Once you have decided to study the piano, it’s time to find a teacher (I know a great one, by the way!) and an instrument. More often than not, for the latter, people start their journey with an electronic keyboard. They consult with a teacher or a knowledgeable friend and, depending on many factors including their budget, their home situation, their dedication, they opt for an instrument that will follow them for a few years. That’s all fine and good, but, what happens after that? What happens once you have clocked a few hundred hours practicing and you’ve evolved into a pretty good pianist? What happens when you’re fed up banging on plastic keys? What happens if, by chance, you run into a little bit of money? I’ll tell you what happens: it’s time to get serious and to think about getting an acoustic piano.
Acoustic pianos are a bit different than their electronic counterparts. They take a little more space, they need to be tuned twice a year and they are louder than a keyboard tied to a set of headphones. You also need to think about the price because good pianos are more expensive than the pluggable ones.
Still, after you’ve checked your budget for the nth time and measured your space for the nth time too, then that’s it, you’re ready, the decision has been made: you’re acquiring a piano.
Now comes the hunt.
First off, know that you have many different avenues to explore. Personal ads, dealers for new pianos or the ones specialized in used gear are some of your choices.
In order to not get lost, here is a method you can use.
First, you can try your luck with Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Piano are expensive and the old ones sometimes sound better than the ones coming out of the factory. Yes, like wine, it can get better with time. The drawback is that you are never sure what you’re buying if you are not a piano technician. Is the soundboard in good condition? How about “the action”, as it’s called, which is the mechanism reacting to your fingers and getting the sound from the strings? Is it still operating like it should? Are there any stuck keys, for example? Are the pedals working? What would be the cost of any repairs or adjustments if need be? These are questions that can be answered by a piano tuner. But but don’t despair because you can hire someone that will go to where the piano you’re coveting is and give you all the details. Those people charge some money for their expertise, but it could be a worthy investment if you’ve set your heart on a costly beast.
After that, you can try to go to a used piano dealer. Trust me, some of the best piano I’ve heard are more than fifty years old, you’re not taking a big risk. Usually the dealers of older instruments will have done a little bit of work on them to make sure that everything is in order. Some stores even offer a warranty at no extra charge.
If you’ve explored those two avenues and you still haven’t found your instrument, the last step is to go to a shop that sells brand new pianos. A multitude of brands will be available like Yamaha, Kawai, Bosendorfer, Steinway, Charles Walter, etc. You can have fun going from one store to the next and hear/feel the instruments available. If you still haven’t found the one you want, I advise you do something very simple: keep shopping in all three avenues. You make a point of going regularly through the ads as well as visiting dealers of used or new pianos until you find the gem.
Here are a few tips I can share on how to go about buying an acoustic instrument: you need to try it, really try it. Spend some time playing and getting familiar with the feel of the keys, the beauty of the sound. No two pianos are alike, they will all talk to you differently. Some are energetic and some are warm, some are sweet and some are metallic. The important part is this: what do you like? Be prepared to do a little bit of compromise, but don’t go against your nature. If you like it strong, don’t settle for soft.
Bring some music sheet you’re familiar with and that you can play. Have a little catalog of them: some fast tempo brilliant tunes and some wide ballads will do. Take your time. Nobody’s rushing you. You need to imagine what it’ll sound like in your home. Will it fill the room nicely? Will it sound too harsh? Too soft? I know that you are on a budget and you might think it’ll determine most of your decision. You are plain wrong. They give pianos away now. Yes, for free. How good they are almost doesn’t matter, my point is that spending less than ten thousand dollars does not necessarily restrict your choice. What counts above all is what you want. Concentrate on that.
As for my own quest, I am not sure I’m a good example. I’ve only had two pianos in my journey: an upright Charles Walter that I loved and my current Knabe baby grand. The Charles Walter had a great personality, we were the best of friend. Unfortunately, I had to trade it for the one I’m currently playing: my Knabe. The Knabe was not a sure thing for me since I almost bought a Mason and Hamlin which, unfortunately, didn’t fit in my budget. So I settled for the Knabe. I thought I would suffer from buyer’s remorse: not at all. My piano gives me everything I want and then some. As I practice and learn new things, the Knabe delivers all the depth and subtleties I need. It’s like having a perfect butler that grants me all my wishes.
Happy hunting!
