Buying an Acoustic Piano (Used)

[xander1984]

If I had money, I'd buy Yamaha U3. But that's not going to happen and I'm in need of an acoustic piano. I guess my best bet is to buy a used piano. I've been responding to use piano ads in my city and there are many pianos whose names I'm not familiar with. I guess many of the companies no longer exist. Some are free and some are over-priced. I want to hear about people who have experience in buying an upright used acoustic piano. If I should set my price range to be no higher than $1000, how do I get the most out of it? I'd rather make a slow decision after looking at many pianos throughly. It's just sometimes there can be some nasty surprises that you come across when you buy a used stuff. Thanks.

[silverwoodpianos]

If you don’t know pianos, know your pianoman.  There are plenty of good used instruments in the marketplace for purchasing. The more difficult thing to find is a good technician to inspect them for you.

First go and find the tone you like………. Forget names and models; find the tone and the touch you like. Then call your favourite technician and have the instrument inspected for present condition and then local market value.

[john90]

Excellent advice from Silverwood. Personally I would start looking for the cheap/free stuff. You want something overstrung (strings cross, like a big X, not all parallel) underdamped (hammers are on top, dampers below, more central than the hammers), and with a full iron frame (iron above/around the top of the tuning pins). It must play really nicely, have no cracks in the iron frame, and be no more than $150. You have to be happy with it as it is. If you can play, sit down and play it for 15 minutes. I dare say you will need to visit 20 pianos before you find "the one", then get your tech over, if you are not confident that you know your pianos.

[ingunite]

Just stay away from spinets, unless someone offers you money to take the piano away!
Craigslist is usually thickly populated with piano offerings in wide price and quality ranges.

[keys60]

There's a few decent spinets out there amongst all the crap. Baldwin Acrosonic puts out a lot more than some of the taller counterparts. Its small and lacks in the bass like all spinets, but quite voluminous with quite a quick and accurate action if regulated properly.  They're a little more difficult to tune, but let your tech worry about that. Stay away from the Lester Betsy Ross. 
Small, pretty and cheap is what made the spinet the winner in most households.