In the market for a piano? Why not consider buying a used piano? With so many on the market, it may be your best investment. 

Yet if you decide that a used piano is the way to go, consider who you will buy from and the quality you’ll receive. 

Buying used is now widely accepted throughout many industries. Find it on eBay. Or scroll through Craigslist. You’ll be surprised at the “deals” you can find. 

But what works for a desk or a chair might work differently for a piano. Here’s why. 

Maintenance and care

Have you ever purchased a used car that looked beautiful outside, yet driving it only a few miles alerted you to extensive problems? If you’ve ever driven a lemon, you know how much money you put into your investment. 

Pianos are similar by nature. While you can look at the outside of the piano and see its beauty, it won’t alert you to potential problems lurking inside. Pianos are made from organic materials. That means it matters how they were cared for, and how they were stored. 

Temperature and relative humidity matter for a piano. If it sat in a cold basement or garage for years, where it often came close to freezing, it can warp and damage the wood. Too much moisture could cause rust and corrosion of the piano strings. And sunlight streaming across the wood can dry it out, crack it, and impact the sound. 

Extensive damage

That “free” piano might not be “free” for very long. Extensive damage, even if it isn’t visible when you first look at it, can wind up causing your thousands of dollars. 

Imagine a glass of water tipping underneath the lid. The water drips and streams across thousands of parts. Over time, it dries out wood, jams pins, and causes problems with the strings. 

Or what happens if someone drops the piano while moving it? They might have moved it from one room to the next, with every intention of getting rid of it – that’s why they put it on Craigslist. But moving a piano is expensive, so they asked a friend. And it bump-bump-bumped as they drug it down the stairs. You can’t see the damage, but it’s just starting to appear. 

How a dealer can help

Dealers sell used pianos too. Their goal is to get their clients into the very best piano to suit their needs. And sometimes, that means used. 

A reputable dealer takes care of every used piano that comes through their door. They fully inspect it to ensure every piece is in good working order.

And that means you’ll have peace of mind when you bring it home, knowing it’s a high quality instrument that will give you years of pleasure. 

When you’re in the market for buying a used piano, places like Craigslist can be appealing. With a quick search, you can bring up several pianos in your area. Who can ignore the low, low prices? And who can ignore catch-lines like: You haul it, it’s yours for free!

That can save you a lot of money when you’re first starting out with your new hobby. Why not take what you can find on Craigslist? What would make a piano dealer better?

#1 You’ll avoid a broken-down piano

If you’re an experienced piano player, you may recognize a faulty piano through pictures, the words the private party uses, or even from a first glance when you walk into the room. 

If you’re new to playing the piano, you don’t have that skillset yet. A piano may look good on the outside, but it could be a lemon in the ways it plays. 

When you buy a used piano from a dealer, their reputation is on the line. They thoroughly inspect all used pianos, make the necessary repairs, and sell it to you with confidence knowing you’ll be able to play it for a long time. 

#2 You’ll learn by comparing

A piano is a big-ticket item. It’s not something you’ll be replacing soon. As you make your final selection, it’s important to ensure you have a piano that sounds good to your ear. 

Buying through Craigslist means you have one opportunity to buy – take it or leave it. When you visit a dealer, they can show you multiple pianos at your price point. You can sit down and play them, hear them, and feel which one is right for you. 

#3 You’ll get a warranty

Private sellers have one goal in mind: to sell the piano. While you might be able to bring a technician along to check the piano over, you’ll be limited to making your decision in a short timeframe. 

When you trust a dealer who is a part of the community, you’ll have their reputation behind them. Their goal is to turn you into a happy customer who will tell others about your experience. They want to make you happy and put warranties behind the action. 

#4 Your piano will be delivered

Buy a piano from a private party and you’ll have to bring a truck with you. Try to move a piano yourself and you’ll discover just how bulky and heavy they are. (And fragile!)

Moving a piano takes a particular skill to ensure it arrives safely without damage. Damage doesn’t always show up on the outside. With over 10,000 pieces, it’s often the intricate details that matter most. With a dealer, they will ensure it arrives safely, and often provide the first tuning to make sure your piano is ready to play from the moment it’s delivered to your home.  

Are you thinking of buying a used piano?

Stop by today. We have an extensive line of high-quality used pianos that will reliably serve you for years to come. Why risk buying a used piano on Craigslist when you’ll receive the best. Compare, and find the right piano for you today. 

What started out as a good deal can suddenly turn into a headache. You wanted a piano for your child to learn to play on, and all you got were problems. 

We hear that story a lot. 

When you start the process of buying a used piano, you might not understand what can be easily fixed, and what is a much larger endeavor. We’re here to help. 

Piano parts that can be easily fixed:

Piano body – dings, scratches, and other blemishes can be filled. You can also paint or stand the piano body with a bit of effort. Keep in mind that body damage is often a signal of neglect, which means further damage might exist on the inside. 

Keys – if chips or other blemishes occur on the ivory or black keys, they can be repaired easily. If a piano is old enough where the keys are still made from ivory, ivory can no longer be used in commercial applications. 

Strings – if a string is broken or missing, it can be replaced. Keep in mind that new strings won’t match the tonal quality of existing strings, meaning you might hear it in the way you play. 

Hammer felt – layers of felt can deteriorate over time. Smoothing out hammer felt can give you more years of playing. 

Soundboard – soundboards are created from several different layers of wood. Over time, these can crack under pressure or from varying temperature variations. A cracked soundboard can also detach from the ribs, which produces a buzzing sound as you play. Depending on the severity of the crack and how many other parts it impacts, it can be replaced easier than other parts within a piano. 

Piano parts more difficult to replace:

Pinblock – the pinblock provides the pins in which the strings are attached. Once this fails, it requires a complete rebuild. 

Hammers – while hammer felts can be replaced without extensive repair, the hammers themselves are a more expensive endeavor. If they are broken or have worn through the wood, it might be a complete restoration. 

Bridges – the strings lay across the bridges and resonate sound through the soundboard. Without these bridges, the piano wouldn’t function. It’s also a difficult repair that requires extensive time and expense to get it right. 

Buying a used piano? Before you take it home, make sure you know its playability. Some things are easy to fix. Some are more difficult, and costly. We can help you find the right used piano that will give you years of playing. How can we help you? 

When parents decide to sign up their child for piano lessons, they are faced with several decisions. The first being based around buying an instrument. 

• Is buying a used piano okay, or do we need to invest in new? 

• Will my child quickly lose interest in playing the piano?

• A piano is a piano. They can start to learn on anything; can’t we just upgrade when they show interest? 

Of course, many parents wind up selecting a piano that doesn’t motivate their child to take action. And their interest in music wanes. 

Why?

If a piano is too old, doesn’t play well, or doesn’t provide the proper resources for a child to learn with, it becomes useless to a child. But a child can’t express this. They don’t understand what’s wrong. They just know their playing isn’t satisfying, they can’t achieve the results their teacher is looking for, 

For these reasons, we recommend learning all you can about a piano before you buy. 

Buying a used piano doesn’t have to be difficult. Your child can do quite well by learning on a used instrument. The key is in what you buy. 

Yes, you can find used instruments on Craigslist. You might even be able to find them for free. 

But if you do a little investigation, their story is often something like this. You call up the owner and they say:

“It was my mother’s. I’ve had it in the basement for a couple of decades. It’s in good condition. Nobody’s played it for years. But the finish still shines.”

The finish isn’t what matters. It’s the internal workings that create a piano worth playing. And if it’s been sitting there that long, untouched, chances are the wood and strings and other components aren’t in their best condition. They’ve slowly degraded over time. 

Without proper tuning, it won’t sound its best. And there’s a chance it can never return to its proper sound. 

Is that what your child will be learning on? 

Buying a used piano doesn’t mean you have to scour online resources to find a good deal. When you buy from independent sellers, you’re always taking a risk. 

• You have nothing to compare it to
  
• They don’t offer any type of guarantees
  
• They won’t tell you the history
  
• Are you really getting a fair price?
  
• Is it something that will give you playability for years to come?
  

Luckily, there are a few unusual things you can look for that will ensure you are purchasing a high quality piano. 

Look for the serial number

You’ve probably grown accustomed to looking for VIN numbers when you buy a used car. You can use it to find out all kinds of information about its history, including if it’s been in a wreck. While pianos aren’t tracked in the same manner as a car, the serial number can tell you its age. If you can’t find it, it’s a good indication someone is trying to hide its history. It may have been a less-than-stellar refurbishing job, or simply a homeowner trying to do the work themselves. 

Ask for tuning records

If an independent owner has had the piano in their home for years, they should be more than willing to share their maintenance schedule with you. How often has the piano been tuned? What work has the piano technician performed over the years? It can also help you continue the schedule, and maybe even point you in the direction of the technician who already understands the nuances of the piano you’re buying. 

Play every note

People naturally gravitate to middle C. They may place their hands on it and run through a scale or two. But what about the other keys? Sit down and run through all of them. Play them all one at a time and listen to the tone they create. Do you hear a clue that it’s in anything but stellar condition? You should also run through all the keys while pressing the right pedal to check the repetition. 

Integrity

Do a thorough walk-thru of the entire piano, inside and out. Look for small cracks in the structure. Look for missing pieces on the inside. Look for varying qualities of artistry, which can tell you it’s been rebuilt by someone who didn’t understand quality. Even if you don’t understand the workings of a piano, you can usually pick out differences in quality. 

Bring a technician with you

Depending on the price tag of your purchase, it might be a good idea to bring a piano technician with you. They may see things you won’t. It also gives them an opportunity to assess how well a piano has been cared for over the years, and what it would take to keep it that way in the future. 

Are you ready to buy a used piano? Do it the right way and you’ll ensure an instrument you’ll love to play for years to come.