On Rebuilding
Since I rebuilt my first piano in New York in 1985, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to restore, rebuild and repair a wide variety of pianos, both European and American brands. Working on all these superb instruments I have come to deeply respect the piano manufacturers who, often working together with outstanding pianists, created pianos with a unique sound and a specific touch.

To recreate each piano’s special timbre I have learned to select the best combination of outstanding, yet different, parts available today. By carefully choosing parts from such quality manufacturers as Steinway&Sons, Renner, Abbel, Ronsen, or Mapes & Roslaw, I can assure that each instrument remains true to its original design.

Fortunately there is room in the world for a variety of different sounding pianos, and as we all have personal preferences, I have made it my goal to rebuild a Steinway&Sons piano as a Steinway&Sons, a Mason& Hamlin piano as a Mason&Hamlin, and a Bechstein piano as a Bechstein.

I am dedicated to providing excellent pianos and I guarantee to turn each instrument in to the marvelous sounding piano it promises to be.

The Action
The piano’s action is probably what popular science was referring to as the most complicated machine. Invented and improved over a couple hundred years it is a complicated system of levers made -up of finely designed wood parts, hundreds of small felts, leathers, screws, pins and springs, all of which must be in optimum condition for the piano to play smoothly.

One of the main problems occurring in piano actions over time is the drying out and deterioration of the hundreds of small pieces of felt ,leather, and wood. When this happens the action begins to make unwelcome noises and a general deregulation of the piano takes place. Slowly, but inevitably, the friction between dry wood and dried out felts and leathers makes playing the piano impossible.

In addition, once the finely designed parts, including hammers, flanges, repetitions, and dampers, dry out and shrink, as wood will do with age, they become too fragile to withstand the pressure exerted on them during playing. As a result we find broken hammers and shanks on old and well used pianos.

Another problem afflicting piano actions is humidity. In a very humid environment the wood parts, including the keys, will expand while the felt and leather parts will absorb the moisture, and the pins and springs will corrode. Consequently, the action will become extremely sluggish and the keys will begin to stick.

Action rebuilding includes replacing or renewing any of the action’s components with genuine or customized new parts. We have learned to follow the rule of six&thirty:

If six of the same parts are malfunctioning, repair or replace all of the eighty eight parts in the piano.

If there is more than reasonable doubt that the parts will not function properly for another thirty years - replace them.

We have found that by following the rule of six&thirty we can guarantee long-term satisfaction and a life time of revived delight in your piano

Soundboards, Pinblocks and Strings
The soundboard is the heart of the piano. Made out of thin planks of spruce joined together to create a large diaphragm, which are supported by carved ribs, the piano’s soundboard amplifies the sound produced by the strings.

Many soundboards and pinblocks have an average life span of eighty years. However, because of the enormous tension produced by the piano’s wires, and often due to a lack of controlled humidity in the piano’s environment, soundboards and ribs frequently loose their flexibility, as well as their crowns, long before they reach old age. The sinking of a piano’s soundboard results in the lack of sustain and a diminished quality of sound.

Similarly, the pinblock, made from layers of hard-rock maple, contracts with age. As a result of this contraction the holes, that are supposed to keep the tuning pins tightly in place to hold the tension of the strings, widen. Once the holes are too wide for the pins, the pins put angular pressure on the pinblock, which then in turn begins to crack. Eventually the pins will not be able to keep the tension of the wires and the piano will “not hold tune”.

In contrary, a overly humid environment can cause serious problems. Excess moisture in the piano’s environment causes corrosion of the strings and tuning pins. Rusty strings will not be able to hold the tension and will tend to break.

Only a thorough evaluation of the soundboard, ribs, and bridges, can determine if a piano’s soundboard, ribs, bridges or pinblock should be repaired or replaced. Carefully choosing our soundboards, ribs, pinblocks and strings from European, Canadian, and American manufactures, including the outstanding Sitka Spruce soundboards for our Steinways&Sons, we exactingly and meticulously recreate a full sustain and a beautifully resonating tone that promises lifetimes of joyful playing.

Refinishing
A beautiful refinished piano will be the pearl of your home. We grace our pianos with elegant hand-rubbed lacquer finish, or traditional refined hand-crafted French-Polish. We have to admit that French-Polish is our favorite; not only is it safe for the environment, it is truly the only refinish that brings out the warmth and natural beauty of the wood veneers.

"I realized that Israel was the right one to rebuild my instrument. I intrusted him with a very important part of my life. The work was first rate and he was extremely professional in our dealings…Israel has total passion for his work and takes great pride in it. It shows. I highly recommend him…. You will be in good hands should you choose him."
— Jonathan Feldman, Chairman, Collaborative Piano Department, The Julliard School

"I could say more…About Israel's ear? Sensitivity to tuning, his desire to please customers, the time and care he takes… My Steinway possesses the most exquisite touch because of the masterful work of Israel Schossev. On it I can tackle the most technically demanding repertoire with ease."
— Virginia Perry Lamb, Manhattan School of Music

"It was an outstanding job for the entire feel and sound of the piano was customized to me needs . . . Israel's craftsmanship is excellent and perhaps even more importantly, he takes personal pride in taking the extra steps to insure that his work meets his own high standards of perfection."
— Lisa Dippold - Menard, pianist, composer, teacher

"I cannot believe the difference in the feel of my piano now. Leaner, cleaner, and more responsive."
— John Lampkin, pianist & composer

 ". . . It's an incredible treat to hear a small town festival with such excellent pianos available to the performers. Israel Schossev is not just a piano restorer. He's a music lover."
— Leslie Gerber, Woodstock Times

". . .a program of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Rachmaninoff on one of the superb Steinways that the company refurbishes… the nation's best at such things."
—Paul Smart, Ulster Publishing

“It was great learning about the different types of hammers, holding the hammers in our hand, to see and hear what happens during the process of voicing, and learn what happens when pianos go out of tune. The presentation was detailed without being talky or boring. I’m sure our members took something away with them which they didn’t know before. I warmly recommend this presentation to anyone interested in learning more about the piano!”
—George Bryant, Rockland County (NY) Music Teacher Guild