BRUNSWICK

Where’s Dooley Wilson when you need him?

Wilson, who portrayed Rick Blaine’s faithful crooner friend Sam in the classic 1942 film “Casablanca,” probably would appreciate the 1917 Steinway Model “M” baby grand piano left behind when the U.S. Navy bolted town.

But he might be the only one.

Sure, it’s a Steinway — the historic benchmark by which all other pianos are measured. But judging by the shape it’s in, according to a local piano expert, this one may as well have been left in a Moroccan desert for almost 100 years.

Jeffrey Jordan is assistant director of Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, the state-established entity in charge of repurposing the former navy base into a planned commercial and industrial park.

He’s also a musician and recognized the piano both for who built it, as well as for what it needs: Jordan politely described it as in “poor to fair” condition.

The piano lives in the former Chapel on Admiral Fitch Avenue at Brunswick Landing, in the morning shadow of the static P-3 Orion display. The clavier was abandoned when the last airworthy P-3 departed Brunswick for Jacksonville, Fla., in 2010.

Dispensing with it now is Jordan’s dilemma. He listed it on the auction website eBay on Nov. 15 with a starting bid of $500.

So far, the bid price has climbed to $3,250.

Phippsburg piano specialist Paul Rice is very familiar with the Navy’s Model M. He’s the guy the sailors called when it needed tuning and other maintenance.

Rice was less kind when asked his opinion of the instrument.

“Its only selling point is the year, because 1917 is the prime vintage of Steinways,” Rice said. “The new ones are (inferior), but Steinway is one of the few brands that is always worth rebuilding.”

It likely would take about $20,000.

“It’s worth putting money into if you’ve got it, because you’ve still got a Steinway. But it easily could cost you $20,000 and maybe more, because it’s really been neglected. It was poorly rebuilt years ago, maybe in the 1960s, but it was done by a complete incompetent. Even a rebuilder is not going to be real excited about the job because it’s in such bad shape to begin with.”

By the way, Rice is not interested in the job.

By way of comparison, an equivalent new Model “M” costs about $55,000.

Steinway and Sons has built pianos by hand in New York City since 1853, when the company was founded by German immigrant Henry Englehard Steinway. Like other iconic brands — original Leo Fender-built guitars; or Norton, Indian or Harley-Davidson motorcycles — Steinways hold their value based on history and reputation as much as on the quality of each individual instrument.

MRRA’s piano “is about as basic a Steinway as there is,” Rice said, “and it needs one of everything.”

“The soundboard is shot, the pin block needs to be replaced, the key action is horrible,” he said. “Its only value is to someone who is willing to put about $20,000 into it, if they find someone who’s willing to do the work, and be able to say they have a vintage Steinway.”

It would make a decent investment for somebody, he said — just not with MRRA’s money.

A metal tag underneath the keyboard carries the U.S. Navy identification stamp of “BLQ-California,” which leads Jordan to theorize the piano began its military hitch in a bachelor officer’s living quarters on the West Coast before — somehow, sometime — making its way to Maine.

To view or bid on the piano, browse www.ebay.com/itm/Steinway-5-foot-Baby- Grand-Piano-used-at-Naval-Air-Station- Brunswick-Maine.

In addition to the baby grand, the Navy also abandoned a 1993 Allen Digital Computer Organ that’s in excellent condition, Jordan said. Used by the Chapel’s music director during services, the organ also has about 20 or 30 computer disks that can be played through the instrument. Each of the 3.5-inch disks has 10-12 hymns stored on it.

The organ also is listed for sale on eBay. No bids have been received, but Jordan said he received an email from a man in Singapore who expressing interest.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com