Keys To Buying A Used Piano: MMAC

Buying a used piano can offer access to higher quality instruments. However, knowing a good deal vs something too good to be true, is not without its challenges. In this guide, we’ll break down the process of finding a great used piano..

Fundamental Piano Knowledge

Before diving into the complexities of used piano shopping, it’s essential to understand the basics.

• “How to Select a Piano: The Basics”: We introduce the Four S’s of piano selection and the Four Categories of piano quality with pricing. 

• “Your First Piano: Balancing Affordability and Quality”: We discussed the most cost effective starter pianos and the advantages of acoustic pianos.

These articles lay the groundwork for navigating the used piano market.

Keys to Buying Used: MMAC

Now that you know the basics, let's consider MMAC- Model, Manufacturing, Age, Condition.

Model

A piano’s model often reveals details about its size, components, and quality. For instance, model numbers like 108 or 126 typically refer to height in centimeters. Longer grands or taller uprights tend to be more sought after due to their ability to capture nuanced dynamics better. This is because the longer the string and lower the string tension, the more freely a string can vibrate. This means a more full and longer resonating tone. It also means a piano that responds more effortlessly to soft or strong attack, which is what produces dynamics- the loud and soft sounds in music (piano, forte, pianissimo, fortissimo.) This is why you see 9ft grands on stage in concert halls. It is not just about filling the space with sound but also capturing the full expression of artist touch, down to a whisper. 

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of buying a used piano. Many myths persist, even among experienced pianists and teachers.

Rather than focusing solely on brand, consider the piano’s manufacturing origin. Many brands produce instruments at different quality levels to cater to a range of differing budgets. For example:

• Steinway: Handcrafted in the USA and Germany, with the Boston line manufactured by Kawai and made in Japan or Indonesia, and Essex made by Pearl River in China.

• Global Shifts: Advances in design and manufacturing have greatly improved the quality of low- to mid-priced pianos from countries like China and Indonesia.

  
  

Today, only two companies make pianos in the U.S with about a dozen manufactures in over 30 different countries producing the approximate 70 different brand names we see worldwide. 

Here’s what’s happened:

• The Japanese “invasion” of the 1960s onward was followed by a wave of pianos from Korea in the 1980s and ’90s. Together, these imports put most low- and mid-priced American makers out of business.

• Rising wages in Korea in the 1990s caused much of that country’s piano production to move to Indonesia and China.

• The economic emergence of China during the 2000s resulted in a new wave of low-priced, low-quality pianos appearing in the U.S. and globally.

• Foreign firms and investors have combined low-cost Chinese and Indonesian labor with high-quality design and manufacturing expertise, parts, and materials from Western countries to greatly increase the quality of low-priced Chinese and Indonesian pianos.

• Reduction in costs associated with technologies and computer aided design and manufacturing allowed for more widespread use by small and large companies alike, with a consequent increase in precision of manufacturing at all price levels.

• To better survive in this new global economy, high-end companies have diversified their product lines to include low- and mid-priced pianos, setting up factories and forming alliances with companies in parts of the world where labor is cheaper. At the same time, makers of low- and mid-priced pianos are creating higher-priced models using parts and expertise usually associated with the high-end companies, thus blurring the line between the high and low ends of the piano market.

Understanding these distinctions can help you identify a piano that fits your needs and budget without limiting yourself to a specific brand. Nowadays, a new piano made in China will often be a better piano than a used piano which was made in Japan simply because the quality is no longer so different and a new action will almost always perform better.

Age

Contrary to popular belief, pianos do not improve with age. If pianos of a certain era were the best, Carnegie Hall would find these pianos and buy them. Instead, Carnegie buys brand new pianos every 5-10 years. There is no way around the fact that a new piano (same model, manufacturing origin, etc) will be better than a used one. 

Since buying a new piano every 5 years is not typically an option for the average consumer, here’s what you need to know: Well-maintained pianos can last decades but there are limits to an instrument's musical integrity.

• Uprights: Typically last 35–45 years

• Grands: Offer 55–85 years

  These ages are for the higher quality categories- high performance and luxury, while consumer grade and premium instruments may not last as long especially depending on usage. This is also considering exceptional care and regular maintenance. (As a pianist and teacher myself, my upright of high-performance quality gave me about 30 years. My piano was kept in excellent conditions, my maintenance was very good and my playing hours were high.)

Condition

Focus On:

• A Tight Pinblock: This ensures the piano can hold its tuning.

A pianos pinblock is what withstands this tension- not the pins, not the plate. How well a piano can hold its tuning is dependent upon the integrity of the pinblock. Specialized tools and skills are needed to evaluate the integrity of a pinblock. Unfortunately, many sellers (with no training or even the physical tools to test a pinblock) will say they have a great piano, barely played, and “just needs a tuning.” 

We see this all the time and it is a disappointing situation for children and an infuriating one for parents who have spent time, energy and paid costly moving fees only to find themselves with no recourse, and needing to pay costly moving fees, again! 

• Hammer Wear: Minimal indentations indicate less usage and better tone and longevity.

“Voicing” a piano: Over time, a piano's hammers wear down from repeated contact with the strings, leading to grooves, hardening of the felt, and a brighter, more percussive tone. Voicing is the process of adjusting the hammer felts to refine the piano's tone by softening hardened areas with needles, steam or reshaping of the felt. 

All pianos will become brighter over time and warmth is typically more sought after but this does ultimately come down to a matter of preference. If you do prefer a brighter tone and do not want to wait for the brightness over several years, hardening the felt with a special solution is an option but is much more invasive and not typically recommended. 

While a skilled technician can voice your piano, balancing brightness and warmth, ensuring a beautiful tone across the keyboard, this is typically an expensive service costing upwards of five hundred dollars. 

• Responsive Action: There is a difference between having a few sticky keys due to regulation or wood expansion/contraction vs key response issues due to action wear or critical component complications. 

  
  

*The best way to ensure you're getting a piano in good condition is to work with a reputable specialist affiliated with a dealer who offers a comprehensive parts and labor warranty. If you must buy from a private party, hire a qualified piano technician to access condition before you buy.

I always recommend working with a reputable dealer where you will have guarantees, warranties and recourse should anything go wrong.  

Think of this as similar to having a mechanic inspect a car before purchase. If you’re buying from a reputable dealer who is offering a full parts and labor warranty, this evaluation (and much more) have already been done for you. When considering private parties, be prepared to spend a lot more time and energy going from house to house and the additional budget for a technician's inspection and for delivery costs.

What to Lookout For:

• Refurbished and Rebuilt: Many people will use these terms interchangeably but this is a grave mistake and leads to unfortunate confusion. Over time, due to age and condition, pianos may need rebuilding. Rebuilding refers to the replacing of components. Original components are rarely available and analogous components are typically used. Rebuilding often costs as much as a new piano and is therefore rarely recommended except in the event of instruments of historical or sentimental value. 

  Refurbishing refers to the restoring of existing original parts. This can mean glossing damper tops, voicing hammer felts or sanding and refinishing a soundboard, etc. Refurbished pianos should have 100% of their original components. 

  The manner in which the piano was originally built, (in a premier factory, on million dollar machinery, with precision tools and the finest technology and engineering oversight) simply cannot be replicated from a garage. Even the finest rebuilders are often working from a small warehouse. Without access to these machines and technologies, replicating the beauty of the original is virtually impossible. 

The difficulty of finding original parts, the rarity of factory rebuilding and the lack of consistency or uniformity in finished products affecting touch, tone and quality are part of the reason why rebuilt and refurbished pianos are typically less desirable. 

For most players, a newer piano from a reputable manufacturer often offers the best value. A newer refurbished piano would be the second most desirable option leaving a rebuilt piano as the least desirable option typically. However, a factory rebuilt instrument with 100% original parts is the exception. Pianos of this nature will come with a manufacturer guarantee including a parts certification. 

• Teacher Recommendations: I know this sounds terrible, but as a teacher myself I see it all the time (and have been guilty of this in the past!) Many people will ask their piano teacher for a recommendation. Unfortunately, most teachers simply recommend a brand or two and send a student out to find a piano but it isn't that simple. It wasn’t till after years of training with Steinway that I learned about piano manufacturing and realized how unhelpful recommendations like that could be for my students. 

Here is why:

• “Go buy a Yamaha or a Steinway.” Yamaha prices start at 5,000 while Steinway prices start at 30,000. They are completely different categories of piano. Not helpful.

• “Only buy a European or American piano” Student buys a 50 year old, enter brand name here, on Facebook for 6,000 instead of a new Indo piano for 6,000 and now has a terrible instrument of poor musical integrity and no recourse. 

• “Only buy a Blank Piano” Tone is subjective. Many teachers are basing their recommendation on their personal preferences. The student should connect with a piano and love it's tone. Some prefer bright, some prefer warm. There is no right or wrong here.

• “Don’t buy anything made in China.” Most pianos are made in China.

• “Only buy a new piano” Students' budget doesn't allow for a new piano so they don't buy anything at all and remain on a digital. 

  
  

Quick story! Once a family came in and said the teacher told them to only buy a Baldwin. The student liked other pianos better but the family was adamant to follow the teachers instructions. They purchased the Baldwin feeling great about it. When the piano arrived at their home they saw "made in China" and were stunned. Obviously, the teacher didn't know that all Baldwins are now made in China. The student had selected at least 2 other pianos on their own that were similarly priced but better quality just by listening and playing. 

With so many factors playing a role in a family's decision on the right piano, I encourage teachers to go with the student to find a piano or to get to know a piano specialist so they can recommend their students to a knowledgeable expert.

Final Tips

Your decision should align with your overall long term goals and match or exceed your playing ability giving you room to grow into the piano rather than out of the piano. 

A new action will always offer a smoother, more even and responsive playing experience. An older piano will always be more affordable. Pianos do not get better with age and they do not increase in value with age.

• Always involve a qualified piano technician in your evaluation process if you are not going through the process with a reputable dealer and piano specialist.

• If the piano is for a student, even a beginner student, bring them to the selection appointment so a specialist can make recommendations that support their musical needs. Plus, personal preferences play a huge role in selecting a piano you’ll love.

• Request to work with an experienced piano specialist. These individuals are usually teachers or pianists themselves with the additional technical and manufacturer knowledge needed to help you make a good choice for your budget and musical needs. 

  
  

By understanding the factors outlined in this guide, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the used piano market and make a purchase that ensures years of musical joy.