A Guide To Buying A Piano; Part 1

A Guide To Buying A Piano; Part 1 by Allegro Piano

I have been passionate about pianos for as long as I can remember. Over the years of working on pianos (I've been a registered piano technician and a performing pianist for over 25 years) and in talking with my customers I've seen over and over again that buying a quality piano can be a challenging and daunting task. So I've finally decided to put together this Piano Buying Guide - to share with you the essential keys I've learned over the years to make sure you buy a quality instrument that will bring you pleasure for a lifetime.

An Introduction to Buying a Piano - You Get What You Pay For

Never get a piano simply because it is cheap or free. In the absence of an accurate appraisal, you may succeed at first with an inexpensive front end acquisition that soon after turns into a rear end headache. I have seen too many people under such circumstances giving up on their excitement and enthusiasm towards playing the piano simply because they made a poor buying choice. You should consider the purchase of your next piano to be a major acquisition that requires careful consideration. As with most major purchases, you do get what you pay for. If you want to buy a piano that will work well and last for many years, you should to expect to pay at minimum
$3,500 to 5000 for an entry level console/studio piano and $10,000 to 12,000 or so if you are looking for an entry level grand piano. Of course you can expect to pay a lot more if you are looking to get a more precious brand like Steinway, Bosendorfer or Sauter but this gives you a basic range to start with. If you see a new piano for less than this, chances are that it just won't measure up to your needs over time.

A Piano's Design Is the Blueprint for What a Piano Will Be

Pianos are still essentially an old world technology. Bottom line - the sound quality, playability and durability of a piano begins with the following three factors. Its design, materials and the craftsmanship in assembling it. On the outside pianos can look to be very similar. But there are many intricacies that go into constructing a piano that affects how it plays and sounds. Some of these include scaling, action design, and the tension resonant structure (the soundboard, the pin block, plate, and rim or back of the piano). I know that this area can get kind of technical, so I want to give you some easy guidelines on picking the right design for the kind of use you intend for your piano. Generally speaking, it is always optimal, if you have the resources, to go for a grand piano. Grand pianos just have a superior design over an upright and the action and sound is just better. But if you don't have the space or don't want to spend the money for a grand piano, then you should look for a larger upright (a studio to a full size upright). Consoles can be ok if you are a beginner or beginning intermediate player. But if you want an instrument with more sound and resonance a full or studio upright is something you should consider. I would generally recommend staying away from spinet style uprights - they just don't have the action or sound that will measure up to any type of players' needs.

The Quality of The Materials Make the Piano

After the design, the next key component of a piano is the quality of the materials. What are the materials used in a piano? Pianos are 80% wood, and the rest is made up of felts and metals (cast and iron frames). What type and quality of wood is used in the different parts of the piano, whether the wood was kiln dried, etc, all make can make a difference in the way the piano plays and sounds. How can you judge the quality of the materials used in a piano. Actually, this is very tricky because you can't really judge the quality of the materials from the look of the piano. All pianos look pretty good new, and even if there were flaws you might have a hard time noticing them.
Since the quality of the materials used in a piano can be so hard to gauge, here's what I generally recommend: your safe if you go with Mason & Hamlin, Steinway, Yamaha, Bluthner, Seiler, Petrof, August Forster. I'm comfortable with these manufacturers, and you can't generally go wrong buying one of these pianos.

Piano CO

Piano Prices, Dealers, Tuners, Restoration, Movers, Teachers, Lessons, Schools in Denver and Boulder