Used piano- - less than smooth sound board

[SeaSonnet]

Am looking at a used piano to purchase.    Professional Upright, very good quality, 16 years old.  Sound board seems slightly wavy in a few places.  How much of a problem is this?  At what point do you back off?

[sirpazhan]

Am looking at a used piano to purchase.    Professional Upright, very good quality, 16 years old.  Sound board seems slightly wavy in a few places.  How much of a problem is this?  At what point do you back off?

Wavy soundboard may indicate a weak brace, negligence by former owner or glue related issues. -- I personaly would back off,, only because Im very picky with little things like that,, especially soundboard related 'the soul of the piano'.. Once your soundboard is cracked,, its over,, you're piano becomes worthless (price drops significantly),, it can be sealed by repair techs,, however its like having a car thats been salvaged.. 

also,, price is another factor to think about,,

[Axtremus]

1. Does it sound good?

2. What environment does the piano lives in, especially -- what's the relative humidity level the piano has been exposed to in its history?

If the sound is good, it doesn't matter what the soundboard looks like, wavy or cracked or perfectly smooth. That's the essence of question #1 above.

For all you know, smoothing out the waves and shimming the cracks might just kill the good tone entirely. Even Steinway has this to say:

Quoting from THIS Steinway article:

"... there persists a common notion that a crack in the wood must in some way cause a deterioration of the tonal output. Actually, no such effect is to be expected."

There's a whole section on "Effect of Cracks and Checks" in that article that you can read up on your own.

Now, assuming that your answer to question#1 is "Yes, it sounds good," then for question #2, it has to do with whether you can maintain that good sound after you buy it and put it in your home.

If you treat the environment in your home to match the relative humidity level of the piano's current environment, then you can expect the piano to maintain that kind of sound.

Regardless, if you're serious about wanting to buy a used piano, hire an independent piano technician to check it out for you, wavy soundboard or perfect soundboard -- it's just like hiring an independent auto-mechanic to check out a used car before you buy. If there's any problem with the piano, the technician you hire should tell you.

Good luck.