Beware of "free" or extremely cheap pianos.

((This video shows why it's important to have a used piano checked.))

Kawais are well-made pianos, but poor maintenance caused severe damage to the pinblock. In the video, it only takes my pinky-finger to move the tuning pin. I should be using a great amount of force with my hand & arm strength - a dead indicator of a major problem.

The MOST IMPORTANT part of piano buying is knowing the following:

• Can the piano be tuned to A440 concert piano? Poor tuning pin torque, soundboard splits, and other factors may mean that piano is not for you. Concert pitch is crucial for ear training, especially in young children and the piano needs to be able to hold at that level.

• Is the key & action performance good enough to play dynamically? The better the keys & action play, the easier it is to learn and advance on the instrument.

How Private Sellers Upsell

Places like facebook marketplace, neighbors unite pages, & craigslist are some of the best & worst places to find used pianos. You may have seen variations of the following listing tag-lines below:

“Free - well cared for, just needs a loving home.”

“Will donate to a home or church who needs it,”

“Excellent condition - just needs tuning.”

“Upright grand piano.” (this doesn’t even exist)

“Beautiful looking! Haven’t tuned in years but no low ballers.”

I’d steer clear of these pianos unless the owner has recently records of service within the last 6 to 12 months OR you’ve hired me to inspect it.

Regardless of what the owner says about the piano's condition, they probably don't know much. Pianos are mostly made of wood to create beautiful sounds. They can bring a lot of joy, happiness, and also help educate and stimulate the mind. Don’t trust the owner without recent records from a qualified technician.

What I Hear From Parents Or First-Time-Takers

“We’re not concert pianists.”

“We don’t need a high-end piano.”

“My kids are just starting off.”

“We don’t expect our kids to play at Carnegie Hall” ( love this one, read below).

“We don’t need perfection.”

I love Carnegie Hall comment the most. Most musicians will never play at Carnegie Hall and that’s 100% fine! It's the journey & experiences young pianists make along the way that are far more important to playing at a prestigious hall.

Most children who play sports won't become famous athletes and ironically, coaches and parents put sports before music. They shouldn’t. You don’t see many 40 or 50 year olds playing professional sports but you will see 80 & 90 year-old folks playing piano.

The Mozart Effect On Piano

A 1997 Boston Globe article mentioned some of the Rauscher and Shaw (researchers) results. It described one study in which three- and four-year-olds who were given eight months of private piano lessons scored 30% higher on tests of spatio-temporal reasoning than control groups given computer lessons, singing lessons, and no training.

Why Inspecting A Piano Is Important

A piano needs to be strong and in good condition, with keys and parts moving smoothly. It should also be tuned to the right pitch, around A440. If any of these things are not right, the piano is not good enough for you to think about.

I’ve seen hundreds of excited new piano owners fall victim to inheriting or acquiring pianos that are hugely problematic such as they

• cannot be tuned

• have cracked soundboards

• have bad bridges

• have seized internal “action” parts

Structural problems can easily be spotted if you know where and how to look, which is where I come in.

If A Piano Does Not Meet These Criteria, Look Elsewhere.

• strong tuning pin torque

• holds tension at A440

• strong bridges, strings, tuning pins, soundboard, backframe, & rim

• action plays evenly

• piano is clean

• pedals work correctly

Scheduling An Inspection

Area 1 & 2 $225 + tax or FREE with tuning service

Area 3 $275 + tax or FREE with tuning service