Restoring older instruments presents many challenges, the greatest of which is to restore the tone.

Phil has developed his own method of re-crowning the soundboard which restores the original tone of the piano.

This was highlighted by Fu Ts’ong when he congratulated Phil on the rebuilding of Alexandra Zoltowska’s Steinway D concert grand.

To produce the tone the action needs to respond to every nuance of touch.

Phil’s action restoration work has gained accolades from Julious Drake, Frank Wibaut, Fu Ts’ong and all who have played the Bosendorfer pianos at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, where he has rebuilt the actions on both pianos.

More on the rebuilding of grand pianos