From: burd@hydra.unm.edu (Stephen Burd ASM)
Subject: Re: WANTED information on how to buy a piano
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 16:38:08 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Distribution: us

In article <1992Sep15.041659.23577@walter.bellcore.com> kurt@bae.bellcore.com writes:
>We want to buy a piano, and are looking for information, sources, good books, 
>etc on how to do so.  My wife used to play, long ago...

I've emailed this so many times I thought I'd just post it this time.
Maybe I should add it to a FAQ list somewhere?

*****   Used piano purchase hints start here   *****

(1)	Check the tuning.  A piano that is substantially out of
	tune has probably not been well cared for.  It may also
	be in poor condition and/or incapable of holding proper tune.

(2)	Check the pitch.  THe tuning should be at the proper pitch
	(A440).  Verify this with a tuning fork.  In general, the
	pitch should be within a half step (quarter step or less
	much prefered).  Pianos well below pitch may have been
	poorly treated (untuned for a substantial period of time).
	Raising pitch requires several tunings and substantially
	increases the stress on the strings and soundboard.  Older
	pianos and/or those in poor condition may not survive this.

(3)	Check the strings.  Signs of rust are a definite minus.
	Oxidation (black film) is okay, but it should be consistent
	with the age of the piano (little or none for a piano less
	than ten years old).  Also check the points at which the 
	strings wrap around the pins for rust and corrosion.

(4)	Check the felts.  There's a lot of felt in a piano.  Look
	at the hammers, the contact points (mechanical linkages)
	between the hammers and the keys,  both ends of the strings,
	and where the keys go under the keyboard cover.  All of 
	these (especially the felts at contact points) should be free 
	of compression (depressions) and should be intact.  Pay 
	careful attention to the felt on the hammers.  Is it thick?
	Does it have grooves worn into it?  Is it still springy?
	The quality and condition of the hammers and the resultant
	tone (and ability to adjust the tone) are dependent upon all
	of these factors.

(5)	Check the sound board.  Check for stress fractures in the
	metal frame (relatively rare) and for cracks in the wood
	(fairly common in older pianos).  Pay careful attention
	to the areas around the pins.  No cracks should be evident
	and the pins should be snug.  These factors affect the
	overall sound quality and the ability of the piano to be
	tuned and to stay in tune.

(6)	Inquire of the piano's history of locations, storage, and
	and placement within the house.  The primary concern here
	is severe and/or frequent changes in humidity and temperature.
	A piano that has seen relatively few moves and has experienced
	relatively constant temperature and humidity will generally
	be in much better shape (easier to tune, fewer bad resonances,
	better structural integrity, etc.) than a piano that hasn't
	had these luxuries.

(7)	Check the action of every key at a variety of strengths of
	striking.  Do soft strikes sound the note softly BUT CLEARLY.
	Do the hammers return (partially) even if the key is held
	down?  Does a steady increase in striking pressure (on
	successive strikes of the same key) GRADUALLY increase the
	volume without substantial degradation in tone quality?
	Does every key work every time?  Do the hammers return
	quickly enough to allow very rapid repetition of the same key?

(8)	Play the piano using as many of the keys as possible.  Does each
	key feel the same?  Is the tone quality and volume consistent?
	Do you like the sound and the action?

-- 
FROM:      Stephen D. Burd			AT&T:      (505)-277-6418
USNAIL:    Anderson School of Management        FAX:       (505)-277-7108
           University of New Mexico		INTERNET:  burd@hydra.unm.edu
           Albuquerque, NM  87131
Newsgroups: rec.music.marketplace,rec.music.misc