Buying A Used Piano
There is some good deals on craigslist but be sure to look it over good before buying. Before you call the piano tuner you should look to see if the piano is clean inside and out. This would be a good sign that it was well taken care of or not. Look to see if the keys are level and that all the notes work without sticking or hanging up. If some notes are out of tune so bad they sound like your playing 2 different notes this could be a concern because an older piano could have loose tuning pin problems. Check the pedals to make sure there working and not making squeaky noises.
While playing the piano listen to it and make sure it doesn’t have any buzzes or rattles because this could be a soundboard problem. You can check the soundboard for cracks by looking at the back of an upright or underneath of a grand.
If you can look inside the piano check to see how worn the hammers are. This could tell you how much the piano was played. While looking inside make sure it hasn’t had mice damage.
Buy a name brand and avoid something you’ve never heard of. Most American and Asian brands are very good and some newer pianos are made in China. Contact a certified piano tuner when buying a used instrument and get his suggestions.
A good book to buy would be The Piano Book by Larry Fine. It has lots of information on pianos that will help you make a good decision. You can also go to www.pianobuyer.com and read the online version of the book. It is written in an easy to understand format.
Try to learn how each type of piano sounds and responds to touch. Try playing loud and soft especially very light playing. The room has a lot to do with the sound and will change from the dealer showroom to your living room. Carpeted floors will sound a lot different that hard wood floors.
Buy the newest piano you can afford and avoid getting one that is too old. You can check the serial number found inside the piano at www.bluebookofpianos.com to find out the age.
Where In The Room Should A Piano Go?
You should have a good place in mind before your piano is delivered to your home. Constant temperature and humidity is important. Keep your piano away from direct sunlight and doors that open and close all the time. Heater and air conditioning vents should be on the other side of the room. Laundry rooms should be far away because they create a large amount of humidity.
The flooring is something to be concerned about. Hard surfaces like wooden floors can cause some pianos to be too loud and bright. I like carpet under a grand because the sound coming off of the soundboard is pointed straight down . Carpet will soften the sound a bit. Vertical pianos need to be no more than 2 or 3 inches from the wall or they can be too loud.
Many of my customers place there picture collection on top of the piano. This could be the cause for a rattle or buzz sound when playing so be careful when doing this. Don’t put your watered plants on top because I’ve seen this ruin a piano. I’ve also cleaned lots of peanut butter and jelly off of the piano keys so keep your food and drinks in the kitchen where they belong.
