Tips For Purchasing a New or Used Piano
A piano can provide years of enjoyment and intellectual stimulation for your family. It is a wonderful luxury for private piano students to be able to study and practice on a real piano instead of a keyboard or digital piano. However, buying a piano is a serious investment and should be given much thought. Before purchasing a new or used piano, a bit of preparation is useful so that you spend your money on an instrument that is appropriate for your needs.
Three things to consider right away are pricing, appearance and tone. You will be adapting your home to an instrument which will be elegant, sophisticated and beautiful. It will also be large. Taking the time to find the right match for your home is important. Remember, you will be living with this instrument for years so the piano should properly match your home’s decor.
Your piano should have the right touch and tone for you. Visiting several piano dealers and testing as many pianos as possible is recommended. If you don’t have the technical proficiency to play the pianos yourself, find a salesperson that can play the pianos for you. Listen to as many pianos as you can to start to develop an ear for the touch and tone that appeals most to you. When you have a good idea of which pianos suit your taste and budget, you can decide whether to purchase your piano at a dealer or privately.
The choice to buy either privately or from a retailer provides additional considerations.
When purchasing a piano from a dealer, here are some points to consider:
i. New pianos usually come with complimentary tuning, moving, a manufacturers warranty, and a larger variety of cabinetry and finish choices.
ii. Used pianos bought from dealers also usually come with a dealer warranty, moving, complimentary tuning and are generally reconditioned.
iii. Most dealers have a trade in policy that will give you the original purchase price of your piano when you are ready for a higher quality piano.
When purchasing a piano privately, consider these points:
i. It will require your efforts to locate enough pianos to find your desired instrument. This search requires extra travel to private homes in order to locate a suitable piano. Matching the desired finish and tone can take several trips.
ii. You are at risk regarding your purchase as there is no warranty involved.
iv. Moving costs are generally the responsibility of the buyer.
v. After your new piano is set up in your home, some additional maintenance may be required to bring your instrument up to your desired tone and feel.
vi. Using a Registered Piano Technician, or RPT, will aid in your efforts. An RPT will reduce your risks and their expertise in the field can also give you a sense of security despite the obvious drawbacks and hidden costs of purchasing a used piano privately.
There are a few clues to look for which can help you determine the difference between small and large problems as you search for your new piano. For instance, sticking keys are easily corrected while rattles and buzzes can be more serious issues. These buzzing issues can be a cracked soundboard which are costly to fix. Notes that play very out of tune can be from a bad ‘pinblock’ which can be the end of a piano.
Check the grooves in the hammers, which are caused by the strings. If they are deep enough, removal of a layer of the felt may be necessary. Unfortunately, there are a limited amount of layers of this felt which can’t be replaced. Hammer replacement is then required which can be expensive.
The free or ‘cheap’ pianos can end up being the most expensive if some of these problems aren’t discovered beforehand. Using an RPT can help prevent premature purchases but it is good for you to have some familiarity of these issues as well.
Please feel free to contact B&B Music World for references in the DC area. We are happy to assist you with any questions you may have. And when you are ready for private piano lessons in DC, MD or VA, we have a friendly and reliable teacher roster.
“Because Music Matters”.
