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***All repairs shown here are for illustration ONLY!!! Classicpiano can not and will not be held liable for any problems that arise for following and utilizing this information!!! By reading this material and/or clicking any follow-up links below, you agree to hold Classicpiano harmless. ***

Every technician has a different opinion on how to do repairs. I like to come from the point of view that a repair is:

Structurally sound and effective.
Considerate of future repairs.
Cosmetically acceptable, especially on a grand soundboard where it is seen.

The subject piano here is a vintage Baldwin ‘M’ (5’2”) baby grand; a beautiful yet underrated instrument. Different from the Steinway ‘S’ baby grand, it is comparable in quality (we are talking vintage here 1900-1935) but won’t have the Steinway price tag.

With this piano the soundboard had developed a few cracks and in certain weather conditions would buzz. On the underside of the soundboard are ribs that become loose at a crack and buzzing will occur when the soundboard lifts away from the rib. This is one of the most annoying and distracting problems that can develop, yet relatively easy and affordable to repair.

Normally we would screw the soundboard back down on the rib with a nice looking brass screw on either side of the crack, a very common repair. For this repair we did not want to do that. In the past I have rebuilt pianos that had this type of repair and there is no way to get the screw holes out of the soundboard without filler. With that in mind, I have decided to pressure glue them back.

**The more precaution taken, the more planning done, the better the finished job.**

Here you can definitely see the outline of the rib, it is the dark section where light has not penetrated the crack. The rib masks the light penetrating the crack, locating the rib perfectly, no guesswork here! While this crack is somewhat near the middle of the soundboard, we will not start gluing here, it is for illustration only.

For example, here is a picture of the rear of an upright piano that has had a major crack repaired. I drew a red outline indicating from where the repair should start, the "outside" of the soundboard.

The first glue joint would be #1, then #2, and so on until number 7. Between #3 & #6 and #5 & #7 is the post, so this must be done from the front. The idea is, starting from the outside working to the inside or center of soundboard last.