This is a piano Ivors and Pond has suffered the kind of brutal wear and tear that you would expect from a 100-year-old instrument that has been played extensively and doused with various drinks night after night.
The Drinking Piano is a heavy-bottomed monster with a classic beer hall sound that evokes memories of the roaring ’20s and pre-war ’30s.
It has all the brutal wear and tear that you would expect from a hundred-year-old instrument that has not only been played hard, but has been done with everything else…
With a fat, wide and close sound, it places you right on the bench with yellow cracked ivory underneath. with your fingers. It was recorded directly in front of the strings in a small, slightly reflective room, giving it the feel of a dry studio recording with just a hint of a live atmosphere.
Years of alcohol abuse have not been kind to this once majestic instrument. With worn and wobbly key mechanisms, unreliable dampers, loose pedal mechanics, worn hardened felt, accidental hammer movement and decades of dried dust, each key has the character and fragility of a century-old bartender. The strings were too corroded to be tuned without risk of breakage and further internal damage, so the whole thing is just over a semitone.
But beneath the beer stains and cigarette burns lies the solid pedigree of this massive, aging troubadour. This is an original Ivors and Pond model from the early 20th century, made from solid mahogany, with fine hand craftsmanship and details rarely found on modern pianos.