Consultancy

The Collins Piano Forte Workshop consultancy service caters for individuals as well as institutions, and is tailored to the customer's request. Advice is provided in many early and romantic keyboard & music fields:

Condition Report

A detailed report of the general state of a keyboard instrument/collection and component parts of the/each instrument (strings, leathers, cloths, soundboard, exterior finish, etc.). The ‘playability’ of the instrument(s) is also assessed; if the instrument is not in playable condition, the report also provides a detailed account of what is required to make the latter playable, and whether the materials in place ought to be kept (the retention of as many original features as possible is always the priority).

Background & History

Research can be undertaken to find out what the history of an instrument may be. This study starts with an inspection of the instrument itself, to determine the age of various restorations, and repairs, spot any serial numbers, signatures or other markings. Archival research then follows, attempting to determine ownership history, dates of sale, locations, names of restorers and anything else that may be ascertained.

Historical Significance

This assessment answers the following questions: how special is a given instrument/collection? For which reasons? Is there a rare or unique feature present? How much of the instrument is original? Does the instrument have a known history, or an interesting past owner? Although the concept can be slightly alien to many owners, determining the historical significance and interest of an object ensures the presence, and where achieved the quality of keyboard instruments on show in events and exhibitions.

Sales & Purchases

The Collins Piano Forte Workshop is happy to advise anyone considering the purchase or sale of a keyboard instrument, and for a prospective purchaser, whether or not the instrument is suitable. Whether an instrument is likely to require additional work and expenses to meet the purchaser’s expectations is also considered. The Workshop also acts as an agency to seek or provide instruments to individuals, institutes, schools or other organisations, to suit their requirements.

Restoration

A full report can be produced detailing all restoration aspects of an instruments. Emphasis is made on what is original (and to be kept where possible, closely imitated otherwise), and on what is not (to be kept or replaced depending on the suitability and functionality of the element in question). Advice can also be given on whether to restore an instrument or not, especially in the case of exceptionally preserved specimens that would require invasive work (such as substantial structural repairs) to be made playable.

Climate

Advice on how to keep a keyboard instrument is provided, both for played instruments and storage. A study of the building, taking into account factors such as orientation, air-flow, changes in humidity and temperature helps determine the best place for a historical instrument, so that it may always be in optimal condition.

Authenticity

Historic keyboards, like other antiques, have occasionally been counterfeited. More often they have been adapted to suit changing taste. In some cases a recent instrument may have been built out of several original ones; a forgery, made of genuine parts. There is no shortage of situations that can lead to a genuine instrument appearing to be brand new, or indeed to a recent one making a convincing an antique. Such puzzles, and countless others bring many doubts to instrument owners, and the Collins Piano Forte Workshop provides a very acute inspection service, which will assess what is original, what isn’t, and the date at which the non-original parts were added. A high level of expertise is required in this study and draws on extensive knowledge of historical musical instrument building & maintenance practices across Britain & Europe, as well as on a great understanding of counterfeiting and artificial ageing methods frequently used in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. This Assessment in cases where the instrument is found not to be genuine, or at least not what it is considered to be, can reveal a rather fascinating history nonetheless, and often reflect the counterfeiter’s understanding of early keyboards, a fascinating perspective in itself.

Strings & Tension

There are very few examples of instruments with original strings pre-dating 1820, and not many before 1840. More often than not, instruments surviving to this day have replacement strings, and it is important to assess whether the latter can be kept, or whether they will cause the instrument some detriment. The kind of string (metal, gauge, wound or not, etc.) has implications for both tension in the instrument and tone. The tension, if too high will damage the structure of the instrument and render the tuning unstable, and also restrict the soundboard from it’s full amplitude of vibration. The Collins Piano Forte Workshop has several instruments with original strings for reference, and has effective replica strings in others, based on extensive study, as well as both empirical and arithmetical testing. Advice is therefore provided for complete stringing/re-stringing schemes, string usability and replacements.

Tuning

Whether for a recital or private enjoyment the tuning of an instrument is crucial. The Collins Piano Forte Workshop can advise on keeping an instrument in tune, as well as on the choice of pitch or temperament. The workshop also offers a tuning service; find out more on the tuning page

Pest Avoidance & Remediation

Both moths and woodworm threaten the integrity of a keyboard instrument. The Collins Piano Forte Workshop can advise on how to keep them at bay, as well as on how to get rid of them and mitigate damage. The workshop may also carry out a targeted treatment for either pest.

Collins Piano Forte Workshop // 21 Crow Lane, Rochester ME1 1RF (UK) // +447564891709 (UK) // +33626760114 (Fra) // collinspianoforte@outlook.com