We give pianos fresh new life.
The Piano Gal Shop has upcycled oodles of pianos to re-sell and for custom work for clients. One might say piano upcycling is our specialty. The idea behind one of these pianos is not brand new. However, The Piano Gal Shop has taken something that has been done with a stage piano here and there and made it accessible for the masses.
A 9 Lives Pianos is simply the cabinet of an old piano with a digital put inside. Now, there is more to it than that, of course, but that’s the general idea. There are so many pianos that are way past their playable and useful life. These pianos either sit unused in a basement, or get taken to the landfill. The vast majority of these run of a the mill pianos are not worth the investment of restoration, either.
This type of scenario is perfect for a 9 Lives project.
The pianos get completely gutted. That means keys, key bed, action, strings, pins, plate (the heavy part!), and pedals are all removed from the piano. This is a labor intensive process and it often is quite difficult to remove the plate, which was built NOT to be removed.
Once this is done, the piano is cleaned up and prepped. Then, a custom paint job is done to the case of the piano and the bench. These can be done very simply or very artistically! It’s up to the customer, of course. Finally, a digital piano is put in the piano and voila! We don’t put a “keyboard” in our 9 Lives Pianos, meaning a toy type instrument. The digitals we put in always have full piano style keys and weighted action. We want our 9 Lives Pianos to function like an acoustic piano, as close as we can while still keeping this option affordable.
With all of this being said, what are the benefits of owning a 9 Lives Piano beyond it being an earth friendly and artistic option?
1. They still look like the real deal.
2. They never need to be tuned.
3. They actually last forever! When the digital that is inside your 9 Lives is ready to be replaced, just pull it out and put in a new one.
4. They are a more stable and sturdy way to house a digital. No swaying and shifting, like a typical stand.
5. They are super mobile. These pianos are so much lighter because the weight from the cast iron plate has been removed. This is perfect for people who move a lot, for restaurants and bars (move it anywhere you like at any time, easily!), and for apartment dwellers that still like the look of an acoustic piano, but need something mobile and headphone ready.
