Buying a Piano
Part 3

PRICE. The advice of piano experts is to buy the very best piano you can afford. A piano is a long-term investment - if you buy a good instrument and take care of it, it should have a useful life of forty or fifty years. Think about this before you decide how much to pay for a piano. All pianos are expensive. However, good pianos are not necessarily very much more expensive than poor pianos, and could turn out cheaper in the long run - because a good piano should last longer and require less attention.

Do not buy the cheapest piano of any type in any range if youre considering buying one for your piano lessons -As quality may have been sacrificed for the sake of price. If you have to choose between two pianos at a similar price, buy the one with the best internal mechanism, instead of the piano which is the fanciest piece of furniture. (The hints which follow should explain how to judge the quality of the mechanism of pianos, when buying for your piano lessons.)

If you find you cannot afford a good new piano, you might consider looking for a suitable secondhand instrument. Alternatively, you may be able to rent a piano for your home - some piano stores can arrange this - or learn to play on a piano in a school or hall, provided you can get to play it often enough.

SECONDHAND PIANOS. Good secondhand or used pianos for your piano lessons can sometimes be found at reasonable prices. Used grand pianos, in particular, can be a good 'buy' if you find someone who is moving to a smaller home. However, any used piano must be checked very carefully if you are not to waste your money.

Secondhand/ used pianos are sold by some piano stores, but even here you have to be careful to avoid poor pianos. The best advice is only to consider nearly new pianos or instruments which have recently been completely reconditioned by a professional piano repairer.

Do not consider any piano which has been used in a school, church or other public place because it will have had heavy use. Also avoid any piano over twenty years old, unless it has been completely re-built.

If you are thinking of buying a piano privately for your private beginners piano lessons, you should have it inspected by a professional tuner-technician. The fee for this service is very worthwhile, as it will remove the risk of your paying more than a piano is worth, and stop you buying a poor quality or worn-out piano. A tuner-technician may also know of good second-hand pianos for sale in your area.

If anything is wrong with a piano, make sure it is repaired before you buy it, or at least get an estimate for repair. Otherwise, you may find that the repairs make your 'bargain' cost as much as a new piano.

Please continue to the next piano lesson page on elements of a piano - strings, hammers etc Next

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