What Makes A Good Used Piano?

A Used Piano can mean many things. Pianos have been built in North America since the late 1800's. So used can be anything from a year old to 120 years old!

So lets start with very old pianos. Here are some things to consider:

A piano that is that old has gone through several generations of families and owners. Therefore the piano may have been very well maintained in one household and completely neglected in another.
The make of the piano is less important than the piano's maintenance record.

Pianos Are Like People

The lifespan of a piano is like a human beings. A ten year old piano is still very young! A well maintained 25 year old piano can be an excellent choice for a  student and a 50 year old piano is certainly not past its prime, certainly if it has been taken care of. Just ask any baby boomer! By 70 years    the instrument may have some minor to medium ailments. It will need a little TLC but it certainly may be worth it. Past 75 years a piano can still have value but do not expect the piano to serve as a work horse! Do you know many octogenarians who run olympic marathons? But older adults of course have a value and so do older pianos! 

When in Doubt Hire a Registered Piano Technician

The thing about people selling their piano is that neither the seller nor, (in most cases), the buyer, know much about pianos.  How do you decide on a fair price when nobody knows what the piano is worth?  A pre-buy inspection by a qualified and registered piano technician can save both dollars and heartache.  They will have an idea about the used piano market and will be able to discern the condition of the instrument in question.  In minutes they can tell you what a fair price for the piano would be.  Buying a used piano often involves having it moved professionally and most times the instrument will require several piano tunings to bring it back to pitch.