I've got a guy in my region making a nickle or two in his shop selling shells. He finds a worn out grand - usually 5.5 feet or less - guts it, refinishes the cabinet and sells either the shell by itself, or more often will put whatever digital components you want in the shell.

Is this now common everywhere?

This is quite interesting to me although I was not aware it was being done. For those, like me, who appreciate pianos just as furniture and already have a functioning musical instrument they love, it would allow us to get a second "piano" just for furniture or to house a digital. I would only be interested in a grand or vertical with a beautiful case.

Does anyone know anyone in the NYC region that does this?

I've also heard of them being built from scratch. They make a case in a "baby grand" shape only more so -- like 3 or 4 ft. And because it's just a box for electronics, it's a lot lighter. The sides can be a quarter inch instead of two or three inches thick.

I've seen some interesting projects where people have rigged up an array of speakers inside positioned to take advantage of the soundboard (presuming it still has a soundboard worth taking advantage of). Don't have a link handy, though.

http://dutchgrand.com/

I used to tune a Kawai GS 100 concert grand at a church.......till they pulled the action out and stuck a digital piano in the case.......... The action sits on a shelf in the back.

I made a grand shaped cabinet a few years ago. Project detailed here:

http://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthre...ing-a-grand-shaped-cabinet-for-a-dp.html

Instead of digital components, how about spiritual components ...

[img]https://img.etsystatic.com/il/76a404/660318476/il_fullxfull.660318476_t1vp.jpg?version=0[/img]

Looks like it could almost still be playable!

Something like this, but more ornate?

More ornate and/or a more beautiful wood. This Facebook page has pictures of hundreds of uprights, some of them very beautiful: https://www.facebook.com/search/str/the+art+of+upright+pianos/photos-keyword

jolly,
What's the story with the square in the background?

Don't know. The pic is off their website.

Now, he does apparently have a square grand he's working on...