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Topic: Did I buy a lemon?  (Read 1198 times)

Offline pascalxus

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Did I buy a lemon?
on: November 22, 2022, 04:34:30 AM
We recently bought a used Grand Piano about less than two years ago.  We've been using it regularly about 30min a day and in the last month or so I've been getting back into it and using it about 3+ hours a day.  The piano says George Steck on the front of it.


Over the last year 2 keys broke and in the last few weeks, 3 more keys broke!  they only make sounds intermittently and the key feels strange when being pressed down.  Also, the entire piano has developed a sort of echoy ringy type of sound on most notes.

Offline anacrusis

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Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Reply #1 on: November 22, 2022, 12:31:51 PM
Do you have very dry air at home? Do you know? If the piano is used to a more moist atmosphere and is put somewhere dry it can dry out. That would make the wood more brittle if that's what has broken in your keys. Or it might just be old or poor quality.

Offline lostinidlewonder

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Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Reply #2 on: November 22, 2022, 05:56:24 PM
Your easiest solution is to find an accredited piano technician in your area to look over the piano for you and then let you know what needs work, the cost and whether it is worth it. Given they are intermittently failing it could merely be a matter of adjustment to the action and won't cost you the world. If you have nothing to lose pull the keyboard out and tinker with the action yourself, I've made repairs this way and there should be plenty of info on the Web to be found to guide you.
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Offline timothy42b

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Re: Did I buy a lemon?
Reply #3 on: November 23, 2022, 11:52:54 PM
Do you have very dry air at home? Do you know? If the piano is used to a more moist atmosphere and is put somewhere dry it can dry out. That would make the wood more brittle if that's what has broken in your keys. Or it might just be old or poor quality.

The Stecks were not top of the line but they were decent quality IIRC.  How old is it?
I think if it were a humidity issue the OP would be complaining it goes out of tune too fast. 
It sounds like the keys press down but the hammers don't hammer, something wrong with the action.  I'm assuming since it's a grand that they lifted the lid and looked at the strings. 
I agree, need to have a technician look at it.  And since you haven't done that, it's also unlikely it's been tuned in two years, and that's too long for a piano that's just been moved. 

Tim
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