UPRIGHT PIANO BUYING QUESTIONS

1 UPRIGHT PIANO BUYING QUESTIONST hese are the QUESTIONS I ask before I take the time toexamine a PIANO for sale. I pass on 98% of all pianosthat are offered to me, 70% of which are free . Whywould I pass on a free PIANO ? Because it wouldrequire too much money to handle and restore whencompared to its market value. I have also paidthousands of dollars for pianos that need totalrestoration. Why? Because these pianos are wellworth it. This tutorial will give you the right QUESTIONS ,and better yet What the answers mean to you indollars and What is the brand name on the PIANO ?The name brand of the PIANO can be found on thefallboard (the wooden cabinetry on top of thekeys-the first letter is usually directly over themiddle c note) If it is not there, open the lid andyou will usually find it on the top right corner ofthe Metal plate.

2 If it is not there either, it is a noname meaning it was probably a starter PIANO tobegin with. If the name is not over the keys, thisis also an indication that it may have beenrefinished at one time, or it has been name brand tells us a lot, as it will determinehow well the PIANO was manufactured to beginwith, in general. However, just like GeneralMotors makes a Corvette and a Geo Metro, manypiano companies had their High and Low name of the PIANO also has to be combinedwith the age in order to attempt to determine itsquality and origin of manufacture. For example, aWeber made in 1920 is a much different pianothan a Weber made in 1980, as a 1920 Weberwas an American Company, but in 1980 Weberwas made in Names (list by no means complete):SteinwayMason and HamlinBoosendorferBechsteinSauterBaldwin ChickeringKnabeSohmerWeberYamahaKawaiOth er less known names, but good pianos (by nomeans complete):Chas SteiffIvers and PondKrakauerBehningAcrosonic (made by Baldwin)The Pierce PIANO Atlas is about an inch thick withonly names and serial numbers of pianos.

3 Itwould be impossible for me to list everythinghere, which is why I would like to see yourfindings How tall is the UPRIGHT PIANO from the floor tothe top?36 or so Probably a Spinet -44 Console44 -49 Studio Uprightover 49 full size uprightNote: The difference between a spinet and aconsole is that the spinet has a drop action .When you open the top and look inside the PIANO ,if the hammers (felts that strike the string whenyou depress the key) are on the same level orlower than the keys themselves, it is a spinet. Ifthe Hammers are 4 6 inches above the level ofthe keys it is probably a Difference Between a Spinet and a Console The Console, or Direct Blow action is better, because the feel o f the key is more consistent than that of a Spinet.

4 Below is a rough diagram of a key, with the blue squares representing the key bed felts, and the green posts repr esenting the balance and front rail pins that hold the key in place. When you play the PIANO , some of your fingers are positioned toward the back of the key, closer to the balance rail and some toward the front. (see arrows) On a Spine t or Drop Action, it is much harder to depress a key when your finger is c loser to the balance rail, than when your finger is depressing the front of t he key, due to the geometry of the Drop Action. ActionFront of the KeyBalance RailFront RailSTRINGSBack of the KeyBackThe Difference Between a Spinet and a ConsoleThe Keys on a Spinet PIANO are near or above the level of the hammers.

5 Most of the action parts sit below the level of the keys. This is called a Drop Action The Keys on a Console PIANO are well below the hammers. All the action parts are above the keys. This is called a Direct Blow it is a tall full size UPRIGHT , chances are it is 60-100+ years and consoles are generally 60 years old Uprights can be just about any age, as theyhave been in production for a long time theoldest Ive seen was from 1860, and are still inproduction of thumb:The taller the PIANO , the longer the strings, thelarger the soundboard, the bigger and better to this rule:Age, Condition, Name Brand, Quality ofmanufacture.

6 For example, a Baldwin AcrosonicSpinett in great interior condition from 1960 willsound better than a Full Size Steinway Uprightfrom 1896, if the Steinway is in unplayable andun tunable condition, although the Steinway is amuch better PIANO . Both may sell for $950 in as iscondition. The Baldwin will need a tuning at$ , and the Steinway will need completerestoration at $7, $12, How old is the PIANO ?This will give us some insight to its condition. As arule of thumb, pianos are like people. A 20 yearold PIANO , is like a 20 year old person. Provided ithad no defects at the time of manufacture, andhas been treated with loving care, and has notexperienced a flood or a fire, it should be inexcellent always get a chuckle out of the phrase I see in somany ads- This PIANO is in GREAT SHAPE forbeing 95 years old.

7 Think about Grandpa at he is in the best shape possible, he is still have a dear friend of the family who is 79 yearsold. He participates in the Senior Olympics, anddestroys everyone in his age group. No onecomes close. He also does house painting, anddid my house last year. Although he is in bettershape than I am at 49, I still wouldn t want totrade spinal columns or internal organs with get the Do you have the serial number?Most people don t know how old their PIANO is. If thename is listed in the PIANO Atlas, and the serial #can be located, we can find out how old it serial # is generally found on the metal platethat holds the strings inside the PIANO , either onthe top treble corner, or in between the bass andtenor sections of the strings near the tuning places would be on the very top of the pianounder the lid, or on the back of the PIANO eitheron the top bass or top treble Did you buy it used?

8 C. How long have you owned it?If they don t have the name or serial #, someadditional probing is required. Sometimes theonly way to get a clue is asking about the historyas they know it. 4. Where has the PIANO been stored? LivingRoom? Basement? Garage? Porch?Yes, Porch. Not enclosed. I have even had peoplecall me, telling me the PIANO was on the lawn for6 months, asking me what it was worth. What doyou think I told them? But we covered it with aplastic tarp! Yikes!Humidity levels are one of the most importantfactors to the longevity of any musical instrument,especially a PIANO . Wood, felt and leather aregreatly affected by high or low humidity, and vastswings therein.

9 Older pianos were put togetherwith hide glue- made from hides and hooves ofanimals most of the time horses. It is amazinghow long this glue has held, but it is very watersoluble, and in a high humidity environment willbreak down and loose the the PIANO has a damp chaser system in it, with ahumidifier and dehumidifier, this system has keptit at 42% humidity consistently, which is the bestcase scenario for any worst place a PIANO can be stored in a house ison an outside wall against the heater and thewindow. Chances are this PIANO will have gapingcracks in the , the best place is on an inside wallaway from the note about cracked , probably new PIANO sales people,have spread the rumor quite effectively that acracked soundboard means the PIANO is no can be farther from the truth.

10 A crackedsoundboard can be repaired, many times withoutrebuilding the whole PIANO , at a very reasonablecost. Many soundboard cracks are irrelevant, asthey do not affect the sound of the PIANO unlessthe soundboard has come loose from the ribs run diagonal (on most pianos) on thesoundboard to hold its crown. As long as theseribs are tightly glued to the soundboard, the crackis meaningless. A cracked PLATE is a differentstory. The Plate holds most of the tension on thepiano, and once it cracks there are few who canrepair it properly, and it is a risky proposition atbest. A cracked Pinblock (this holds the tuningpins tight) can be replaced as more information on these components click here5.