Suggestions For a Piano

[erich76]

Hi, I'm a 16 year old, and I've been trying to negotiate for my parents to buy me a new piano. I've just gotten a job about 3 months ago and I have about $1500 saved up. Right now I'm playing on a spinet that's an absolute piece of crap. Is there any sort of upright that would be at least decent, in the $2000-3000 range?

Thanks,
Eric

[j_menz]

You might be able to get one second hand, but you'd need to play it first and maybe get a tech to look at it. Otherwise, you can get a pretty reasonable digital for that.

With the digital, you can practice in silence. You may be able to sell that idea to your folks to get them to chip in. 

[hfmadopter]

If I might ask, what is it about the spinet that makes it "a piece of crap" as you say ? Has it been serviced at all ? Knowing that spinets get bad press I'm wondering if that's what's bothering you or if it really is in bad shape and or not particularly repairable.

You can get a used piano for $2500, probably a console or full upright, maybe not a top brand but in good shape.. You will have to do some digging and as has been suggested, have a tech look at it before the purchase is made.. If you have 2500 and your parents help out a bit you could get a nice used piano for $4000 with less digging to find it.

Depending on what you want to do with piano digital is an option. For me it would be the last option but many like them. At $2000 you can get into a nice one though. You don't need the tech or tuning with a digital but it has limitations in ohter ways IMO, especially if you are a piano student thinking seriously about music and piano in particular on into adulthood. My personal feeling is digital is fine along with an acoustic but not as a sole piano to own. Others feel this is what they can handle or is what they want. So be it.

[erich76]

The spinet has terrible tone quality, a weird and imprecise action, and goes out of tune about 3 weeks after bein tuned. Oh and some of the dampers aren't working at the moment, but that can be fixed. And I really doubt that my parents will help me out at all -_- also, I would really prefer to play on an acoustic piano, I hate keyboards with a passions XD

[hfmadopter]

The spinet has terrible tone quality, a weird and imprecise action, and goes out of tune about 3 weeks after being tuned. Oh and some of the dampers aren't working at the moment, but that can be fixed. And I really doubt that my parents will help me out at all -_- also, I would really prefer to play on an acoustic piano, I hate keyboards with a passions XD

I give you credit for earning your own money, not all 16 yo do that these days !

I'm not a spinet fan myself but at 16 I'd probably have made do with one, considering what I got for lessons earlier on was accordion lessons. If a spinet meant I could play piano I'd have taken it and probably not waited till adulthood to pick back up with my music.  Later in life I played a Wurlitzer spinet of a friends daughter a few times. I have to say that one didn't sound half bad but the action was almost like playing the accordion, in that the key throw seemed short on that particular model. So maybe I get where you're coming from on that.

The tuning going out fast may be a sign of trouble with the pin block or it may not be. It just as well could be climate control issues or the tech/tuner  isn't setting the pins correctly. And I'm sure you know that the dampers hanging up will cause all sorts of harmonics octaves away from where you are playing ? Undamped strings will vibrate as you play other notes. 3 undamped strings will sound, well, crappy even when you are not playing the undamped keys !

Ya know this isn't for me to say, maybe should be between you and your parents or someone close to you. None the less, I'd hate to see you go out and spend your 2 grand and end up not getting something a whole lot better than what you have.. Maybe you should call another tech, have the dampers fixed ( at least then you could sell or trade in your piano if you go that far). With a tech assessment maybe he would drive the pins a little if needed and or if practical and touch up some regulation. Then see what you have in that spinet. Hey, it really could be a piece of junk but I don't know that. The tech route is your first step, IMO ( completely my opinion and for all I know maybe you have gone past this routine already). But keep in mind too, that techs often do some second hand dealing themselves. If not he might keep an eye out for a better piano. A tech is how I ended up with my wonderful teacher I had years ago and my grand piano I still own now. Get a certified tech, it will be worth the little extra money. Don't do something like have the next door neighbor who is a pharmacist or some such thing come in and assess this thing for you.

Keep working and saving at any rate, when you get ready to buy you will be all the better prepared !