Used Piano FAQ

USED PIANO Questions and Answers

Q: I found a piano on the curb. Should I bring it home and try to play it?

A: Most likely, if the piano was worth keeping, the previous owner would not have put it on the curb. Pianos like this usually suffer from incredible mechanical and structural problems, and are best avoided. The same thing can be said for any piano that has spent any time stored in a garage or barn. Humidity, cold, heat, mice, bugs, etc. will ruin a piano quickly.

Q: My child is going to start taking lessons. We want something cheap because we don't know whether she will stick with it. What's the least we can get by with?

A: If your beginning child has to suffer through a mechanically inferior piano that is below pitch, won't hold a tune, and is hard to play, you are doomed to failure from the start. You will be better off to spend $200 on a decent quality portable keyboard to get started. Models change all the time, and they get better for less money. Call and discuss the current crop with us.

Q: I have an antique piano. How much is it worth?

A: Most people are unaware that pianos are not considered antiques until 150 years old. That being said, what most people think of as an antique are the big old upright pianos (sometimes called cabinet grands) from the 1880s through the 1930s. Unless you have a Steinway, Knabe, or Mason and Hamlin from this era, any other brand of this type of piano is worthless. There are so many of them (literally millions of them), and they are almost always in poor mechanical condition due to age and neglect. These are best avoided.

Q: What is the ideal used piano?

A: The ideal acoustic piano would be a Yamaha or Kawai, about 10-15 years old. Good luck finding one! A typical home console piano of that age will run about $2500-3000, and a grand will go for maybe 10% less than a new one. The benefit is that they are well broken in, holding tune well, and any initial mechanical issues should have been rectified by the first owner and the factory warranty.  These are very, very hard to come by used.  However, there are some other brands that are maybe not a household name that are really pretty good, too, and would serve the purposes of a student taking lessons or the casual adult player.  If you have a budget in mind, let me know, and I can give you some pointers.

Q: Are there pianos that I should avoid?

A: Yes, there are great many brands that, if you can avoid them, it will save you dollars and grief. Call me to discuss these. As far as body styles, the old big uprights are normally beaten to death, in very poor condition, and due to age and neglect they are hard to tune and repair. Plus, they are SO massive and heavy. The same goes for spinet pianos (short upright pianos that are normally about waist high).  They were not meant to last but for a few years, in order to get you to trade up to a nicer piano.  Yet, here they are, 70 years later, and many are literally falling apart inside.  Old square grands, while they are beautiful as furniture, are not practical as musical instruments, have prehistoric actions, and are very hard mechanically to tune and repair, if they can be done at all. Also in that same vein, are the old player pianos. Very complicated mechanicals, and no parts available anymore. If they break, you are done. Most piano technicians will not service square grands or players at all.  There are a very few specialists around the country (like, maybe a dozen total) that are knowledgeable about player pianos, and most of them are collectors, not technicians for hire.

Q: My budget is about $500. What can I get for that?

A: There are a lot of worn out spinets, 50-70 years old, in that range. Truthfully, that's not the ideal piano, but sometimes one's budget makes one's decision for them. If that's where your budget is, I would recommend buying an entry-level 88 key digital piano instead.  We can make recommendations for the best value for your money.