Purchasing a piano is a big investment, and should be treated as such. Knowing what to look for and how to treat your piano after you have purchased it will be important in maximizing the value sound quality of your instrument.
If you are looking to purchase a piano for the first time it may prove to be very beneficial for you to find a registered piano technician in your area. Preferably, the technician you find will be a part of the Piano Technicians Guild.
It may be tempting to look in the want-ads and find the most inexpensive piano there, but be very wary of used pianos that are inexpensive. Often times the piano ends up costing you almost double what you paid for it after paying someone to make it playable.
A piano can have rusty strings or cracked pin blocks, which can be very expensive to fix. If you chose to buy a used piano from a private owner make sure to have a professional look at the piano and evaluate the work that needs to be done.
If you buy a piano without having a professional take a look, it may end up that your piano is not suitable for even a beginner. Do not waste the time and money on a piano that you won't end up being able to use.
If you are unable to find a local professional to help you, find a good consumer's guide. Larry Fine wrote "The Piano Book", and this book is an excellent guide to pianos.
With a consumer's guide you will be able to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of pianos in general. Knowing what to look for in a quality piano will give you the upper hand as you search for the piano that's right for you.
If you are having trouble deciding between the different styles of pianos and you are shopping for a beginner, it is best to find a good upright. A small baby grand, one that is less than 5'7", may have shorter strings and less soundboard area than a good upright.
Once you have decided on a style you must then decide whether you want to buy a new or used piano. Both options can provide you with a long lasting piano that will give you quality sound.
If you have decided on a grand piano that is used try your hardest to find one that was made prior to World War II. It will be well worth the time and effort to have this piano.
Some of the best brand names to look for are Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, Baldwin and Chickering. Finding these pianos may be difficult, but knowing where to look throughout your search will help you avoid a lot of wasted time.
First, call reputable piano dealers in the area and make your desire known. Leave contact information with you dealer in case they come across a piano that fits your wants and needs.
Consistently looking in the paper for these brands and frequenting estate sales are also great ways to find these pianos. When you find your piano, if it has not been rebuilt or reconditioned have a professional do so.
Each piano is equipped with a serial number. Finding the manufacture's name and the serial number of the piano will help you find out the age and value of a used piano.
The serial number and the manufacturer can be tricky to find if the piano is not in excellent shape. Looking for and finding this information will be very beneficial to you and needs to be done.
The first place you should look for the manufacturer's name is on the front of the piano right underneath the keyboard. Usually, the name is extremely visible.
If the manufacturer's name is not there look for it on the soundboard. If this also proves to be unsuccessful you will need to look on the metal plate inside the piano or on the pinblock, at times the manufacturer will have the name decaled there.
Serial numbers are almost always engraved into the part of the plate nearest the keyboard on the pinblock. This may require you to remove the keyslip in order to read the serial number fully.
Many of these older instruments will end up being better instruments than the newer pianos. The value of the older pianos is also increasing constantly, so purchasing one of these pianos is an excellent investment.
Author Resource:
ack R. Landry is a professional pianist who started playing piano at age 5. He has worked in the piano industry since 1999, and currently works in a yamaha piano dealer .
Contact Info:
Jack R. Landry
JackRLandry@gmail.com
http://www.ThePianoGalleryStore.com/yamaha
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