Here is an example of a major restoration challenge, as this piano was so ruined that the decision between preserving and scrapping it had to be made. This Steinway & Sons upright of the model V series was completed in New York on December 10, 1920, originally in fine mahogany. The piano was last with an antiques dealer near Washington. The many creative previous owners had painted the piano first green, then blue, then black; almost all the ivory coverings were cracked or broken off; due to long storage in unfavorable conditions, all the felts had hardened; many of the already soft action woods were brittle; and the whole piano was very dirty. The soundboard was cracked, as was part of the bass bridge, and a pedal was broken off. The stringing was completely dead – and despite all these limitations, the piano still hinted at its potential even in its unrestored state.

The piano was renovated using Steinway spare parts, which took almost a year. The case was completely re-veneered so that it could stably carry the desired black polish. The Steinway & Sons tubular action frame was elaborately restored. The keys were refinished in ivory. At every step, care was taken to preserve the Steinway quality. After regulation and voicing by a Steinway expert, the piano sounds impressively beautiful again. It has the typical Steinway & Sons sound of the 1920s and unusual dynamics. Today the piano is with a family on Lake Ammersee.