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Serving Lincoln, NE, and Surrounding Areas 
402-438-2393
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Piano Buying Tips
Serving Lincoln, NE, and Surrounding Areas
402-438-2393
Serving Lincoln, NE, and Surrounding Areas
Call Us Today

Great Tips for Buying a Piano

Helpful Piano Buying Advice

Are you interested in buying a piano? Get excellent tips and advice for purchasing a piano from Dwight Haupt's Piano Service. To request a FREE consultation from a registered piano technician, call 402-438-2393.
Playing piano

Q. What Is the First Step Towards Purchasing a Piano for My Family?

A. Purchasing a piano for your family can create a lifetime of enjoyment and intellectual stimulation. Before you spend money for either a new or used piano, a little preparation is helpful so that you purchase a piano that is appropriate for your needs and will ensure your family's musical success.

The first step in choosing a piano involves establishing your musical and furniture needs to fulfill your dreams. A piano will provide elegance, sophistication, and beauty to your home, so you want an instrument that will play properly and compliment your home's décor.

Musically, you need to select a piano that has the key touch and musical tone that you like. The best way to accomplish this is to visit your local retail piano dealer. Find a dealer that has a large selection of new and used pianos at various prices.

It is important that you sample or have the salesperson demonstrate a wide variety of pianos. When you play each piano, discover which piano keyboard has the touch most responsive to your fingers. Listen to many pianos to discover which tone is most appealing.

You will also have an opportunity to view different cabinet and finish styles so you can select a piano that is attractive in your home. Once you discover what you want to purchase and have an idea of the cost, you can either purchase a new or used piano from the retail dealer or attempt to locate a used piano privately.
Piano

Q. What Are the Differences Between Buying a Piano From a Retail Dealer or a Private Individual?

A. When purchasing a new or used piano from a retail dealer, you'll find:
  • New pianos usually come with a manufacturer’s warranty, a complimentary tuning, moving, and more cabinetry and finish choices
  • Used pianos are generally reconditioned, and they usually come with a dealer warranty, moving, and complimentary tuning
  • Many dealers have a trade up policy that will give you the full purchased price of your piano when you desire a higher quality piano
  • You can expect to pay a little more for the manufacturer’s warranty and the advantage of selecting a piano from a wide variety of new and used instruments
To locate and purchase a piano privately, look in the newspaper classified ads. The Internet also has some opportunities for locating a piano.

When purchasing a used piano privately, you'll find:
  • They are generally less expensive than retail, assuming the seller has a realistic understanding of the value and condition of their piano
  • Your search requires extra travel to several homes to locate a suitable piano
  • There is no warranty
  • The moving cost is usually the responsibility of buyer
  • Less selection in furniture cabinetry and finish
  • That extra service is often required to restore the piano's touch and tone

Q. How Much Money Is Required to Purchase a Piano for My Family?

A. Pianos are like anything else; you get what you pay for! If your goal is to have music as a lifetime enjoyment and intellectual stimulation for your children, you need to seriously consider making a reasonable investment in their future. 

Purchasing a quality piano will substantially increase your child's success. When students play on a quality piano with touch sensitivity and good tone, they are not just playing musical notes. They can “feel” the music and have the music penetrate deep into their hearts and minds.

Q. How Can I Tell If a Used Piano Is in Good Condition?

Often problems that don't seem that big are major problems and vice versa. Keys that don't play are usually not a big problem. Often, something that has broken or come unglued is easily fixed. There are a few older pianos with old plastic action parts that are problematic.

Look for notes that sound terribly out of tune when played by themselves. This is not just an out of tune honky-tonk sound, but it will sound like you are playing two distinct notes.

Another serious problem is the presence of strange rattles or buzzes. The soundboard, which is the large wooden board you can see from the back of an upright piano or from underneath a grand, has ribs glued on it to strengthen it. Sometimes when the soundboard gets cracks in it, and the ribs come unglued from it in places. This can allow the soundboard to rattle against the loose rib as it vibrates. This can sound like a speaker distorting when it is played too loudly.

Pianos have a wooden bridge that is attached to the soundboard and has the strings running over it. The bridges have two pins for each string to hold the strings in place. Because there are so many pins very close together, sometimes the bridges split and allow the pins to become loose. This allows the strings to rattle against the loose pins. Bridges are often made in sections that can come unglued from each other also causing buzzes and rattles.

Look at the hammers for deep grooves caused by the strings. Layers of felt can be removed to restore the rounded shape to the hammer, but eventually, there in not enough felt left above the wooden molding to get a good tone.

The most important thing is to call a registered piano technician to look at a piano before you buy it. You should look at the piano first and be sure it is something you are interested in. “Free" or “cheap” pianos can actually be the most expensive if the condition of the instrument will require complete rebuilding in order to be a playable instrument.

Ask your registered piano technician to check out the structural condition of the piano. An investment of a service call before buying it can keep you from buying and moving a piano that won't be playable, much less an instrument you can be proud to play and own.
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