I have an 1899 Mason & Hamlin reed organ that has been in my family for generations. It was in…read morepretty dire condition, poorly stored, and unlikely to survive beyond me. I found Ragtime Southwest after I moved to Texas, and wanted to have the organ restored so I could surprise my dad when he came to visit.
John Talbot picked up the organ and promised to make it beautiful and playable once again. He even remarked about it having nearly all of its parts, including a slat of matching wood used to hold down the music. He said most don't even have the music stand, much less that.
Shortly after he picked up the organ, I located a Mason & Hamlin bench on eBay, and he came to pick it up to match it to the organ. What a lovely gesture. Right?
Nearly a YEAR went by with my periodically asking about my organ and getting all manner of excuses as to why it wasn't done yet--it needed a lot of work, the materials were rare, the restorer was old and frail, and so on. When I finally got him to deliver it, it was late at night when I couldn't easily inspect it.
When morning came, and and the room filled with sunlight, the finish on it was TERRIBLE! It was milky and puddled in all of the corners and crevices. The lid didn't line up with the locking mechanism, the one knee swell lock I had (I never had the other) was now missing. Several keys didn't work in certain voices, and that remarkably saved slat of wood hadn't come back with it.
John Talbot apologized and said it was the work of an apprentice to his expert, while before he told me it hadn't been worked on because his expert couldn't. What he failed to consider in this grand lie was that it might have worked regarding the function of the organ, but the remedial nature of simple wood finishing. No. That's obvious. That's for idiots. He said he would come get it, they could fix it all, and it would be perfect.
Another entire YEAR went by with constant inquiry, causing me endless concern that I would never see this sentimentally priceless organ again. Then, my father passed away unexpectedly--the reason I was doing this in the first place--so I called John and told him to just bring it back. Bring the damned thing back, everything was now pointless due to his relentlessly poor performance. Reassemble it regardless of its condition and me having prepaid TWO YEARS AGO and bring it back. He said he was sorry, they had JUST finished it, and he and was going to call me. Yeah, sure, a lot of comfort that is.
When I got it back, the finish was much improved, and they even found the slat. But several keys still don't play, the swell lock is still missing, and the lid still doesn't line up so I can lock it. It was sloppy work from start to finish, with empty promises, and I wish I had never entrusted it to them. Definitely NOT worth the price I paid monetarily. The price for not being able to show my father after they had it for over TWO freakin' years is a price that cannot even be described.
And yet, this man actually kept emailing me to provide reviews on various sites! Seriously? I have resisted until now, opting to follow the wisdom of "if you don't have anything nice to say..."
As I moved back near my dad's hometown, and the origin of the organ, the memories surface again. If your player piano or organ means ANYTHING more to you than its basic appearance, find someone else to work on it. Do NOT let this man or his company touch it. EVER. Not for any reason.