How to buy a used grand piano or upright piano

I spent two years looking for a used piano. It took me from Boston to Atlanta and every place in between. After much research, I finally purchased one in Philadelphia. Let me share some insights I have gained with you that will apply whether you are looking at an old Kawai upright or a Bosendorfer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Research and knowledge
• The internet
• A trustworthy piano tuner
• A string
• Your eyes
• Your ears
• Your sense of touch

1. Ask yourself first and foremost: Do you want a piece of furniture or do you want a working piano? Next, ask yourself, do you want a good looking piano or a good sounding piano? When you are in the used market, you sometimes have to make a decision between one or the other. A piano that may not look so good may sound wonderful and be in tip top condition on the inside. On the other hand, a piano can be shiny and sparkling on the outside, and sound like a nightmare when one key is pressed.

2. Know your brand Part I. In what country is the piano you are interested in made? Does the country have the same general climate as the place you live? This is important because wood used in piano's can contract and expand due to humidity and temperature change. A Yamaha is a nice piano, but some Yamahas use wood from the Philippines, and are then treated in Japan. If you live in Arizona where it is dry, the piano might sound good for a few years, but then it will start to go as it ages. My piano is a Steinway, and it is "aged" in New York City, 30 miles from where I live.

3. Know your brand Part II. Read up on the internet and research the history of the piano. Go to Google and type in "opinion" and the brand of your piano. The Piano Technician's Guild ( ptg.org ) has certified piano tuners from all over the country, and if there is a complaint or gripe against a type of brand or a model, you will hear it there.

4. Listen: Go and inspect the piano on your own first. You may not even find it suitable for you, at which point, you move on. However, if you think it's a good buy, sit down and play it. Feel the keys, are they even in the amount of pressure it takes to push down the keys? Play an actual song. Now open the lid and play the same song again. It will sound brighter, but do you hear any additional mechanical sounds or clicks? Does the timbre of the notes sound "even?" Clicks could mean that some parts inside are worn. Press the pedals individually or together. Do you hear any suspicious mechanical sounds?

5. Look, Part I: Open up the sound board or lid, and look at the felt on the hammers. Have they been eaten away by moths? Is anything look broken? Are the strings rusted? Do several strings appear brand new? This may point to faulty mechanism that may be snapping the strings. Ask if the owner knows anything about the new string(s)? Houses suffering from termites and carpenter ants may have rotted wood inside the piano. Look for wood dust? Now, with the sound board open, play another song, and use the pedals. It is easier to visually inspect the moving parts AS they are moving. Look at the hammers: Are they all striking the strings the corresponding key is depressed?

6. Look, Part II: Look or ask whether the seller uses dehumidifier rods. These are devices place inside the piano to maintain the humidity of the piano. Humidity is the #1 enemy of a piano, and people go to great measures to keep the humidity of the room the piano is in at a constant level. Ask if they use a humidifier or dehumdifier in the home. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. Some people have a dehumidifier/humidifier attached to their central air system. Ask if they have a moth problem, look for moth balls inside the piano.

7. Investigate: Look around the home if it is a private seller. Is everything neat and orderly? Are there a million framed pictures and flower vases sitting on top of the piano? Many many people purchase a piano as a furniture and not a musical instrument. Nothing wrong with that. But at the same time, when you don't play it, you are less likely to pay to maintain the instrument as it should be. If it is a decorative furniture, you will treat it as a decorative furniture. You are less likely to pay for annual tunings, which help the piano stay in tip top shape.

8. Ask Questions: Find out if the private seller bought it new? What is the history of the piano? Do they play often? Who plays? If the pianist is at hand, ask them to play a song. Don't take their word for it. You are trying to deduce whether they are really pianists, or just furniture owners. Believe me, pianists will pay much more attention to keeping a piano in the best possible condition.

9. Find a trustworthy piano tuner. If you have friends who play, ask them about their tuner. If you go to church, ask the church organist or friends in the congregation who they use. If you live near a local university, call up the music department and ask to speak to the piano tuner. If they don't have a resident tuner, ask who they use. If they have a resident tuner, ask if he or she is willing to inspect the piano (you will be charged for the price of one tuning (around 75-100 or more depending on where you live). If they can't, then ask them to recommend someone. The piano tuner's community is a close knit network. You can also check on ( ptg.org ) to find a tuner near you. If you find someone online or from ptg.org, ask them for references of people they have worked with. Explain that if you decide to purchase the piano, you will be needing their services in the future. This will bring out a very honest assessment of the piano you are asking them to inspect, as no tuner wants to be stuck working on a piano that is a white elephant. Let your potential future piano tuner know that you are don't intend to sink money into a bad piano, that way he or she won't select a piano that needs constant repairs, which will translate to more service calls.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask questions about a used piano if it is at a piano "show" Many of the used pianos are repossessed. Some have even been "reconditioned" or "rebuilt" professionally.
• Once you enlist a tuner or technician to go look at a piano, ask him or her what are the things that need to be worked on.
• Remember that you may feel purchasing a piano with some questionable faults can be corrected later on. But this will add to days and hours waiting and the piano in a state of disrepair.
• There are piano tuners and then there are piano tuners who are also technicians. Technicians will have a better idea of what to look for, where people who are purely piano tuners may have less ability to detect problems.
• Stay away from college or university piano sales. It's a good price, but keep in mind, these are pianos that see more action in one month, than an average home piano will see in several years. A university piano practicing room has students signing up every hour to practice. Every hour, throughout the day, throughout the week, month, year. It is constantly being played (and even abused). Know this before you consider purchasing a piano from a college or university music sale.

[Ladybugblue]

on 6/22/2008 Good Advice!

[Desula]

on 5/25/2008 I will keep this in mind if we ever get a piano.

[AmyJaine]

on 5/17/2008 Interesting.