Hacking Low Quality Pianos into Masterpieces

Darrell Fandrich is called a “micromaker” of pianos. He takes lower quality mass-produced pianos from China and upgrades them to high performance instruments. Fandrich uses European parts and his proprietary engineering system to upgrade an $10,000 assembly line grand piano to a fine instrument that fetches $16,000 and up. Like a computer hacker maxing out the capabilities of a cheap laptop, he’s adding a big dash of craftsmanship to a cookie cutter product, helping buyers to get a quality instrument without paying $60,000. Buyers are generally happy – the only question is will the hacks last?

The Seattle Times reports:

“People are getting a very custom-made piano where someone has really put a lot of thought into it and a lot of labor for a good price,” he said.

His work remains an open question for others. He’s trying to upgrade a Hyundai to run like a Bentley, for the price of a Honda.

“He takes these instruments that are considered economy pianos and he absolutely brings them to a level that no one else could,” said Alex Hernandez, former technician for Seattle’s Classical Grands store. “The issue is longevity.”

The Seattle Times: “Stanwood craftsman puts human touch on factory-made pianos”

[via Kottke]