Polling opinions: USED PIANO being purchased

[mabbigeasy]

Hello,
I am looking at a few instruments to play as an amateur, intermediate level pianist.  I can tell a lot about what I like in touch / action and sound.   I have found 3 instruments that I am torn between.

I have two questions.
1. Does a used piano that has a player system installed previously tend to loose its "life" sooner? i.e., need refurbishing, strings, action regulation, adjustments, etc.    or more often than a standard used piano?

2. I am considering a Schimmel from the early 80's, a Boston from the 90's and a Petrof from the 90's...  the Schimmel has a player system installed. It is in great shape, and is from the time before Schimmel encountered some of its more recent problems.   The Petrof is my first choice, but is a few thousand more than I budgeted, but is also more than I expected to get. It is a 6'4" and my other two are 5'10" instruments    The Boston has that wonderful rich bass I love, but the treble does not sing beautifully as the other two.

your opinions on the three instrument/makers     your experience as a performer    your experience as a technician   or as an owner   are all welcome.

thanks
MabBigEasy

[liszt85]

The Petrof is my first choice,

Makes sense given that it is a newer piano, and is 6'4" (a parlor grand?). I personally wouldn't buy anything shorter than that actually, if I had a reasonable enough space in my house for a parlor grand piano. The space you have in your house is an equally important consideration because the piano will sound different in your house. So if you have a smallish room, I'd probably go with the Schimmel, if you have a big enough space, I'd probably go with the Petrof. 

[hfmadopter]

If the whole piano doesn't sing to you I personally would most likely pass on it. I would not be into ripping out player systems nor be interested in a player system, so that's out. Guess of the ones you describe, that might leave one choice left. It's a grand piano, it's something that can last you a life time. I would think that would make it worth a little stretch in finances, be that save for a bit longer or finance part of it or finance a whole piano that you 'really' want. If you have that kind of flexibility in your finances of course.

I've owned a grand  piano for more than 30 years now and find myself playing digital more and more actually. So I'm out of the market place regarding acoustic grands. With acoustic pianos if one string goes out of tune a little it just seems to affect the whole experience for me. Especially if it's in the the major play zones of the piano. I use a fair amount of pedal in my playing ( especially my own compositions) and that duff note seem s to resonate in the sympathetic resonance of the whole  keyboard. I'm very sensitive to a piano going slightly out of tune, enough for the human ear to pick up on anyway. Off topic now, so I'm done.