How To Shop For and Buy A Piano
A piano is a mighty instrument, with even the smallest spinets weighing a few hundred pounds, large uprights and grands coming in at over a thousand pounds, and they take up a good amount of space. Even in a large living or family room, your piano can often be the dominant object in the room.
They all produce a pretty big sound, and they all can cost a pretty penny. Cheap Chinese-made uprights can be as little as $3000, long Austrian concert grands can set you back over $150,000 (yes, that’s the right amount of zeros,) and everything in between.
Buying a piano isn’t like buying a new flat-screen TV or your next pair of designer jeans – it’s a beeg deel! You have to plan your space considerations and sound levels (throughout your house, and your neighbors if you live in a condo or apartment,) and be prepared to fork over a sizable amount of cash. And there’s soooo many models and sizes to choose from.
So how do you make this considerbale purchase a little less daunting and a little more pleasurable? There are a few simple rules when it comes to comparing and purchasing a piano. Stick to these formulas below, and you’ll do fine…you’ll even really enjoy the experience.
1. Always purchase the biggest, newest piano you can afford and have space for. Why? Because it’s a fact that the sound gets noticeably richer with each foot of string length you add (piano tuners joke that the defintion of a piano is "anything over six feet",) and new, because it’s pristine and comes with a full warranty in case anything isn’t quite right.
2. If buying a new piano, buy only from a reputable dealer. Avoid the grey market or “outlets”, deal only with long-established piano stores that have been granted the franchise for a least two top-name brands. They have too much at stake not to treat you right.
3. There are only a handful of really good piano brand names left (there used to be scores of them in the U.S. alone.) Which is sad, but if makes your choices a lot easier. My next post will cover some of the better brands. Stick to those fine instruments, and don’t be tempted to lay down good money for some new-fashioned or “off” brand.
4. Set aside a least one full day, or more, to visit many stores and try out many instruments. Which means that…
5. The piano player (not just grandma & grandpa) must be present. Whether it’s the lesson-taking kids, or an experienced adult player, you are the one that’s going to have to listen to and love the sound of it every day. So the actual players(s) need to be present to compare piano after piano. If you’re just the parent or the "money", don’t even think of picking it out for them, let them try and listen to many pianos!
6. Never pay MSRP retail price. Good dealers compete for your business, and there’s room to wiggle. Don’t ask for “cost +10%,” you won’t get it, but haggle a bit, and insist on a matching bench, a free first tuning, and maybe even free moving or no sales tax.
7. Buy the piano you like the best! Once you’ve played a bunch of them, you’ll know which one it is, I guarantee you. It’s too large an important a purchase to compromise – you have to absolutely love it! Buy the one you want and don’t spend days vacillating or rationalizing about the others.
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