Thousands of used pianos are listed on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace every year. These can be a great deal for those who are seeking an affordable instrument for the family, but they can also be traps for the unaware or uninformed. I get so many calls from clients who just got a used piano from Facebook, moved it to their house, and need me to come tune it. When I arrive, I find all sorts of issues; some routine, some uncommon, some that cause the piano to be worthless both financially and as an instrument. I want to give you a guide to acquiring a used piano that will be a safe investment, based on my experience as a piano technician.
I'll list some of the main points to start, and then go in depth below. To get a solid used piano that is worth your time and money, you need to remember these things:
Avoid scams!
If it looks bad on the outside, it's probably bad on the inside.
Always ask for a video of each note being played.
Look for brands you have heard of. Age matters!
There is no such thing as a free piano.
Call a technician to come check it out with you!
These points might seem obvious to experienced musicians, but many people are just starting their piano journey. I've unfortunately had to tell many new piano owners that their piano isn't tunable and that I wish they had called me before choosing an instrument. It's always a sad situation when a child is excited about learning piano on his new instrument only to find out it will never be a proper piano. I want to avoid these situations as often as possible! I promise if you follow these six points you will have a solid piano that fits your needs and will last for decades.
Avoid Scams!
Fortunately, scams are easier to spot than ever, as potential scammers tend to use the same tricks. Follow the general online rules regarding not giving out personal info like passwords or credit card numbers. What I see scammers do most often is promise that the piano is free, but that you'll need to pay shipping. Sounds reasonable, right? The problem is they will claim that they already have a moving company set up for this delivery, and they will act as a middleman, taking your money and giving it to the movers. Of course, after paying, the scammer disappears. Don't fall for it! Only buy pianos local to your area and coordinate the move yourself. If you tell a potential seller than you would like to come check out the piano before buying, that will weed out 99% of scam cases.
If it looks bad on the outside, it's probably bad on the inside.
This tip is similar to buying a used car. If you see a car that has dents and scratches on the outside, and the seller promises the engine runs, you have a right to be suspicious. If the owner has neglected the exterior of his vehicle, he probably neglected the interior as well. This applies to pianos, too! If you see an ad for a free piano that's covered in dust, scratches, and watermarks, it very likely has internal damage. Also, anytime you see a picture of a piano outside or in a garage, that's an immediate no! Drastic humidity swings ruin the wooden parts of a piano, and critters can get inside if left unattended in a garage. This tip applies to about half of the pianos you'll see online.
Always ask for video of each note being played.
When I'm searching for a piano online, I always ask for a video of each note being played. You can immediately tell how in (or out of) tune it is, and you'll be able to tell if there are any discrepancies in the action if you pay attention. Did that note sound much louder or quieter than the rest? Did that key not pop back up after it was played? These are crucial questions to ask because those problems will need to be fixed before it's a viable instrument for you and your family. If you see any issues, or if the piano sounds like it hasn't been tuned in a decade, it's a piano to avoid. Many sellers won't even respond to this question because they know the answer will look bad for them.
Look for brands you have heard of.
In my experience as a technician, I've seen plenty of good pianos with brand names I've only rarely seen. Unfortunately, I've seen way more bad pianos with uncommon names. If I didn't have three years of experience dealing with these instruments, it would be impossible to know the difference between a good name and a bad one. The seller's treatment of the piano is a huge factor, but its environment, manufacture date, quality of materials and design also matter, so whether a piano is good or bad tends to be a case-by-case basis, even for name brands like Yamaha. Generally, if it's a name you
haven't heard of it is more likely to be a bad instrument. I've seen an excellent Carl Ecke upright and a great Francis P. Bacon upright, but I've also seen bad Lowry spinets. If you stick to the household names (Yamaha, Kawai, Steinway, Baldwin, Wurlitzer, Kimball, Story & Clark, Kohler & Campbell) you have a much better chance of landing a good piano. The less common names you see were typically not trying to compete at a large scale and were only dabbling in piano manufacturing; these brands were either bought up by larger ones or just went out of business entirely. This doesn't mean you can't find a good piano without the big names, though!
There is no such thing as a free piano.
This is an important piece that many people miss. Free pianos don't exist, except maybe in giveaways by reputable sources. If you find a free baby grand on Facebook, and you've verified it isn't a scam, you'll still have to pay to have it moved professionally (please don't move pianos yourself, they are extremely heavy and require special equipment... and you don't have insurance like the pros do). You'll also have to pay to have it tuned, which pretty much puts you at $400-600 already. Then, let's say it has a sticking key caused by stiffness in the action. Lubrication would be cheap, but the action centers may need to be replaced, which will cost several hundred dollars. A string that needs to be replaced, an action that is severely out of regulation, keys that have missing bushings, a mouse nest that needs to be removed.... Don't be surprised when you get a piano for a good deal and it needs $1000 worth of maintenance, on top of moving costs. This all leads into my final point:
Call a technician to come check it out with you!
You could skip every step here by asking me or another tech to look for a free piano for you. I charge a $50 evaluation fee to come check out a piano and give a quote for work, and many piano technicians will do the same for you. You can tell us what size, color, price, etc. that you are looking for, and we will be able to find you the perfect instrument. I recently did this for a client who had been gifted a piano that had corroded bass strings. Bass strings should normally be orange, but these were black. I looked for a piano on marketplace for her and was able to find her a nice Kimball Artist Console with minimal issues, though like all used pianos, it did need work beyond tuning. I really enjoy helping people find a piano that works for them and gets them excited about music. I am here to help you get what you need, so please give me a call before making any decisions! A $50 evaluation could save you $300 on moving a bad piano.
I was recently asked to tune a Baldwin grand piano that was found and purchased from Facebook Marketplace. This piano has a beautiful, unmarred finish, each note works, and it was only slightly out of tune. I checked a few other things such as the wooden bridge cap and the tuning pins, to ensure there was no cracking or rust. When I arrived, I found that the soundboard was dusty, the strings were slightly corroded, and the action needed some routine maintenance. This piano is in good shape overall and plays beautifully! It's a great example of a piano that follows all of the tips I mentioned, but still needs to be serviced beyond tuning. The vast majority of pianos don't receive any work beyond tuning, even from some piano stores, which is why I highly recommend you hire myself or another technician to verify the condition of a piano you're interested in.
I know this can seem overwhelming, or that I'm being overly negative about the quality of used instruments. However, there are a ton of good pianos out there! I just want to help prepare you for your search, so you don't end up investing in a dud. Many sellers are moving into a smaller home or are too old to continue playing due to disabilities or joint pain; some are parents who had children that used to play but have since moved on. There are a lot of reasons someone may decide to let go of an instrument, and I think it's a beautiful thing when someone is able to continue playing a solid piano rather than letting it go to the junkyard. Pianos are designed to be heirloom-quality, after all!
I hope this guide helps you to find an ideal instrument for whatever you need. With the Christmas season coming up, I suspect many parents are thinking about getting a piano for their children. Perhaps you're looking at a piano as a wedding gift, or you just want one to work on your sonatinas for your piano performance class. I want to make sure you get a piano that fits within your home, preferences, and budget. Please reach out if you have any questions!
Ryan Hacker
Comments