Though you need to have some sense of what you want in a piano, an independent technician can ascertain the quality of any potential piano purchase, and advise if the piano will meet your needs and provide good value for your money.
Consider some of these scenarios:
Looks good, sounds okay.
just needs a tuning, right?
somebody spray painted gold on the plate to cover the dirt, did a quick and dirty refinishing (or paint job) on the case, and left all the rest of the 10,000 parts as original. and totally decrepit and worn out when you pull out the action to examine the inner works.
You paid too much for a poor quality instrument that should have been sent to the dump years ago, and you could have done much better.
[true story, too often]
Looks good, sounds okay.
Just needs a tuning, right?
too many times I've been called out after the fact to tune something that can't be tuned -- lots of potential reasons, but one very basic one is that the tuning pins are just too loose, and have insufficient torque in the pinblock to grip the tuning pin. So it won't stay on pitch.
[true story, too many times over]
Looks good, sounds okay.
Just needs a tuning, right?
Maybe it is! Some folks out there have the right intuition when they look at something and play it and consider how it sounds. They have a sense of when their dollars are being well spent.
But, I still think you only have a 50/50 chance of getting it right on your own. I get the calls afterward, and I'm not kidding -- you guys need solid, straightforward piano advice.
[you can get it right on your own, with a little education and some diligent looking]
Looks good, sounds okay.
Just needs a tuning, right?
Yes, it is. I can verify that.
Do your research, decide what you like in the look and sound of, decide on your price range, then get qualified advice.
I can inspect your candidate piano for a $50 fee (depending on location) and tell you if you are getting a suitable piano for your needs, and tell you exactly what condition it is in, and whether you are getting good value for the price being asked.
I will also deduct $25 of that fee from your first tuning, if you go ahead and purchase, and arrange the subsequent tuning with me.
