Helpful tips: What to look for when buying a piano
To buy a piano and decide between a new or used piano, or even a grand piano, can be a real challenge! What to look for? New or used? Here are some helpful tips that will make your shopping process a little easier.
New pianos:
For a new piano you will have to visit a store that sells them. They are not for sale privately. Good: a long warranty plus comprehensive service. (if you purchase from a good dealer) Less good: You may have to spend more money then you planned, a good new piano will set you back $ 7,000 plus. To learn the difference in piano quality, please go to the chapter dealing with this issue.
Used pianos:
Buying a used piano is a totally different scenario. You can go anywhere you want and all adds sound great. Sometimes you can pick them up for free! There are also stores (like ours) that have an extensive selection of used pianos that are reconditioned well and backed by a solid warranty. You can save money if you find a good one. But how do you know it’s a reasonable piano? To learn more about what to look for, please go to the chapter talking about this issue.
When is the piano ready for your home?
When is the phen a new or used piano comes to the dealer, there are several things that need to happen called ‘prepping’. Both new and used piano need to go to the same process of ‘prepping’ however a used piano usually need a lot more work then a new one.
Shopping for a used piano on your own:
1) It is best to start your search for a piano early, as soon as you know you will need to purchase one even if it will not be right away, this way you can start learning about pianos at your own pace and have time to get information about prices. In this way you can take your time and not be rushed into making a quick decision.
2) It is important that you are realistic and come up with a budget that you can afford and stay within that, keeping in mid that it is always better to buy the best piano that you can comfortably afford .It is very important to know which level of quality you are looking at and not just get caught up in a single brand name but more importantly what kind of quality parts were used in that price range.
3) If you see a piano and the price seems to be too good to be true then it usually is, a piano has around 10,000 parts and lots can be wrong without you seeing or hearing it and repairs are very costly!
4) It is always good to consider a well known and established brand name, it usually gives you a better piano and if you ever want to sell it is easier and you will get more money.
5) It is important to know that all piano companies make entry level and midlevel and high end pianos .It is important to know which level of quality you are looking at .
Purchasing a used piano has become very popular as they can be a tremendous value if you buy a good one .A good quality piano can easily last 50 yrs or more and still have a great sound. But when you start looking at used piano you need to be more careful especially if you are buying one privately that has no warranty no tuning and u have to pay too move it yourself. In a case like this it is best to find a piano technician in your area and have them appraise it for you they would be happy to do it usually for a small fee. In a private sale this is VERY IMPORTANT TO DO!! At the Pianohouse when we sell our pre enjoyed pianos that have been tuned and regulated before they are put in our showroom they also will include a 10 yr warranty a matching bench and free local delivery and a tuning after it is delivered. This gives a customer peace of mind and lets them enjoy the piano as soon as they have it in there home.
Important questions to ask when you looking for a used piano:
1) When was the piano's last tuning?
A piano should be tuned once a year regardless if its been played or not this is one of the most neglected things we have found when we look to buy used pianos and can have a huge effect on the pianos tuning stability and the future performance of and tone and the enjoyment you will get from piano .It is no fun to play a piano that is out of tune no matter what price u paid for it. If the answer is more than 5 yrs that the piano has not been tuned you MUST get a piano technician to go look at this piano before you think of spending any money on this .Have them check the pins to see if it has ability to hold the tension of a properly tuned piano. And that it will maintain its pitch and tuning. At the Pianohouse we check all our pianos for tuning stability before we put them in the showroom.
2) What is the history of the piano?
How many owners did this piano have .It is very important to know how it has been used .Was it just used in a home by a beginner? Was it in a music school? Is it used or is it very used? Like buying a used car it can be a great value but it is nice to know if it was just used to go to the store and back or was it part of a taxi fleet.
3) Should I buy a new or used piano?
This is a question only you can answer after you have educated yourself regarding pianos. In general you will find that you can buy a new entry level piano at about the same price you can buy a professional high quality upright used piano and even though the used piano is older it will still retain its great tone because of its superior construction. Sometimes you can save as much as 50% buying a used piano compared if u were to buy a similar model brand new. When you buy a new piano you should get a manufactures warranty usually around ten years you should also get a free delivery and set up (if you live locally to where you are buying from) and you will get a free tuning after delivery and a matching bench for the piano. Upright pianos come in many heights anywhere from 42 inches tall right up to over 52 inches tall. In general the taller the piano is the more volume it will have because of the longer strings and larger soundboard. The tone of the piano i.e. if it sounds bright or soft, comes from the quality of construction and the parts used in a individual piano and it is best to look around to see what your options are and the different price ranges offered.
4) What’s included in the price when I purchase a piano?
When you buy a piano there is price to consider but also the overall cost to you. A piano that is new or used needs to be tuned after being moved also the cost of moving should be considered as well as if there is any kind of warranty on the piano parts and labour and you should get a matching bench if possible. When you purchase a piano from Pianohouse Burlington we include local delivery, a free tuning, a matching bench and a warranty on parts and labour.
At Pianohouse Burlington we are happy to answer any questions regarding any piano regardless of when you plan on buying one. We believe an educated consumer is a good potential customer when you are ready to make the purchase.
At the Pianohouse we have a large variety of prices in both new and used pianos an we are always happy to explain the differences in the prices and the quality in the construction we have pianos that would fit anyone’s budget.
Also remember that all piano companies make entry level, midlevel and high end pianos. It is important to know which level of quality you are looking at and not just get caught up in a single brand name but more importantly what kind of quality parts were used in that price range.
Important components of a piano
- TUNING PINS/PIN BLOCK
- STRINGS
- BRIDGES
- SOUNDBOARD
- PEDALS
- ACTION
As mentioned before a piano has over 10,000 parts that work together to make a piano sound and feel to its maximum potential, in this section we will break them down to there major components.
1) Tuning pins and pinblock
Playing a piano and learning to play a piano is lots fun. When a piano is in tune it always sounds good. This is especially important with beginners because playing a beautiful sounding piano is a rewarding experience. This experience motivates them to practice more. With this in mind the tuning stability of a piano is very important that a piano gets tuned and stays in tune. The tuning pins and the and pinblock are at the heart of this capability .The tuning pins go into a hard piece of a laminated wood which should be made from hard rock maple it is the preferred choice for pinblock construction. The tuning pins enter the pinblock where a good pinblock will be able hold a minimum of 100lbs of pressure. This will ensure the strings will be held at a good tension and hold pitch. A qualified technician can check it with a special tool.
2) Strings
The quality of strings and their condition are another very important factor when looking for a piano. Pianos have both bass and treble strings. The bass strings have a copper winding around them and the treble strings are made of steel. The condition of the strings can be visualy inspected to see if there is any rust or corrosion.
3) Bridges
The bridges can be found near the bottom of the piano attached to the soundboard. This is where the sound and vibrations of the strings are passed on to the soundboard which is the amplifier of the piano. If this part of the piano is not working efficiently it will dramatically effect the sound and tone of the piano. There are two bridges; a bass bridge and a treble bridge. The bass bridge passes the sound of the bass strings to the soundboard and the treble bridge passes the sound from the treble strings. It is important that both bridges be solidly glued to the soundboard, have no cracks and the strings are attached properly.
4) Soundboard
The soundboard is basically the amplifier of the piano. You will find it at the back of the piano. Some entry level and mid-level piano use laminated spruce which is not very good. A good soundboard is made of spruce. Sound travels 10 times faster with the grain of the wood so the straighter and tighter the grain better it is. In a used piano you should also check to see if there are any cracks or major separations on the soundboard as these will also affect the sound.
5) Pedals
Pianos will have either 2 or 3 pedals. The most commonly used pedal is called the damper or sustain pedal. It is the pedal on the right hand side. When this pedal is used it allows the piano strings resonate after the key is released. The pedal to the far left is usually the bass sustain pedal. When this pedal is used it will soften the piano sound by moving the hammers closer to the strings. The pedal in the middle is, in most cases, a study pedal which lets you play the piano at a very low volume. Be sure that the pedals don’t make excessive noise when the are used.
6) The Action
The action of a piano is everything that happens in the piano from pressing the key to the hammer hitting the string. This is the most expensive and sensitive part of the piano. The action is what gives the piano its feel and the ability to have good or bad control of the dynamics and speed of playing the keys. If you are looking at a used piano, you should check to see that the hammers are aligned properly and if the felts on the hammers appear in good condition.
General
If any of the aforementioned components need to be replaced you should consider getting an estimate before purchasing the piano. For example the cost of refinishing the outside of a piano can cost as much as $3,000 dollars. The cost of replacing such simple things as pins can easily run $1,200 dollars or more. The best advise we can give you it always consult a qualified piano technician in case of doubt. Technicians will charge you for their services however it is money well spent.