Everyone knows that there are significant costs and risks in purchasing a used Steinway Piano, but not everyone knows how to approach these risks. This short article is designed to help the novice along the way.
First, determine what you need before you begin to investigate. Countless hours can be saved by first knowing clearly how large, what style, what age, what price range you need before you start browsing. After all, why look at Steinway B pianos if they are above your price range, or too large for the room you will be placing it in? Or if your house if modern in appearance, perhaps the Victorian, ice-cream leg style would be seriously out of place compared to a sleek, semi-gloss finish of a beautiful ebony.
Second, understand who you will be purchasing from. A dealer or Steinway Gallery may have a few pianos to look at, but your selection will be limiting and the price you pay for their knowledge will be quite high. An online catalog, such as that found in Piano Mart (www.pianomart.com) or American-Steinway.com (www.american-steinway.com) will offer a much greater range of pianos for one to consider, and the knowledge and the reputation of the owners in the piano business gives them as much creditability as any Steinway Gallery.
Used Steinway pianos
Third, use a qualified piano technician to ask the difficult questions if you are uncertain. Qualified means not just knowledgeable of how a piano works, but also very knowledgeable of the Steinway history, action changes over the years, design changes, style changes, so he or she can help you understand not only the work that has been performed and the probably future work that may need to be performed, but also the point of history where this Steinway piano falls into. This will also help determine the value for your investment, and help you determine if you are getting the most “bang” for your buck. You may need one technician for the piano itself, and one “historian” on Steinway Pianos to help you understand your piano’s place in history.
Fourth, play the piano, or find an artist to help you play on the piano. Ultimately, a piano is not just an investment, but also an instrument. A piano needs to sound its value, and only through years of proper care and repair can a Steinway piano still sound and feel like a Steinway piano. The piano has many moving parts, and strings (of course) that wear and need replacement. There are details such as what kind of strings were used when they were replaced, what kind of bushings, action parts, etc. were used, that will determine if the piano is still “as good as new” like a Steinway should be, or were corners cut in order to make this Steinway just be a Steinway “in name” but not necessarily true to the Steinway standards. Of course the technician that worked on the Steinway having been trained by a master craftsman does help, but the ultimate guide will still be in the sound and the feel.
Fifth, don’t let the “voicing” of the piano fool you. Any piano can be voiced to sound duller or brighter on temporary bases, and many rebuilt pianos have yet to be voiced, so they are quite uneven. The voicing is usually the last step before a piano is truly concert ready, and most pianos are not voiced when you purchase them. So don’t let this factor be considered too important in your investment.
Finally, consider who you are purchasing from. Know that you will pay more from a “Steinway Dealer” than a non Steinway dealer by the inherent nature that the name has some value. But many non-Steinway dealers are equally or even more qualified because of their years of experience in this field. For myself, after 35 years of working with Steinway pianos, and even selling rebuilt pianos back to Steinway pianos, I know hundreds of dealers that can and cannot help you in your purchase. Feel free to contact me through our www.american-steinway.com and I will do everything I can to lead you in the best possible direction.
Happy Steinway Shopping!
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