Erard grand piano

[bepianist]

Hello everyone,

I'm a beginner pianist, looking for an old grand piano.
I came across someone selling a original Erard grand piano in my area, delivered in 1863 Hamburg (Germany). There are some light damages to the keys and decoration profiles (see images). The seller is demanding 1500 dollars (see attachments).

Should I buy it and find someone to restore it? Is it worth it? All comments are appreciated.

[timothy42b]

There is a Facebook page for Erard.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FandErard/?multi_permalinks=2105549309580209&notif_id=1611951782654907&notif_t=group_highlights&ref=notif

I would think you could have it restored for somewhere around $10,000 to $20,000.  Probably near the upper end unless it's been rebuilt once already. 

I would recommend having a technician evaluate it.  A 150 year old piano might be playable, or it might need everything replaced.  Just looking at the photos the key tops are chipped and not level. 

To some extent tuning can be learned by a DIYer; the rest that's involved cannot. 

[bepianist]

Thanks for your response Tim.
Do you think it will be worth it to invest 10-20 grand into the piano? Or should I buy a new piano from the 15-20k range (such as Yamaha).

[jcazador]

Why do you restrict yourself to buying either an antique or a new piano?
The best piano for your dollar is a used late model in excellent condition, bought from a private party.
I love my Yamaha C3, for which I paid less than your rebuild project.  And I did not have to guess how a rebuilt project might end up sounding.
Have you checked craigslist?  Have you found a reliable expert to help evaluate your possibilities?

[dogperson]

Why do you restrict yourself to buying either an antique or a new piano?
The best piano for your dollar is a used late model in excellent condition, bought from a private party.
I love my Yamaha C3, for which I paid less than your rebuild project.  And I did not have to guess how a rebuilt project might end up sounding.
Have you checked craigslist?  Have you found a reliable expert to help evaluate your possibilities?

I agree with this,
Why I would not recommend a beginner pianists buying the Erard: the quality of the rebuild and the selection  of the rebuilder are critical; I would recommend you get more experience playing a variety of pianos before you make this leap. Do you really want to be without a piano for 6 months to 1 yr while the rebuild is happening?

New pianos have their benefits: no necessary independent evaluations. If you like it,  you buy it.  Ususlly includes moving cost and one free tuning. The disadvantage is that, like new cars, they start depreciating in value the minute they are unloaded from the moving truck.  If you want new, do read about what you should pay— and it’s not the MSRP. 
Piano buyer is a good  resource
https://www.pianobuyer.com/acoustic-pianos-introduction-to-brand-profiles-models-prices/

Pre-owned from  a private seller can yield the best value—-  but it does require homework to know what is a good price.  You need to have sn independent tech inspection, since most owners believe their  piano is in great shape—- even  when it’s not.

[quantum]

If you were a more experienced pianist, or had specific interest in 19th century piano music, I would say have a closer look at the piano.  However, for a beginner this may not be the wisest choice for a starting piano.  I would recommend learning a bit more about the piano on a recent instrument before looking at a piano from such a period.