Today’s topic is that of fine timber veneers and harnessing them for creating new piano futures.
Appropriately, because the piano up until the 1970s was still considered a piece of furniture as well as a musical instrument, the styling and workmanship relevant to each ‘period’ (Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art-Deco etc), is reflected in the details. The finely etched front panels of the Victorian age, the exquisite marquetry seen on some of the pianos of the late Victorian/Edwardian period, and the use of mother-of-pearl most often seen in British pianos of the pre-WW1 period (albeit not often), which along with the shaping of the piano leg (or truss) identifies the age of an instrument long before one starts googling serial numbers. There is the odd exception but generally this holds true.
Sadly at the elite end of the market, not too many manufacturers today spend much time on the piano as a styling exercise. The Yamaha U-1 and U-3 models are good examples. The U-1 first came out in the 1960s, and a few internal upgrades aside, it is pretty much the same piano to play and look at 60 years later. A testament to be sure to Yamaha’s longevity and a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality, and the U3, a bigger and more powerful incarnation of the Yamaha ‘studio piano’ that the U-1 pioneered and that really, put Yamaha on the map as an international piano maker, is from every angle, essentially unchanged.
I mention a Japanese piano manufacturer in particular because it shows how far the modern piano maker has moved away from the piano as Art, and as an item of furniture. Interestingly, the centuries-long traditions of Japanese woodcrafts have not by and large transferred to the musical instrument in Japan. This is not a criticism but an observation. The practice of ‘Yosegi’ for instance, (exemplified by Healesville artisan Ben Reddan, who has made several outstanding pieces for us in years past) has never made it to the piano in Japan.
Whereas German, British … and to some lesser extent Australian pianos were genuinely crafted and feature the careful selection and utilization of matched veneers, fine styling and exemplary cabinet work to create a lasting impression of your typical vintage piano as Art and furniture, and not just a musical instrument. Indeed, especially with some of the amazing marquetry work we have seen come through Pianos Recycled, these pieces are Art!, and the only shame is that we do not know the names of these incredibly skilled artisans who produced such beauty.
Where am I going with this? Well, the timber from every piano we recycle is sitting on our shelves. Some of it we offer in the form of kits, for the home-based woodworker from beginner to advanced to purchase on-line. Yet more material awaits the curious with shelves filled with end-plates, front panels, inlaid panels and some of most beautiful burr walnut, mahogany and maple veneers you will ever see. All of this material is available to purchase, and it is not expensive. Given the comparative rarity of some of our material, it should be!
So if you are one of those keen people who have invested significant sums in their compound saw, planer, jointer and maybe even a table saw … and you are looking to work with material way beyond your locally timber merchants’ hardwoods or pine, talk to us. We would love to have you come in and talk us through your project and how we can help.
Our inspiration, which you see in every social media post of yet another transformation for a client, is rooted in something the Japanese call ‘mottainai’, which emphasizes the importance of not wasting resources, and finding value in everything, and the belief of giving trees a second life that may be as long and valued as the first.
As we do at Pianos Recycled.
Creating Piano Futures.
Every day.
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