I have worked hard to develop skill at repairing both Polyester Lacquer (referred to as Polyester) and Traditional Nitrocellulose Lacquer (referred to as Lacquer) Piano Finishes. Polyester finishes are most often seen on pianos imported from Asia, such as Yamaha, Kawai, Boston, Essex, Young-Chang, Pearl River, etc. “Lacquer” finishes are most common on domestic pianos, most notably, Steinway & Sons, Charles Walter, and an innumerable number of American makers that are no longer in existence.
The Caveat: I always admonish clients who have a piano with finish damage to understand that a repair is ALWAYS just that – a repair. It is unlikely that a repair will ever be completely invisible to anyone who knew the damage existed. Sometimes everything works perfectly and even I can’t see the damage site, but there is no guarantee. The goal of a good finish repair is to make the repair invisible to someone who was unaware of the damage.
