Buying a piano - what to look for?

Regardless of how much you are spending, there are a few things to consider when buying a piano. For those like me who want answers quickly, I will bullet point the key areas and then

explain!

1: It MUST be an overstrung, underdamper piano.

2: Make sure it isn't too old!

3: Make sure it was tuned recently (within 2 years preferably)

4: Check if it is at concert pitch

5: Is it upstairs?

6: How much will it cost to move it?

7: Get a tuner to check it out for you - there is a lot to check!

8: Do you have underfloor heating? Radiator nearby? Woodburner?

1: What is an overstrung, underdamper piano?

Let's take the first part; Overstrung means the bass strings go over the trebles, therefore the 'speaking length' of the string is as long as possible, ensuring depth of bass. The alternative is a 'straight-strung', which was a much cheaper system and significantly limits the quality of sound - it created a very "bonky" bass in most pianos. The straight strung system was discontinued in the early 20th century meaning whatever piano has it, probably is at the end of it's usable life anyway! How do you check? Look inside, see if the strings cross over!

'Underdamper' pianos are superior to 'overdamper' pianos, as the damper sits further down the string, muting the strings much more effectively. an overdamper piano will ring on, even when playing staccato (where we expect the sound to stop immediately). It has the effect of 'palm muting' if you are a guitarist. Again, this system proved far inferior to underdamping and was discontinued early 20th century also. How to check? If you lift the lid of a piano and see a piece of wood running left to right, and can't clearly see the hammers, then run away!

Straight strung overdamper pianos were very economical to make, but certainly sacrificed a significant amount of quality in the process.

2: The BEST pianos have a usable life of around 100 years. Some last longer if they have been very well looked after, but in general you will need to bear in mind the cost of a full restoration on a piano is around £15,000 - £20,000. Best to get something maximum 80 years old, even if money is tight!

You can find the age of a piano by using the name (on the fall or frame) and the serial number (usually found inside, ask a tuner for help!) then try google, or send us a message and we can look it up for you!

3&4: Tuning in more important if you are looking at an older piano - if they are tuned every year, it will last a lot longer than one that has been left to slide. There is between 18-22 tons of tension on the frame, with significant stress on strings, so if it isn't already at concert pitch, you may break a few trying to get it there. It's hard to know how well the strings will cope with a 'pitch raise' until you start, but bear in mind if a piano is even only 4hz out at A440, it will need to be tuned twice to get it back to pitch. If you don't have a piano at concert pitch, you won't be able to use it with other instruments (unless they are down-tuned) and apps like 'simply piano' may not be able to pick up what you are playing.

5&6: Remember pianos are heavy, so moving companies will charge quite a bit more to move it! Make sure it is worth paying all the moving fees when most piano shops offer free delivery! For example, for local jobs we charge £175 for an upright and £275 for a grand piano. We have free delivery on all pianos, so make sure you factor that in when deciding on the value!

7: A tuner will know what to look for - The soundboard and plank need to be without issue, otherwise you just have some very pretty firewood...but thats a minimum requirement, really! There are thousands of components inside a piano, and if any of the materials have perished, they will need replacing. It costs about £7,500 for us to fully replace all the materials in a grand piano action, so make sure they are all intact before you buy it!

8: Lastly, lets talk about underfloor heating. If you have zonal heating, turn the piano zone off! alternatively there are 'heat mats' available that deflect the heat away from the piano - remember to factor that in when buying! Most importantly though, is central heating and woodburners - pre-50's pianos are not designed to cope with central heating. Everything since has been kiln-dried to ensure nothing breaks when you crank it up in the winter. If you still want an older piano in a centrally heated room, best to put a tub of water in it (yes, it actually works!) and any radiator within a metre of the piano should be kept on a low setting, but preferably off!

Thanks for reading, give us a message if you need help with your purchase!