PIANO BUYER S GUIDE. everything you need to know

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Bertram Higgins
5 years ago
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1 PIANO BUYER S GUIDE everything you need to know

2 BEFORE YOU START A piano is a complex instrument with up to 10,000 moving parts - each needing to be perfectly calibrated! Think of this as Pianos 101.

3 before you start PIANO COMPONENTS The Rim The Bridge The Action The Braces The Strings The Pedals

4 before you start TYPES OF PIANOS Console Upright Grand

5 efore you start CLASSES OF PIANO A piano is just a piano right? not quite. Built for the home Built for the studio Built for the concert stage $ $$$

6 efore you start JUMPING UP A CLASS You should always aim to have the best piano that you can afford. Don t be afraid to allow yourself to have something better than the minimum required if you d really like it.

7 efore you start REMEMBER ONE THING You always, always get what you pay for.

8 STARTING OUT At this point, we should mention the technician for their expert advice on which piano is right for you. There s some contact details on the last page that you can use to put you in touch with the right people.

9 starting out THEY RE JUST A BEGINNER Do they need a good piano? Children don t know about budgets and bills. They DO know how a piano sounds and feels. The better the piano is to play, the better the chance that he or she will want to keep playing it!

10 starting out It has an iron frame = is like stating that a car has wheels The Imperial Scale = a fancy name, nothing more Concert Ready Standard = a standard set by whom? WATCH OUT FOR SALES JARGON Composite or Resin Action = an action made of plastic European Sounding Name = most likely a stencil name placed on a piano made somewhere in Asia Laminated Soundboard = cheap, with compromised tone quality Lifetime Warranty = Who s lifetime? Yours or the pianos?

11 starting out If you re just starting out, you probably don t need a grand, much nicer to play than an upright. UPRIGHT OR GRAND? The grand action uses gravity The upright action relies on springs and straps

12 starting out IS BIGGER BETTER? Bigger pianos usually produce a superior tone, though the key is quality. A small, quality piano will always out perform a cheaper, larger piano.

13 starting out TRAIN YOUR EARS Listen to and play a variety of pianos. Play those in your budget as well as those way out of it. Train your ears to listen for the sounds that you like to hear the most.

14 starting out LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING A piano s beauty can often be skin deep. Make sure you look closely at where it s made and quality of manufacturing. It looks fantastic, but what is it like behind the scenes?

15 starting out NEW OR USED? A well maintained pre-owned piano can often be better value than a lower priced new piano. Make sure it has been kept in a stable environment and have an independent technician inspect it for you to assess its internal condition. This said, buying a new piano is like buying a new car.

16 FINDING THE ONE You ve looked at lots of pianos, and think you ve found the one for you. What now?

17 TAKE YOUR TIME If you re a little unsure about a piano you have found, don t be afraid to go away and come back later with fresh ears. Some salespeople will say anything to make you sign up there and then. Make sure you do it in your own time.

18 BEWARE OF LARGE DISCOUNTS If a salesperson is prepared to offer you a huge discount, you should question what the piano is ACTUALLY worth. A deal too good to be true usually is.

19 TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS Purchasing a piano can be a little like going on a date. You ll know straight away if something special comes along.

20 KNOW THE MARKET The more knowledge you have of the piano market, price. bottom dollar and getting a piano that has not been properly prepared.

21 Your piano should always include the following: - Free delivery within a metro area - At least one complimentary post-sale service - Either a dealer or manufacturor s warranty - A matching bench MORE THAN A PIANO Remember, your warranty cannot be made void if you choose to use your own

22 Now that you re ready to take delivery, there s a couple more things you should keep in mind. HOME SWEET HOME

23 LOOK AFTER IT Once you purchase your piano, you re going to need to look after it. Well maintained pianos retain value. These next few pages explain some regular maintenance that you ll want to have done by your technician.

24 TUNING This is the process of adjusting string tension to make sure your piano is in tune with itself. This should be done approx every six months

25 VOICING Voicing is the process of softening or hardening the hammers on the piano to improve its speaking tone, or voice. This should be done once a year, more often for a heavily used piano.

26 An important process that calibrates the moving parts of your piano s action. This should be done once a year, more often for a heavily used piano. REGULATION

27 ENJOY YOUR PIANO

Beginner s Buyer s Guide

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