAL

Replace ball bearings
Replace connecting straps
Rebush connecting rods
Clean, polish & lubricate crank assembly
Paint front & flywheel
Other:

ACCESSORIES
Restore sustaining pneumatic mechanism: replace hinge & cloth, releather valves, replace pouches & gaskets
Restore hammer rail control pneumatic assemblies
Restore mandolin pneumatic assembly
Releather finger buttons
Replace broken finger button springs, buttons
Replace mandolin curtain & clips
Add electric suction box
Add automatic rewind & shutoff
Other:

ADDITIONAL REPRODUCING & EXPRESSION PIANO MECHANISMS
Ampico A (   ) B (   ) Duo-Art (   ) Welte (   ) Recordo (   ) Other (   )
Restore expression mechanisms
Restore automatic rewind/replay mechanism
Restore automatic shutoff mechanism
Disassemble/reassemble drawer
Install & regulate components in grand piano
Install & regulate components in vertical piano

ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
Replace wiring
Disassemble, clean, reassemble & lubricate motor
Repair motor starting switch
Other:

COSMETIC WORK
Refinish drawer panels (   ) front (   )
Refinish internal parts
Replate player action parts
Polish levers/external drawer hardware
Other:

MOVE PIANO/PLAYER ACTION TO AND FROM SHOP

Since "Player-Care" is an internet business, I prefer that we correspond via E-Mail (click here to fill out the 'Request Form'). However, if I'm not in the middle of some other activity, you can reach me at 732-840-8787. But please understand that during the hours from 8AM-5PM EST (Mon-Sat), I'm generally quite busy. So, I probably won't answer the phone. If you get the answering machine, please leave a detailed message stating the reason for your call. Also, repeat your name and phone number clearly and distinctly. By necessity, I prioritize everything in my life. And, if you call and just leave your name and number, and ask me to call you back, it might be a day or two before I return your call. Why? Because I don't know why you want me to call and I might not be prepared to assist you in an effective and efficient manner. If you leave me an E-Mail address (which I prefer), spell it out phonetically. The more you do to help me, the more I can help you in return. Don't rush. You have four minutes to record your message.