How to Know if a Grand Piano Is in Good Condition

The keys may be the most visible parts of the piano, but they're far from the most important ones.

Before you buy a used grand piano, it is important to check whether it is in good condition. Although your best option is to hire an experienced piano technician to examine the piano, you can do some of the examination yourself. There's a lot more to the condition of a grand piano than can be heard through simply pressing the keys. You will need to open up the piano and look inside at its various components.

Instructions

1. Check the finish on the outside of the piano. Although you may not think this is important, a badly damaged finish usually implies that the piano was left outside or near a window, which would have harmed the internal mechanisms as well.

2. Smell the piano to make sure that it does not have a musty or mildew-filled smell.

3. Touch each of the keys to see if they play a clear note. A buzzing sound, a sticky feel, or a difficulty in pushing the key are all signs of piano damage.

4. Open up the lid of the grand piano and look at the strings. Check for rust, missing strings or strings that have uneven spacing between them. Make sure the dampers (the pieces of felt on top of the strings) line up perfectly with each of the strings.

5. Check the hammers for deep grooves, and make sure that they hit all of the strings when the key is struck.

6. Remove the bottom board of the piano (usually held in place by two metal clips). Check inside the piano for insects (e.g., termites), animal droppings or piles of dust.

7. Make sure that the back wall (the soundboard) of the piano does not have any deep cracks in it. Light cracks are normal, but deep cracks will ruin the quality of the music.

Tips & Warnings

• Even if the hammer don't seem worn, check to see if they seem to have been reshaped. (Some will be shaped differently than others.) Hammers can usually only be reshaped once in their lifetimes, so hammers that have been damaged badly enough to need reshaping point to a low quality piano.

• If there is any sign of rust or mold, do not buy the piano. Rust and mold cannot be fixed; mechanical parts can.

References

• Blue Book of Pianos: Buying a Used Piano
• Classic Piano: How to Buy a Used Piano
• Concert Pitch Piano Services: Buying a Used Piano