Piano Restoration and Rebuilding for New York City
Restoring pianos for New York City, NY
We restore pianos for New York City owners and institutions, and we have worked on instruments for clients including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Illos Piano Restorations specializes in the rebuilding and restoration of fine pianos for New York City owners, including Steinway, Baldwin, Mason & Hamlin and many others. At our own facility in Buffalo we perform restringing, pinblock and soundboard replacement, complete action rebuilds, hand stripping and refinishing in high-gloss polyester, satin lacquer or natural wood.
What we take on for New York City customers
Major repair work and full restorations only, carried out at our shop in Buffalo. Your piano has to come to us at 2940 Main St. We do not travel to New York City for tuning, regulation, small adjustments or other minor repairs, and we would rather say so plainly than sell you a long-distance callout. For that kind of work you want a good technician near you.
What does justify the journey is the work that takes months on a bench: a new pinblock, restringing, soundboard replacement, a complete action rebuild, or a full refinish. Getting the piano here is our problem, not yours. Where New York City is beyond the range of our own truck we facilitate the move with our partner piano movers and coordinate it end to end, so you deal with one company from the first phone call to the piano coming back through your door. Because the instrument is with us for months, transport ends up a small share of the total cost.
Working with the five boroughs
New York apartments are hard on pianos and hard on the people who have to move them. Narrow stairwells, service elevators with strict booking windows and doorman schedules all have to be planned rather than improvised, and our crews are used to working around them.
The city is also full of instruments worth saving. Pianos bought when Steinway Hall was a short walk from most of Manhattan's music teachers are still in family apartments, and under the worn finish there is usually a well-made instrument that a rebuild will bring back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a grand piano be got out of a Manhattan apartment?
Usually, and where the stairwell will not take it a hoist is arranged. New York is beyond the range of our own truck, so we facilitate the move with our partner piano movers, and we handle the coordination: building access, elevator bookings and street permissions are all planned before the crew arrives.
Have you worked with New York institutions?
Yes. Our reference list includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, alongside orchestras, theatres, colleges and museums elsewhere in the Northeast.
Would it be simpler to use a shop in the city?
There are good technicians in New York. What we offer is a full rebuild under one roof, at Buffalo overheads rather than Manhattan ones, with the transport built into the quote. For many owners that combination is what makes a restoration affordable.
How do I get a quote?
Send photographs, the make and the serial number through the contact form, or call 716-832-0013. We will give you an initial view before anything is moved.