See this piano here:
Chickering
In this video, Robert talks about and demonstrates the capabilities of a Chickering 105D art-case concert grand piano built in 1906. This piano has been completely rebuilt including a new soundboard scaled after the original. This piano is a powerhouse of sound with a magnificent bass register that has depth as well as projection. This piano was produced in a bygone era and was extremely well cared for throughout the ages.
This Chickering was built at a time when there were almost 2,000 companies producing pianos in the United States!
From the very beginning, it was one of the finest quality pianos that money could buy. Sadly, many vintage pianos are not structurally sound enough to make them worth restoring. However, a piano like this rarely comes along which has benefitted from a gentle life and makes an excellent candidate for rebuilding. The original real ivory keys are a testament to the care this piano has had over the years. The end product of careful restoration can result in a piano of substantial musical quality when the work is done on the highest level as in this piano.
You can experience a sound and look of one of the best American pianos of all time.
Today, the epicenter of piano manufacturing is China. While the quality of these instruments keeps improving, the vast majority of them are not on the level of the few remaining American and European pianos being made today. More than that, the quality of craftsmanship and the woods available 100 years ago made instruments like this possible. So, the answer to the question is a resounding, “Yes”, when everything is aligned properly with the original manufacturing, life of the instrument, as well as restoration work, a 113 year old piano can sound glorious!