Used Pianos

Buying a Used Piano

As a tuner, I see pianos as more than just instruments, they're investments. Each time a piano is tuned or repaired, it's another $150+ investment.

And unlike most musical instruments, pianos cost hundreds to move, so I recommend that people be patient and extremely picky before buying a used piano. Pianos have thousands of moving parts and require meticulous engineering and quality control in order to be buy-it-for-life worthy.

Consider three things:

1)  Size Matters

With pianos, the bigger the better, especially in the bass. The bigger the piano, the longer the strings, the better the tone, and *usually* the higher the quality. In vertical pianos, the touch--or ability to control the loudness or softness of the piano--is much better in bigger pianos versus spinets. 

Vertical pianos come in four sizes, and grands come in five sizes:

2)  Brand Matters

Truth is, most of the free pianos on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are not worth investing into. Either they are too old and worn out, or they are just poor quality. Of course this is just my opinion, but when you're exposed to literally hundreds of different brands of pianos, only a few stand out as top quality. These are the (relatively affordable and available) brands I recommend:

Yamaha

Kawai

Boston

Charles Walter

Baldwin (Hamilton or Acrosonic)

Young Chang (1990s +)

If you have the budget, consider a German brand like August Förster, Bechstein, Blüthner, Grotrian-Steinweg, Sauter, Schimmel, Seiler, Steingraeber & Söhne, or Wilhelm Steinberg.

Or a European brand like Bösendorfer, Estonia, Fazioli, Kemble (not Kimball), Knight, or Petrof.

Or a classic American like Steinway, Sohmer, Mason & Hamlin, Chickering, or Knabe. 

3)  Age + History Matter

In Colorado, some pianos can last a century under certain circumstances:

• If the piano was made by a quality company

• If the piano has been in Colorado most of its life, and not moved here from a wet climate

• If the piano has been tuned somewhat regularly

• If the piano has been in a steady, climate-controlled environment

Some pianos can last 100 years or more with the original strings, tuning pins, etc. But it all depends on the manufacturer, the piano's environment, the frequency of tunings, and the care by the owners. In general, it's best to get a piano from the 1980s or newer. 

Contact me if you'd like me to inspect a piano before purchasing. For $75, I do very thorough inspections, checking for water/fire/mice damage, rust, cracks in the soundboard or bridges, condition of the action, keys, pedals, and a test of the tuning pins to make sure the piano will stay in tune. 

970.373.6575

For more information, check this:

https://www.pianobuyer.com/post/piano-buying-basics

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