My name is Alex Brusilovskiy, owner and technician of West End Piano Restoration, I tune pianos and specialize in complete piano restoration, covering Richmond Virginia and surrounding areas. I am a native of Moscow, Russia, I am married, with 3 children and my hobbies include camping and gardening which I love to plant persimmons and dill.
I began to study violin and piano at age of 7. I hold master degree of Moscow Forest University in musical instrument design and production. My working career started in Moscow piano factory, "Zaria" as an foremen. There are no better experiences for a piano technician than as a worker in piano factory. In 1987, I was appointed as a vice president of the company, supervising production department.
Besides designer and production of new models, I was deeply involved in restoration of grand pianos. In 1995 due to Russian piano industry collapse, I immigrated to USA and start to work for Richmond Piano as a technician. In 2003, I concentrated completely on my company, West End Piano. We provide full line of piano services, from tuning to concert Grand piano restoration.
Among recently restored pianos are 7 foot Steinway B for VCU, 7 foot Steinway B for U of R, Checkering 9 foot Concert Grand for Trinity Episcopal Church Stanton VA, Steinway L for Eastern Mennonite University and other instruments.
I am happy to be able to focus entirely on my piano business and I thoroughly enjoy this. With other 30 years experience, you can trust me to expertly tune and/or restore your piano. Inquiries, contact and discussion may be initiated via my e-mail. A simple telephone call also works and you can reach me at 804-288-8878.
Thank you for taking the time to visit my website and I hope you find my experience beneficial in helping you with your piano tuning or restoration. I welcome the opportunity to serve your piano needs. Please visit my website again for updates on piano sells and pass along my information to others if you find anyone looking for a piano restoration professional.
Use the scroll bar to the right for viewing piano's I have for sale. If you have any questions, please contact me anytime and I will get back to you ASAP.
(Completely rebuilt $10,000)
(Rebuilt with player system $28,000)
I buy piano's too! If you are moving and cannot take the piano with you or have a piano to sell, contact me.
Founded in 1997 by Alex Brusilovsky, West End Pianos has been devoted to music with an emphasis in performance level service. Because of this, it has become a well-established and highly respected piano restoration and rebuilding company. I specialize in vintage Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, Bluthner, Knabe, Chickering, Baldwin and many other pianos. The piano restoration process starts with a high quality, hand crafted grand piano built by the original namufacturer to a high degree of percision and nearly perfect design. A properly restored/rebuilt piano will regain its original grandeur and value, often superior to a new instrument of comparable value. Quality replacement materials coupled with high quality workmanship will result in a restored instrument that will last as long or longer than the original piano. Rebuilding a good, quality made piano will increase its value in most cases more than two-fold. Not only can piano restoration be a financial investment, it can also supply a lifetime of music enjoyment that can be passed down from generation to generation. Because of the piano restoration center's combined experience, expertise and the use of quality materials, restored pianos are an investment of a lifetime.
Piano restoration starts with the dismantling of the instrument. Notes and measurements are taken during this process to aid the assembly process. Each piano is assigned a number in order to monitor the piano and its progress. During the dismantling process, each piano part is placed in a designated area.
At the start of the piano refinishing process, the case and the parts of the instrument are stripped of the original finish, then repaired and sanded as necessary to prepare the surface for new finish. Finish application involves many steps, including: staining, then sealing the stain for wood finishes, filling the wood grain, sealing in the filler for clear finish or applying surface primer for ebony finishes, then applying multiple coats of ebony or clear lacquer, and sanding between coats. After the final coats have been applied, the finish must cure for a minimum of 20 days before the rub out process begins. This process involves careful block sanding of the surface with fine sand paper for evenness, hand polishing with #0000 steel wool, and using polishing compounds to achieve the desired luster.
The soundboard is the heart of the piano; superb tone quality, rich and resonant sound is the fruit of a high-quality, perfectly constructed board. Quarter-sawn, fine-grained solid spruce is used to replace soundboards with cracks and no crown. All new soundboards and ribs are crowned. Each board is dried to insure a minimum moisture content of 5-6%. A specialty at West End Piano Restoration, the art of soundboard construction and installation has been studied and perfected in our shop.
As a critical part in determining the longevity of the piano, the pinblock must be strong enough to tolerate 20 tons of string pressure and to hold the pins tightly. Highest quality multi-laminate maple or beech is used to replace worn and cracked pinblocks.
The bridges of the piano are not only a medium to transfer string energy to the soundboard, they also keep the strings stable. To handle the pressure of the strings, the bridges must be made of the hardest possible wood. Bridges are recapped with rock maple wood, cut from high quality straight grain planks. They are hand chiseled for a precise determination point for string positioning.
The strings are attached to the cast-iron frame. Therefore the frame must withstand approximately 20 tons of string tension. Great care in handling and storing the frame is maintained until it is reinstalled into the piano casing just prior to stringing. The frame is carefully sanded, undercoated, rebronzed and hand lettered. The agraffes are removed, cleaned and carefully inspected for defects and damage before installing. Defective agraffes are replaced.
The final phase of the inside piano rebuilding process is the stringing of the piano. The finest German Roslau steel strings are used. The bass strings are duplicated to the accurate specifications required by each instrument.
The total amount of piano action restoration is dependent upon the amount of use or misuse the piano has had. Felts hardened with age and pressure, or worn and moth eaten must be replaced to insure a quiet and smooth playing action. Only the finest quality felts are used. Action replacement parts by Renner are chosen for their high quality, exactness and longevity. Key and key frame replacement, should that be needed will be from the manufacturer best suited to fit the need.
Key work and leveling is the foundation of a solid and lasting action regulation. The keysticks and frame are thoroughly cleaned and repaired. Felt bushings and frame rail felts are replaced to insure precise and quiet key movement. Often the key stick needs repair. This involves a re-wooding process that returns widened key spacing to the correct original specifications. Widened key spacing is caused by improper top replacement and wood shrinkage. Key top replacement choices include fine grade acrylics, legal ivory, pre-historic mammoth tusk ivory and bone. Sharps of original solid ebony are reshaped and sealed. Replacements choices are solid ebony, rosewood/ebony and plastic resin.
By properly adjusting all the moving parts, the piano regulation process will give the piano responsiveness to the touch, even and precise control. Great care is given to be sure that all specifications are fulfilled. This process is often repeated up to three times.
The quality of hammer is critical for bringing out the instrument's most beautiful tone. Only the highest quality available hammers with long-grain wool fibers are used. My suppliers are from the US and Germany. Hammers made by Renner are often our first choice.
After installation and action regulation, a meticulous voicing of the hammers is completed. This process, involving softening and/or hardening of the hammers, brings out the full tonal beauty and resonance of the instrument.
One can be assured that I will take great pride in your piano restoration work, and that the proper repairs are completely and carefully made. Upon completion each piano is assembled and inspected to insure that all aspects of the piano restoration are perfect.
Piano's, is my business! With over 30 years of experience, I have sold new and used piano's but have always focused on servicing, tuning, rebuilding and restoring pianos. I specialize in piano's manufactured in the "Golden Era" of the 1920's - 1940's and especially the Steinway and Mason & Hamlin piano's. With my technical expertise and my love of pianos, I provide the finest piano workmanship available today. I am proud of my work and guarantee warranty on all-defective parts and service. This applies to both piano purchase and piano restoration.
Services I provide:
I received your wonderful message regarding my CD, and I am so glad you are pleased with it. Your praise meant a great deal to me, as I value your
opinion very much. I also wanted you to like it, because you had such a major part in its being completed. Doing a CD of these pieces was something
I had wanted to do for quite some time. They are all favorites of mine, and I had wanted to make a record of them that was as high quality as I was
able to produce on my own. The work you did on my grand piano made this project possible.
After your rebuilding of my Steinway, it was returned to a like-new condition, inside and out. Rapid runs come out so clearly; the dynamic
range is enormous, from the very softest to concert hall loudness; and the subtlety of tone colors, which is a very important element to
me, is all I could hope for. Your earnest effort to satisfy my personal requirements was also important to me.
I so appreciate the high level of your craftsmanship, and the integrity you displayed in every aspect of your work with me, and I thank
you so much for the part you played in this project. You deserve to have as much work as you can manage, and I will happily give the highest recommendation
for you whenever I can.
Gratefully, Linda Walker
Thank you so much for sending the ivory which fits perfectly. How did you find such a beautiful one? I was beginning to despair about replacing it. I will certainly let you know about any work on the pianos.
Ever, Benson
Thank you for thinking of us when you had finished the Steinway. It is a beautiful addition to our home. Looking forward to seeing you in May.
Fondly, Michelle
You did an awesome job! It was a pleasure learning from you. It is such a pity that craftsmen such as you are an "Endangered Species!".
Many Thanks & Best Wishes, Bob Wilson
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you again for the work you did on my piano. It continues to give me joy.
I have recommended you as a tuner to several people, and one student, who is moving to West Virginia, wants her piano worked on. I highly recommended she leave the piano with you when she moves, and get it moved later when you're done.
I hope things are going well for you, Linda
I wanted to write and thank you for restoring my piano to its loveliness! You did such a beautiful job bringing it back to its potential. The case is incredible and I cannot imagine the hours you put into the restoration. Thank you so much!
Fondly, Wendy
We are enjoying our beautiful piano immensely. I am giving a Christmas recital on it next week. The low bass and igh treble are ringing full and gorgeous. The rosewood & mahogany inlay are a lovely and unique part of the finish.
Thank you so very much for your labor of love on this fine instrument.
God is so good to us!Joyce
You certainly are talented with wood! Thank you for fixing the little "Ding" in my cello. Your piano business continues to be success - Congratulations, I know it's what you've wanted.
Thanks Again! Christina
The piano is beautiful! Thank you for your help and advice. We are using a room humidifier and will also install the Damp Chaser.
Best Wishes, Joy
I just wanted to tell you once more how beautiful my piano looks. It is absolutely perfect! It's hard to believe it is the same piano. I look forward to having it home and getting reacquainted with it.
I can't believe how absolutely new my piano will look & feel! I am so excited, and I thank you for careful, expert job you are doing.
Gratefully, Luida
The moving parts of the piano, from the key sticks and key frame to the hammers. Action parts wear out with use, but generally can be replaced, even in pianos out of production.
Consoles are usually 40" to 43" tall, and generally the choice for home use. Varied cabinet styles and finishes allow the buyer leeway in matching the room decor.
Tuning scheme whereby the octave is divided into 12 equal parts, allowing transposition among keys.
Pianos in which the strings run horizontally. They come in varying sizes from 4' 10" (apartment size) to 9' (Concert Grand size)
A category of inexpensive, petite grand pianos usually less that 4'10" long. These are more to look at than to play. Some have recently been discontinued by domestic manufacturers.
Adjusting the Action to make everything work properly. If it is to continue to play and feel the same way it did when it was new, the pianos Action must be "timed" accurately - and not in just one key but in all eighty-eight. Your piano technician will let you know when this is necessary.
Ability of a piano or keyboard to play successive notes rapidly, without the key actually returning to rest between strokes.
A large wooden diaphragm which is forced to vibrate by the strings, increasing their loudness.
35" TO 40" tall, spinets are the shortest style of piano made today. To achieve the low height, compromises in design are necessary which impair their tone and touch. For these reasons, spinets have mostly fallen out of favor with the public, however they are still being made by a few manufacturers. Spinets feature the "drop action", not a favorite among technicians.
Steinway and Sons of New York and Hamburg, a widely used brand of concert pianos. It has always been considered a premier instrument.
Force required to depress a piano key to the point of let-off, with the damper pedal depressed.
Uprights are 48" to 60" tall, and passed their heyday around 1925. They have always been popular because of their depth and richness of tone. They are still made today, and while somewhat expensive, most are excellent instruments.
A piano in which the strings and soundboard are vertical as opposed to grand pianos where the strings run horizontally.
The delicate art of altering and leveling up tonal response by adjusting the compression of the hammer head felts. This procedure will restore the proper power and quality of the tone to the piano.
Phone: 804-288-8878
If you have a question or comment about your piano or restoration experience, please take the time and fill out the form below. Thank you so much and we appreciate your business and interest.
Sincerely, Alexander Brusilovsky