As introduction, I am a physician and a professor of English at Berklee.  I have known Gary Don Brownfield for over 25 years.  He rebuilt my Steinway upright which is still a wonderful piano.  Since then, remanufactured a gorgeous Louis XV Steinway model B grand that including handmade new soundboard and ivory keys in the mid-80 ' s.  Everyone who plays it falls in love with the instrument, which Gary maintains.  My son, a Julliard graduate, says it is still the best piano he knows.  

   I am always satisfied with Gary' s tuning and repair work.  He is extremely exacting and expects his clients to care for their instruments. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions (617-489-7377) or e-mail with more specific inquiries.  

Sincerely,  

Dr. Wayne Wild

Belmont , MA

 swiftpope@aol.com

Dear Gary,
 
It is said that the best way to a man ' s heart is through his stomach.  I have to say that the best way to my heart is through my pianos and I feel good about the remanufacture of the Mason and all the fine work you completed on my Steinway.

I love watching you work.  You are truly a master craftsman and I can appreciate that even though the tasks you perform may be more-or-less ' expected ' or routine in nature, there are constant, intelligent decisions to be made which can only be supported by the expertise gained from years of experience.  Combine that with a considerable amount of native talent and instinct for the subject and you have a powerful command of your craft worthy of the greatest admiration.

Thank you for coming today, Gary , for the work done and for your thoughtfulness . . .

Jocelyn

Mason A, 5'8", new board, block, bridges, action, ivory complete.

Gary,  

You are to be congratulated on the cover letter and appraisal you did for us. It is comprehensive, thoroughly professional in its tone, and most respectful of the instrument itself. All of your recommendations read as absolutely fair, and are persuasive.  We could not ask for more, and very much appreciate your time and effort. We shall submit all this to the insurance company this week, and let you know the results.  

Hi, Gary!  

Well, you were right all the way-- we LOVE our newly completed  piano. I think the sound is magnificent, the most powerful and most balanced sound I have ever heard from a piano this size!  Nikki and I have both been playing it, and we have quite different touches and expectations, I think, but this instrument will do whatever the player is asking of it, whoever they are.  

We have always loved the Steinway treble sound, but now with these new bass strings, the piano has come into balance between the high and low end. Goodness, I hope the effect lasts a long time!  

Also, the new  ivory keys are absolutely worth the money, both in beauty and in feel. Since a piano is something you have to constantly touch in order to play, we have always known we would prefer ivory to the plastic that was on there, and this ivory is truly elegant stuff.  

So, we congratulate you on a beautiful and totally professional restoration. If you ever need our testimonial towards any other customer, you will get one that sounds exactly like what I have just written. Nikki and I thank you. 

Guy

Steinway M completed 9/05

Steinway B completed 4/2004 with new board, bridges, action and ivory keys.  The lid stick is custom made for this piano. 

The following picture is of a Steinway B, 1918 board constructed 1/2007.  Letter of appreciation by a pianist follows these pictures.   

Just a note to say how much I enjoyed the opportunity to play the Steinway B you rebuilt. The new soundboard had fine tone throughout - the bass had resonating depth even at p and the treble had clarity AND lyric, singing tone. I appreciated how fully developed and rich the sound was, how well the voicing brought out the capabilities of the new soundboard. This was a delightful contrast to the muffled, inarticulate sounds I've found in new Steinway Bs. The soundboard installation showed the care you took to assure such resonance, with equal attention for durability and longevity. The pedals were precise, soundless, and well-anchored and the ivory keys gave the right feel (not too slippery, not too sticky). The action, too, was soundless. No clicking. And no key gaps to catch a finger nail in need of a file touch-up! I enjoyed the geometric balance of the beautifully restored keys/action. As you know, my hands are sensitive to friction, heaviness, sluggishness in actions because of injury and I found your action responsive and a quick pleasure to internalize. The technical elements finely supported the musicality of the instrument - no guessing about what the instrument MIGHT be (which is all too often the case) because you gave the instrument the attention to detail that brought it to a truly-realized musical level. I would have enjoyed playing it for much longer - the taste of the range and responsiveness of the piano made me want to explore, investigate, experiment - and experience its musical personality more fully. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to appreciate your craftsmanship and to enjoy how well you realized the potential of the instrument! When I searched for a piano a few years ago, I was hoping to find a B like yours...but nothing was even close.  J. B. Forbes