Buying a Piano

Birdy12

Well, DD has proved that piano lessons weren't just a fad and that the keyboard is no longer an adequate alternative :cool: so we're now looking to buy a piano.

We haven't got loads of cash so I'm looking for a reasonably priced one. I'm happy to look on Ebay, amongst other places, but does anyone have any advice on any particularly good makes (or not so good)?

Also, does anyone know how regularly a piano should be tuned?

Cheers, Birdy

butterfriends

try freecycle - lots of people give away pianos on there

lew99

Need to also consider how close a seller is to you for transport costs (and also hassle side of it).

May be a good idea to go and visit a piano shop or two and ask a few questions, get an idea what are the better makes. While there ask if they do trade ins or similar - if they have a customer wanting to upgrade would they be able to flick the cheaper on to you.

Also some of the mothers / parenting type websites have a classifieds board, post a wanted note there. Gumtree could be another website worth browsing through.

Contains_Mild_Peril

Might be worth trying local auctioneers too: the one near me has general sales fortnightly and they get the occasional piano. These can of course be tried out during viewing times: they are often found to be in need in need of tuning and can sell very cheaply. If you're lucky you might even get one that's in tune for less than £50 (or one that's not for about £10).

nicksh

If you've already got a computer, you can get a full-size midi 'slave' piano keyboard for about £30 from ebay (or wherever) & play realistic piano plus other keyboard sounds.

BritRael

Google 'buying a piano'.

There and some very good sites (like this one: http://www.pianoworld.com/buypiano.htm) that detail what to look for when looking for a piano.
Good luck.

QQuaver

Yamahas are good;)

Sooler

A keyboard is not a piano, keyboards have 61 keys, piano 88 or 76 on electric portable piano. Keyboards have light weight keys, pianos have weighted keys.

Ask the piano teacher for advice, do you need an acoustic piano or will electric be OK and how many keys (octaves).

BritRael

Sooler wrote: »

...Keyboards have light weight keys, pianos have weighted keys.....

No.

'Cheap' keyboards have light keys. Many quality models have weighted keys which are adjustable. :cool:
I'm sure a professional concert pianist would feel the difference, but to the majority of amateur players the difference would be negligible.

Broadwood

Hi Birdy.

Draw up a shortlist of your requirements and then only look at pianos that meet your needs. There are plenty of pianos for sale and prices are much lower in real terms than they were 10 years ago because people generally have less space in modern houses and electronic keyboards are now so much better sounding than previously and far cheaper to buy (new) and don't need regular tuning or maintenance.

My own piano (John Broadwood baby-grand) was made in about 1934 and would have sold for over £1k in 1991 when I inherited it from my grandfather, but now I would be hard pushed to get £500 at auction on Ebay because few people want them now, and it is in better than average condition and fully tuned and maintained.

Pianos need regular care and attention, with the associated costs involved, they also don't mix too well with extremes of hot and cold, nor do they thrive in dry air as this can crack soundboards and affect the general tone etc. As a rule, older pianos cost more to keep tuned and maintained than newer ones, but this can depend on the original quality of the components when new, and whether they have led a hard or sheltered life, similar to cars in some ways.

Basically you need a piano that you can live with size-wise and looks-wise. They need to fit in with the room and other furniture. Many old ones tend to look rather ugly and out of place with modern furniture. Big grand pianos make far more noise than a small upright, so the sound has to match the size of the room too.

To get most out of playing it, a piano needs to have a pleasing sound and needs to match the strength of the player's fingers hands and arms. So a youngster needs an instrument with a lighter touch than a big strong adult would be comfortable with, and would soon get physically tired if the touch was too heavy. Choosing the right piano is no easier than choosing the right car for your budget and needs.

Having had 45+ years of playing countless pianos and church organs since the age of 8, many of which were inappropriate for my size and age, the right instrument definitely does make a vast difference to one's enjoyment and progress, but I only ever played for fun (apart from a few funerals in school holidays), being lazy when it comes to practise.

Hope this at least gives you a few things to think about before you rush off and buy the first one you are offered cheaply.

inkie

I had an upright, but last year replaced mine for a digital piano - doen't need tuning, I can record to listen for my mistakes(!), much more moveable, plus I can practice with the headphones on, which you can't on a trad piano. Much more versatile - oh and weighted keys!