Need advice buying a piano ?

[mino00]

 Hello Member .
   My 7 years old starting a piano lesson , so I ' m looking for a piano to buy . I got no idear which one best for star learning piano .  Thinking to get an piano  < 3 grand . Any advice
 would deeply appreciated .
Thanks
 Henry.

[rick langmaack]

It's probably best to start with something relatively cheap but in decent shape considering that you don't know if your child will stick with piano.  You can try looking in the paper or on bulletin boards at music stores. If you find an affordable piano, you should go and look at it to see if you like the way it looks. Then you should hire a piano technician to inspect the instrument. I would not buy a piano from a private owner without having it inspected.  Even if it is free, it is a good idea to have it inspected so that you don't end up having to put a lot of money into it to get it working and in tune. Another approach would be to go to a piano dealer.  Usually these instruments are reliable since they have been looked over and maybe worked on by the technician who is selling them.  You don't have to spend alot of money to get a nicely working and decent sounding piano.  Another word of advice is to stay away from the spinet style piano.  They could be in good shape, but if something does break they are problematic and more expensive to repair.  Look for a console or taller upright.
I don't know where you live but there is a great piano dealer in NJ at: https://www.pianoscomplete.com/links.html  - click on Vienna Piano link. - Good luck!

[mino00]

Thanks alot

[indianajo]

If you live upstairs you want a piano under 350 lb, usually a 40" console is not too bad. Not under 36" tall. Forgotten brands of the 50's that I have played and liked were Baldwin, Hamilton, Everett. Everett doesn't sound as good as Baldwin.  Quality brands were Sohmer and Steinway consoles, I just bought a 1941 Steinway for $1000 with metal toy car damage to the veneer and one key.    I have seen  hamilton's and baldwin's on craigslist for $300.  A really basic model that works okay for a while is Kimball, but they wear out fast and the sound is really muffled.  Any one you look at make sure no key sticks down, nothing sounds like a chime (broken string) open the top and make sure the hammer sticks are straight and the felt striking surfaces are not grooved in the middle keys, the leathers are not mouse eaten.  Don't even call a tech before checking that.  Mom's Everett held tune really well, my Sohmer sounds better but needs tuning more often.
If you live on the ground and have 4 hefty male friends with a pickup  with a trailer hitch, there are some really great uprights (5' tall) for $100.  Some great ones are free.  After you check it, invest in a tech on one of these, there were some real junk uprights too, and water or mouse damage is more likely in a 100 year old piano. 

[richard black]

If you live upstairs you want a piano under 350 lb

Oh I dunno, I've got a good 650lb of Bechstein grand upstairs here....

[indianajo]

You can get anything anywhere with enough money and the right tools, but we were talking about saving money.  4 pro's with a piano dolly or a board is about $100 an hour 2 hour minimum even here in the midwest.  When I graduated from college into the recession of 73, I loaded and drove furniture vans for two years.  After running 2 steps at a time with 2 cartons of books enough, I slimmed down to 130 lb, all muscle.  The company sent me out one end of month rush with 3 "peakload" men (winos) to carry a 600 lb upright downstairs.  It was straight carry, but the wino in my end, the bottom, collapsed halfway down.  I picked it up more and we carried it over him- my finest hour. 
I and my wimpy yard men got my 350 lb steinway up the 6 steps into my house okay, but the day after thanksgiving the strong guy I had an appointment wimped out, so I had to move my bargain 650 lb Hammond organ by myself.  Winched it into the truck okay, but coming off down the ramp into my house, 6 steps off the ground, the organ toppled over, destroyed the brick pilaster on the side of the steps, and broke the right side of the case and top off the organ.  My wimpy yard man and I winched it in the next day.  It works fine! Now, about that pile of bricks in the yard?

[richard black]

You can get anything anywhere with enough money and the right tools, but we were talking about saving money.

Oh, I thought you were worrying about floor load-bearing capacity! No, you're quite right, moving pianos up stairs costs.

[gyzzzmo]

Get yourself a second hand upright piano of a decent brand. Maybe you got a friend who knows abit about piano's who can test it for you. Piano dealers often sell decent second hand piano's too. Dont bother spending alot of money on one, because these days you can get pretty good older piano's, wich last forever if theyve been treated well.

Gyzzzmo

[michaelo]

Just an idea I had heard recently.  Some places rent electronic pianos.  It may be a place to start for a few months since you can return them if a child does not take to it.