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Hi, Folks.
I purchased a fairly recent Steinway Concert D. The harp seems to have been harmed by salty air near the sea. Has anyone ever replaced the harp with a new one from Steinway? Any thoughts on cost? I don't want to refinish it, as I don't think it will look perfect (fresh from the factory)! I don't know if steinway would even sell a new harp of that size.

Doug

Have you had a piano tech look it over yet? That would probably be your best bet for an accurate diagnosis of everything that could be wrong with the piano as well as an estimate for fixing it up. Salty sea air can be pretty lethal for pianos, sad to say.

Plates are very rarely replaced. You might have the piano de-pinned, de-strung and have the plate removed and repaired.

It might not be as expensive as it sounds. I'm guessing that it would be $2000-$3000.

Plates are not replaced unlees they are severely damaged(cracked). You could as Steve says, have it re-bronzed, but it will be more than steve's estimate.
Plates are not one size fits all. Each is unique, so it's height above the soundboard must be set again as well as fitting a new pinblock. Add in the cost of new tuning pins, baas strings,and treble wire. This would cost a lot of $$$$$$.

If the harp was damaged from salty air there is a high probablity that other parts in the action as well as the strings have been damaged by the same exposure. You should try to contact some of the excellent rebuilders in your area. The Boston chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild is one of the largest in the US and has some great rebuilders. Log into www.ptg.org to start your search. If you need a new harp you are lokking at some big $$$. By the way how do you know the piano had salt water exposure ?

Thank you all for your input. The piano works and sounds exceptionally good. My concern is more cosmetic than structural. I will post a photo of the harp. I have hired a well experienced PTG technician to assess today (Brad Smith, New Hampshire). I'll keep you posted!
Doug

As long as it isn't cracked, it can be refinished. Country Piano Restoration in NY has photos of refinishing that look excellent. Here's a link...

http://countrypiano.com/showroom/steinway/Harp.htm

Even if you feel it's only cosmetic, I'd probably have a tech look at it. If salt air has begun to damage it, the problem may worsen over time. Good luck.

It is unlikely that the plate (your "harp") could possibly have been damaged by salt air enough to warrant replacing it.

Assuming a new plate could actually be purchased from Steinway (which is questionable) the task of replacing it would be a formidable one. It would probably also entail replacing the soundboard and bridges. At the least the bridges would have to be capped, drilled and notched and repinned. As well, the pinblock would have to be replaced. All told, I doubt any rebuilder who really knew what was involved would touch the job for less than $20,000 to $25,000. (The plate alone would probably run you somewhere in the $5,000 range, again, assuming Steinway would sell one. Were I the one making the decision I would say no.)

If you have cosmetic damage that bothers you refinishing the plate is really the only practical option. And that only if it can be removed from the piano.

Steinway does sell spray cans with their own plate gilding lacquer that will come pretty close to the original color. If you can find a good touch-up person to do the work you should be able to have the finish repaired to look reasonably nice.

Otherwise your best option is to replace the piano.

Del