Are you planning to buy a used piano? If so, you should first learn about the background of the chosen piano. You can ask the seller for important details such as the brand, year of manufacture, model, and the serial number of the piano.
This information is important to find out the actual value of the piano before you even leave your house. You can buy with confidence using the Surplus database of pianos.
There are many reasons for a person to sell a used piano. But the reason for selling the piano shouldn’t cost you extra money in the long run. You should watch out for some common reasons such as “I could use the money” or “It takes up space.” Such an owner may not have been spending on maintenance. Ask if the seller is planning to purchase a new piano. If so, ask why he or she prefers the new one to the used piano.
A good piano should be tuned at least once in six months’ time. The owner should have had a consistent tuning schedule. If not, you may have to soon pay extra for special tunings. If the unit is out of tune, you need to purchase it at your own risk. You won’t know if the piano is out of tune because of maintenance issues or of the piano is tunable at all.
Was the unit being tuned by an experienced professional or by a friend of the seller? If the unit was tuned by someone who isn’t qualified on the subject, he or she may have made many errors while tuning the piano – which can lead to a host of problems in the long run. Only a registered piano technician should tune and maintain a piano.
If the piano has been kept in a basement or flood-prone area, you should think twice before purchasing such a piano. Pianos shouldn’t be stored in areas that lack climate-control or in extreme temperatures. Temperature fluctuations and humidity will cause many problems for the health of the piano.
If the piano has been moved around a lot, it may have undergone a lot of stress. Dangerous measures may have been taken when moving around the unit. Also, keep an eye on small staircases or tight corners leading to the piano room. It could increase your moving bill when transporting the unit.
Even the same brand, model, and age of two pianos may sound different 20 years from now depending on who had been playing the piano. A serious pianist may pay close attention to the instrument and keep it in top shape while a person uninterested in playing the instrument may have abused the keyboard with a merciless series of glissandos.
Was the piano just kept for ambiance or avidly played? This information will let you know if the piano was tuned and maintained accordingly. A piano that is used once a week or more should be tuned at least 4 times a year. An unused piano can be kept for years in the right climate condition.
Are there any previous owners for this instrument? How did they maintain the unit? This information is important when you are investing in a used piano. Watch out for signs of damage when you are inspecting a used piano.
Hi everyone! Im Monica and I am an avid lover of guitars and everything in-between. My current profession is not really music-related. It is quite discouraging but I just don't want to drop my zeal--especially not to guitars! I created GuitarTrance.Com so that I can keep up with my hobby. Of course, I want to engage with the community as well! Hope we can all get along!