technical questions about getting a used Steinway B

[vernique]

Hi everyone:

It has been my dream to own a Steinway B since I was young, but due to financial constraint I can't afford to get a new one.   Today I came across a used Steinway B for sale, but like all used pianos, it has some problems.   I do not have the technical knowledge to decide whether it's a good choice, and any help would be appreciated

The piano was built in the year 2001.  It's very lightly played (so lightly played that I could hardly see the string marks on the hammer felts).   However, the person who plays the piano is a beginner kid, so the action in the middle is a bit uneven.  There are bigger gaps between keys in the middle section (1 octave above and below middle C to be precise).   I have a sense that the player has been moving his wrists sideway/wiggling his wrists quite a bit when he plays.  The rest of the keyboard is fine though.  Is this a permanent problem that can't be fixed as if it's just aged unevenly? or do you think a professional technician can solve this problem?   What kind of services will be needed?

Also, the owner removed one spring from the damper pedal to make it easier for his child to play the piano.   He still has the spring.  He said it should be very easy to add back the spring to the pedal, and his removing it before shouldn't have hurt the piano at all.  Is it true?  I can tell that with one spring being taken away, the gradations of the damper pedal is lost.  

The owner has a pet at home.  There's quite a bit dust/fur inside the piano (which I totally understand. After all it has been 12 years).  Is it possible to ask a technician to clean the piano completely?  

Finally, the action of the Steinway B feels rather light for me (lighter than other Steinways I have tried).  The owner said that the key-weight of his piano should be around 50 grams, but somehow I remember people telling me that a Steinway grand has a key-weight of about 65 grams. Is that easily adjustable?  

To be honest I love the sound of the piano.   My biggest concern is that the middle section is a bit overused while the other keys are basically untouched.   I hope you guys will be able to offer me some suggestions/comments.

Thanks~

[iansinclair]

I am NOT a technician!  But i do have a couple of comments.

First and perhaps most important, if you really like the sound that is more important, IMHO, than anything else at all.  Period.  Sound you can't fix.  Almost anything else you can!

I would want to think that a competent technician could fix any of the other items you mentioned -- including the light touch if, after using the instrument for a while you still found you wanted to -- but the thing to do would be to get your technician (or find one, if you don't have one) to examine the instrument in person and give his or her comments.

Commenting on such things over the internet is somehere between dangerous and foolish...

[hfmadopter]

It all sounds addressable to me. However, the cost is unknown so you might want to find that out before moving on this..

 Are the keys in question loose sideways or any other way for that matter ? It is possible that the resting height of the keys might be very slightly different in the middle octaves from use. That will give an appearance of more space between keys or uneven space between keys. It's really not different though if the keys are not loose and that resting height is adjustable by a good tech and actually part of re-regulation..

[vernique]

Are the keys in question loose sideways or any other way for that matter ? It is possible that the resting height of the keys might be very slightly different in the middle octaves from use. That will give an appearance of more space between keys or uneven space between keys.

Thanks for your reply~!    I knelt on on the floor to check the height of the keys.  Interestingly they are quite aligned.  It's the spacing between keys (ex: from F to G there's a bigger gap) and the action of middle section that concern me.   I tried Appassionata 3rd movement on the piano, and the action of the middle section is clearly not as responsive as the rest of the piano, and the differences get more obvious when I was playing passages with scales/running notes.  It just felt sluggish~ That's why I hesitated a bit....Even though I like the sound, I want a piano that plays well~~! 

You also right that the costs of fixing the issues will be unknown, and I wonder if the same problem will occur again like "relapses" even after I ask someone to fix it~! From my understanding for cosmetics stuff people fix it once and it will be done, but for mechanical stuff sometimes the problem will reoccur and eventually people have to replace the parts.   At this stage I will try to gather more info before contacting my technician.  The owner of the piano is quite nice, I do not want to bring a technician to his house until at least I am 70/80% sure that I want his piano~

Thanks~!

[silverwoodpianos]

Hire a technician of your choice to appraise the instrument in writing for present mechanical condition, the cost to complete any corrections, and then local market value.

All of your questions will be answered. Be prepared to spend a couple of hundred on this task.

[vernique]

Hire a technician of your choice to appraise the instrument in writing for present mechanical condition, the cost to complete any corrections, and then local market value.

All of your questions will be answered. Be prepared to spend a couple of hundred on this task.

Thanks~! Your info is very specific and useful~

[withindale]

Presumably you're happy with the price but I'd add that you should have a budget figure in mind for what you are prepared to spend on regulation and repairs, say $2,500, dependent on what the piano is worth to you. When you get the technician's estimate you'll know whether to proceed with the deal or go back to the vendor to agree a reduction.

[kuba88]

vernique: I sent you a private message.

[keys60]

I'm with Silverwood on having the piano checked by a tech. Any concern you mentioned though is an easy fix. The uneven spacing is of keys is easily realigned. Just bending the key pins. It could be a worn key bushing too.  If this piano checks out with a tech, I'd jump on it and have it regulated. There are partial and full regulations on a need be basis. It doesn't sound like you need much.