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I just acquired this piano which hasn’t been played for about 40 years so my question is the action parts have high friction and needs regulation so if all this work has to be done would it be better off with New wng top action because if I have to re-bush and lubricate parts and Felts how long will the new feeling last until it start building friction again

Isn't that a bit pitiful for a Bechstein piano?

Coogertown,

More explicit information is needed.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

Hello basically I want to get the action reconditioned at the least because the regulation is really off and there’s a lot of friction because the piano hasn’t been played for so long. But I’m thinking with all the labor maybe just changing out parts will be better in the long run. Basically I would just be paying for the parts and the same amount of labor as if I would recondition the piano? Because I don’t know how long the performance Will lasted if just reconditioning

Professionals perform on pianos I service that have actions which are much older than that.

You have a great piano, a great plan, and all you need now is a great tech to to advise you. Alternatively you could publish chapter and verse here with downweights and upweights, photos, movies and your assessment of the piano. What is your budget?

Looking to spend 6k for wng whips and shanks and hammers but can’t help to feel wasteful if just swapping out parts when they are still good but just need reconditioning. Will wng feel as move five years later than when installed new Vs reconditioning which I could feel the difference in smoothness after a year it doesn’t perform the same as when first we conditioned

We have no way of assessing that without knowing more details about the action. If you trust your tech, do what he says. If you don't, give another one.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

My upright may not have been played for 40 years when I got it. Needed a good going over but nothing had to be replaced. Should go on for years. I was lucky no moths, weevils or woodworm had got at it. Was your piano heavily used for its first 25 years?

...get another one...

No the action looks really good hammers barely has any groove in it look like maybe it was furniture piece. Hi I was just curious about if I had a full regulation invoicing maybe put all that work into installing new parts and it would feel like brand new? Maybe it would be more stable and for longer. Maybe I am going overboard and super unnecessary. I don’t know if any of you guys had experience with wng maybe I am reading a lot of hype with performance of these parts and it’s making me want to upgrade unnecessarily

From what you say, it doesn't sound as if new parts will be needed. Protek CLP (or Fomblin PFPE Lubricant) might work wonders to get the action working properly again. If it hasn't been much played, and is very little worn, probably very little regulation will be needed.

Don’t hammer felt get hard and brittle overtime? As in 65 years old felt

They can, but not necessarily. It depends. I find it difficult to believe that your action cannot be rehabilitated with its existing parts (from what you've said). A good piano tech can advise you better in person. Find one who is a good rebuilder too.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

Maybe, but you can soften them up with fabric softener, White Wizard and other things. There are several threads on that subject here. But I am a skinflint. No doubt, a proper job of replacing the hammers, action and strings will give the best results.

Have you checked how post-WWII Bluthners match up to pre-WWII instruments? I have heard they could still get good materials as Bluthners were one of the few sources of export earnings.