Free Used Piano Guide

First 4 Indicators of a good piano

2012-01-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

You can get a great idea of a piano in about 2 minutes by just sitting down and playing it.

Look at these 4 things to get your first impression: Case, Keys, Tone and Feel

How to open the upright piano

2012-01-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

I show you how to open up the piano to look inside.

Inspect the bridges and soundboard underneath

2012-01-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

You must take a close look at the bridges on the piano. On the upright, they are located under the keys, so you must remove the bottom panel. It is very easy! If you look close and see any cracks in the bridges, be very careful. I see this all the time! It affects the tuning stability and the tone!

Inspect the soundboard from the rear

2012-01-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

Take a look at the structure of the piano from the back. Make sure there are no large cracks in the soundboard or the piano struts. Look for separation of wood or anything unusual.

Inspect the hammers and tuning pins on the piano

2012-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Take a close look at the hammers and make sure they are all straight and not badly worn. Small indents in the felt are ok, but deep groves will affect the tone. Check for rust on the strings and tuning pins. Rust can cause strings to break and it means the piano has been in humidity!

Difference betwen uprights and spinet pianos

2012-01-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

Spinets are no longer manufactured! The action in a spinet is not as nice and requires more work. A spinet piano was popular in the 60′s and are small and fit well in your house! It is easy to find one for very inexpensive. They are ok for beginners but because they are smaller, they have poor bass tone and the tone and tuning is not as nice. Here is how you can tell in 1 minute if the piano you are looking at is a spinet!

How to inspect the grand piano

2012-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

Inspecting the entire grand piano from the bench is easy to do. Just remove the music stand and open the lid. Watch this video to see exactly what to look for. (Don’t forget to crawl underneath to inspect the whole soundboard!)

Stay away from old antique pianos

2012-01-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Be aware! Many people will “give” you an old piano and then you will have a big heavy piece of junk! These older pianos have many problems, cost a lot to move, cost even more to tune and repair. Then, you are left with a piano that will never again be a fine instrument without 3-5,000 worth or restoration. Watch this!