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How do I buy a piano?

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Asked 2013-05-04T02:01:03.0Z by Jefe1,498
  • Early Adopter

I'm hoping to buy a piano for my daughter( I'd love to screw around with it a bit myself) who has been taking lessons for a while on a kind of cheap keyboard. I thought it would be easy to just go out and buy a used piano, but after looking around a bit, and hearing some horror stories from my mother in-law about bad pianos, I think I should know a bit more first. we're looking for an upright probably, but we do have the room for a grand if the price is right. How do I go about buying a piano?

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Date | Votes
Reply — Posted 2013-05-04T02:07:01.0Z
1
Jeff E13,506
  • V.I.P.
  • Teacher

It's been a few years since I read it, I remember but this book was great. Everything you need to know about the instrument itself (not playing it)  most importatnly for you, It covers what to look out for when buying a used piano.

Image

They have it at Amazon:The Piano Book: Buying & Owning a New or Used Piano by Larry Fine and Keith Jarrett (Nov 1, 2000)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+piano+book&sprefix=the+piano+book%2Caps%2C191

Good luck...

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Reply — Posted 2013-05-04T15:43:14.0Z
0
Ghost R1,526
  • V.I.P.


I agree, the book above is a good place to get a feel for the basic factors involved. It might be a good idea to look for a professional piano tuner to help you out.
 

first you can at least check out it's general condition. does it look well cared for, or is it all beat up laminates peeling off sun faded etc. Are the keys all in decent shape?
Play it. are all the notes even? are some louder of softer than others? do they feel the same, or are some heavy or sticky compared to others?

Is it in tune? If not and you are interested, can it be tuned? Some pianos in poor condition are not really tuneable.

Check out the pedals are they creaky and stiff? play a big chord with the sustain pedal down and release it. Do all the notes stop evenly? If some notes still ring that could be a problem.

Look inside. Does the felt on the hammers appear to be in good condition? Are there missing strings? 
 


 

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  • 2013-05-04T02:01:03.0Z
  • 2013-05-04T15:43:14.0Z

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