13/05/2026
I have just done a complete overhaul of the action on this 1929 Challen baby grand. The dreaded moths had got into it and hardly any felts/cloths had survived - a few damper rail bushes, the capstan felts, and the hammers were all that was left. All the keyframe washers and backtouch baize, the hammer rest baize, butt bads, check felts, key bushings, damper felts and lift pads etc had to be replaced. Even the music desk slide lining cloth. The hammers had mercifully been left more or less untouched so a little gentle shaping had them right as rain again. Many of the ivory key tops had come loose and several were missing, luckily I had an old keyboard beyond repair that I could take replacements from. A few minor repairs to missing veneers on the cheeks and all was back to normal. Finally the wobbly legs had to be reglued into their bracket blocks.
Delivered back to a happy owner.
Funnily enough I also worked on another Challen baby grand last week (a bit later - probably 1940-50) that was barely playable with off sounding notes, dead notes and many not even striking the strings. Reshaping of deeply cut hammer heads and a full set-up and regulation had that one transformed.
