I have decided to take the plunge and buy a second-hand piano, and am going to a shop tomorrow with money burning a hole in my pocket! I have about £1000 to spend, but am not a pianist - so suggestions like 'try it out for the touch' will not really help me!!!

What sorts of things will I need to be looking out for, and what should I ask so that I don't end up thrwng my money away?

I need a piano at this stage really to bash out tunes for my singing - though how successful this will be given some of the key signatures of the pieces I'm working on, I'm not sure! However, I have always longed to play, and will get some lessons, hopefully sometime soon.

Any help and advice gratefully received!

If you are not a first study pianist, and you have that sort of money, I would suggest a good brand new digital piano, as you don't need to worry about any faults lurking behind the woodwork and you will never have to tune it. You will be able to record yourself playing to sing along to as well!

Yes, I did think about a digital, but feel it has no 'soul' if you what I mean.

Agree with Trio 100+% here.

Pop into a good music store and look at the Yamaha P90/P120/P250 electronic pianos. Designed to play and feel like the real thing and you can use headphones late at night (or anytime). They are really very good.

Lots of other brands/stuff with many fancy extras and silly sounds, but if you really want to play a 'piano', then the Yamaha will give years of great service. A cheap Yamaha Clavinova may also suit, but not sure on pricing. I do know the P series is about right for you and you might even have spare cash.

Richard
Hong Kong

PS. Plenty of 'soul' in the Yamaha!! I met a pro jazz pianist a few months ago who was raving on about his P120 that he plays at home and at gigs.

Thannks for the advice, but have thought long and hard about this one - over a year - and really do want a piano!!! Also, nice as a P series might be, it wouldn't really look well in my house.... That sounds awful, but am looking for piece of furniture as well!!!

Does anyone had any thoughts about baby grands v. uprights?

You will find another recent thread on the topic of acoustic versus digital pianos. Personally I have yet to find a digital that has the "soul" of an acoustic, but that said I would sooner have a decent digital than a clapped out acoustic. I would also take a piano tuner along to inspect any instrument you are going to buy, even if it's from a shop. He would be able to advise you on whether it is a fair price and if it is likely to need major repairs within the next few years. It would probably cost you the price of a tuning, which where I live is around £40 - it may well be cheaper in Cornwall.



Do try out different pianos, or ask the salesman to play - the tone and sound quality varies tremendously from piano to piano and it is a matter of personal choice what you prefer. Also remember that it will sound different at home, where you will have a much smaller room with more furnishings to soak up the sound.



I love playing on any sort of grand piano, but when it comes to practicality you have to consider space and price - they are usually dearer.

I have yet to play a decent digital piano. Any professional pianist knows they are rubbish.

Buying a second hand accoustic piano is difficult. Basically, if the tone is right then the piano is ok. Even when tuned, a poor one will go out of tune within minutes of tuning.

The issue remaining then is 'value for money'.

I have yet to solve this problem. A piano is worth what people wil pay for it.

The only advice I can give is; do you know a reputable tuner? If so, ask him to find you an instrument for the money you can afford.

Steer clear of dealers. They are all schysters.

Steve

I think an upright piano is better if you just want to play on it but not for performance. Somebody says that upright piano is only suitable for small houses, but I don't think so. If you want to learn piano very very seriously(I mean-to take it up until degree or even master),then it won't harm if you get yourself a grand piano(better don't buy the grand piano with very short length....they don't look better, to my opinion.).

However, "which brand are you buying?"-you should asked this question, I think. For me, I prefer "Kawai", and it will be better if it is in black colour. I will buy it when I grown up later...now, my piano is "Robertson", dark brown in colour...it is very old now....erm..more than 10 years..haha!

No problem wanting a piano to look good! If you do really want a real piano, and thought so long, why not rent one for a few months if you can do that in your area? Rent what you think you need to buy. Or go to a Yamaha or similar reputable brand dealer and see if they have trade-in pianos for sale which will have some limited guarantee.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Richard

Just try lots of pianos !
I went to a piano shop in Oxford and tried about 12 different U1's, each one had slightly diffent tones ranging from harsh to mellow.

Eventually I settled on a new Yamaha V118nt which I managed to get with 3 years interest free credit.

I made the mistake of initially getting a digital piano, and six months later trading it in for the real thing.

Thanks for all the replies. The person I'm going to has been recommended to me by an excellent accompanist, and he tunes and reconditions all the pianos himself. He is not a dealer, and he doesn't have a nice shop either. I was quite surprised to find little more than an old 'shed' on an industrial estate packed with used pianos of all shapes and sizes. I can't remember seeing any Yamaha's there either! However, it's a real gem of a place, and not well advertised. Living in Cornwall we don't have much choice in the way of shops - and one or two I went to the staff were really pushy. If I did get a clavinova I think I might regret it to, but tring to find the right thing is not going to be easy. I'll let you know how I get on.

Some good advice here.

I would go for an acoustic and bear in mind digitals depreciate something rotten. I would still take an independent tuner along. Negotiate the cost of delivery,first free tuning and see if they will throw in a stool too.

Good Luck.

Thanks Semele. I know that it's free delivery, and he will tune free after the piano has been in situ for a bit. I think stools come with some, but not others... depends if he bought a stool with the piano, I think. Will go and look today, and take smeone else along next time.

baby grands are very cute, but fundamentally flawed - to get the appropriate note from the bass strings they are often overwound, and can sound very "tubby" once a few years old.
Better to go for an upright that's been looked after well - was a revelation to me moving to a good upright after our Challen baby grand whose bass notes were indistinguisable...

Thanks, that's helpful. Have also heard that big uprights can have longer strings that som baby grands, and have better sound. Is that right?

Ok have just returned from the piano 'shed'(!) and they did have a nice upright for £900. It was a Steck, and inside it said 'New York 42453'. I have looked up the serial numger and it said it was made in about 1910. It sounded good, nice tone and medium touch. However, I know nothing about Steck pianos - anyone help?

The "Piano Book: Buying & Owning a New or Used Piano" by Larry Fine is popular in the US. It contains a lot of information.
It also appears to be available in the UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...8092962-8421548
Maybe available in your local library too?

http://www.pianobook.com/pianobook.html