My son loves musical instruments (mostly guitars,) and I am thinking of getting a used piano. How do you find one, how do you know it is a decent piano, what brands are good? Where do you look? I agree...I have a Yamaha...and for the price...they can't be beat. The sound tends to be brighter than that of a Steinway or Bosendorfer but they are very consistent instruments.
If you are looking for a used piano definitely check your local papers, Craigslist, etc... You need to figure out what your price range is first. If it's under $1,000, then you will really need to hunt for any kind of decent instrument....it would almost definitely have to be an upright for that price, but you could get lucky if someone is practically giving away the instrument (for ex if they are moving quickly and need to get rid of it even though it's a decent instrument)
Finding a "good" instrument will of course be combination of the instrument's condition, it's capabilities to fit your needs, and also personal taste in sound/touch.
Here are some basic ideas you can follow...unless you know a piano tuner/technician that willing to work very cheaply to fix a piano...it is in your best interest to purchase something that won't require much work.
When you call to inquire about an instrument here are the things you should ask:
General
1. What model? (Steinway? Yamaha? etc)
2. What type of piano? (upright, spinet, baby grand, grand, etc)
3. What is the serial number (usu. found inside the piano)...not everyone will be able to tell you this, but it can help.
4. How old is the piano? How long have you had it? How did you acquire it?
What condition is it in?
1. Does it have all 88 keys in working order?
2. Do all of the keys depress evenly?
3. Is it in tune? If not, can it maintain it's tune after it has been worked on?
4. How much use has it endured? (if it was just in a house then that's usually fine..but if it was a practice rm piano in a school...it might have taken a beating.)
5. Does it have 3 working foot pedals? (if it does not have 3, this will be a good indication of the piano's overall age...you usually want it to have 3)
Anything else that the person on the phone may add...DO NOT TAKE FOR FACE VALUE. Many times people own pianos and know NOTHING about the instrument...they think that if it makes a sound, then it is in good condition and that playing on it will sound good. This is NOT true. Just because someone says the piano sounds good, does not mean that it really does.
Also...generally you don't want a piano that is too old...any upright that is or was at one time a player piano...is BAD idea. Player pianos were not built to withstand a serious amount of practicing. They generally cannot play as loud and the action of the instrument is not always good.
I usually won't even consider an upright piano that was made before the 1930's - just to be safe.
Hopefully this will give you a start. As long as it can hold a tune...nothing is broken (or it can be fixed easily)...and the action is even (with hopefully a nice rich sound quality?) then you will be good. It is no easy task to find this cheaply...and esp if you want a baby grand or grand it will cost you more...you just have to be willing to ask a lot of questions, try out the instruments b4 you purchase, and really do some hunting. Eventually you may find what you are looking for. You can also ask your local piano tuner/technician for advice in your area...sometimes they will even come with you to assess a piano that you are serious about (but they may not do this for free)...hope this all helps!
BTW...if your price is over $1,000 you will have an easier time and you can also look at piano dealers...the instruments will surely be in better condition (even the used ones). The brands that I like are the following:
Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai, Bosendorfer, Baldwin, Boston (a branch of Steinway), Mason & Hamliin, Kimbal (ok for uprights), Chickering (can be decent for used grands), Petroff (from what I hear, it's decent).
You do need to watch some asian brands - Young Chang is terrible....and there are others that go for really cheap but they are not made of high quality materials. You usually want a piano whose sound board is made of Spruce wood. I've been in music long time its the aggressiveness that sells the sound of a piano.Later on when your a star or close to it ..is when quality counts hope that answers it...Goodluck A lot depends on how much money you have to spend, and the amount of time to invest.
The best place to start - IF you have the time - are, guess what?: the classified ads in the newspapers or music focused publications.
I have played for over 60 years, and my taste my be outdated; up to you to place an assessment on my values.
I favor the German brands: Steinway, Borgendorfer(sp-?) etc.:Baldwin has always been a good reliable one. I don't trust the Japanese products: musical instruments is a field in which they have not excelled in the mimicking of the West, in my opinion: but then, to each his own.
If you can afford it, always try to get a professional opinion, just before you plunk down your money. A cracked sound board is the most numerous way to "be taken". You really have to be careful; and another, is a pianos propensity to be fined tuned. This can be a major headache later on. So it's something to be sure about before a final purchase.
Again, it's aways best to obtain a professionals evaluation, prior to a final decision.
Good luck,
Wotan I believe Japanese companies to make some of the finest musical instruments in the world ; especially for the price.
I would not hesitate to buy a Yamaha piano.
PS. I am Australian not Japanese LOL Yamaha. The studio model is small and has a great sound. |
