Piano and Music Videos

It’s sad to think that a piano can simply age to the point where it needs to be thrown away. Sadly, this is sometimes the case. But is it really the age that is the determining factor in getting rid of a piano or is it something else? Today we are going to discuss this topic in-depth and decide whether or not the age of a piano can determine it’s fate.

The age of a piano has much more to do with its upkeep, environment, and use than the date of manufacture. We have had pianos here in the showroom from the 1880s that have been restored and are in better condition than most 10-15-year-old pianos!

I recently had a conversation with a technician who found a 1906 Knabe upright – all original – from an estate where it had virtually never been played. He told me that not only do the strings (the original strings!) sound vibrant and young but the tuning is incredibly stable and you would never have known it was a piano from over 100 years ago. This is a very rare occurrence but it does happen and with the right environment the date of manufacture may be superfluous.

I’ve also run across a different issue with the age of pianos. Some Viennese piano companies were actually producing “period” type pianos well after the development of the modern piano action. While Steinway and other major manufacturers were producing pianos similar to pianos being made today, these companies were still making older style pianos. In this scenario, the age of the piano doesn’t even tell you how modern the piano is!

Ultimately, the factors that determine the age of the piano beyond just a manufacture date are:

– How much the piano has been played

– The environment the piano has been in

– The upkeep of the piano

Now we can go extremely in-depth on each of these factors above, but these are general guidelines for determining the true age of a piano – not just when it was built. Just like anything else, if you take care of your piano and keep it in a safe place it will last a long time unless you play it a lot since parts of pianos wear out. You shouldn’t be discouraged from looking at a piano just because of the date is was made – that is only a small portion of deciding whether or not the piano is a good instrument.

Thanks again for joining us, if you have any questions or comments about this subject or any subject at all please contact us directly: info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

You might wonder whether or not it’s a frivolous expense to spend $60,000, $80,000 or more on a piano when you can buy a decent Asian production piano for a fraction of the cost. Are expensive pianos worth the price or are they merely status symbols? Let’s examine this in detail.

Yes, there is a sense of status when owning an expensive piano. Having the name Steinway, Bosendorfer, Fazioli or other esteemed brand across the fallboard of your piano makes a statement. It’s a lot like owning a designer handbag or luxury car. There is pride of ownership of a fine piano. However, beyond the name across the fallboard, what are the benefits of buying a top-tier, handmade instrument?

Fortunately, showing off the name on your fallboard is not the primary benefit of owning a high-end piano!

Beyond the status of owning an expensive instrument, the resale value of the piano will be much higher than a cheaper production instrument. The value of Steinway, Mason & Hamlin and other top-tier piano brands is very high and they retain their value unlike some production pianos which can be practically worthless in a few short years.

Think of it this way, if you buy a $10,000 production piano, when it wears out you probably wouldn’t invest to rebuild it. This is due to the fact that the cost of rebuilding is more than what the piano is worth or even the price of a new one. When it comes to top tier instruments, the cost of rebuilding is justified. So, the piano has lasting value.

If you’re looking for a piano that you can pass down from generation to generation, a high-end piano is the obvious choice.

What’s the difference in how a cheaper piano plays compared to a top-tier piano?

For the majority of players a cheaper production piano may be adequate. For a young child just starting out, an adult who likes to play occasionally, or someone who is looking at a piano primarily as a piece of furniture or even as an entertainment piece with a modern player system, you may not require anything greater than a decent production piano in your home. It can last several years with moderate use and proper maintenance.

What about for serious players?

Years ago I had a brand new, grand piano from a respected Asian manufacture that I was using as my personal practice piano. I am a serious player and practice hours every day I found that about every six months the piano required major regulation just to keep it in decent playing condition. I even had to rebuild the pedal lyre more than once because it couldn’t withstand the intense use the piano was getting. I was spending a small fortune to maintain the instrument and it was simply not worth the investment. Eventually I found a top-tier American concert grand piano from the 1970s that I still currently use and it’s been a phenomenal experience owning this piano; it can withstand my rigorous practice sessions and requires only minimal regulation on a much more occasional basis because of its stability.

Another thing to consider is that the vast majority of Asian production pianos don’t have the range of expression that top-tier pianos offer. Any serious pianist knows how to instantly adjust to the instrument in front of them. For example, if I’m performing on a concert grand Bosendorfer, Mason & Hamlin, Steinway or other top brand I can let myself go and not worry about how much energy I put into the piano. If I’m performing on a cheaper instrument I will temper my performance limiting the energy I exert to avoid unpleasant sounds out of the piano since it can’t handle my range of expression. I would relate this to turning up a cheap stereo too loud – it can create distortion and become very unpleasant to the ears.

What about if you’re playing a piece that requires quiet playing with multiple, simultaneous lines at different volumes? This is a technique that really only high level players will be able to achieve on a top-tier piano in great condition. Yet it’s something that any serious pianist absolutely requires.

These issues are not really a concern for most players or students. Unless you are a really accomplished player you probably won’t encounter these types of issues. However, if you find yourself limited in your performance because of your current instrument then it might be time to upgrade your piano to something more substantial. Even if it isn’t required, you may appreciate the quality of sound and touch and enjoy and instrument you can keep for the rest of your life.

This might sound like a crazy proposition to a lot of you but we get calls everyday from people looking to get rid of pianos they simply can’t keep anymore or don’t want. You might think that there would be people out there who would want any piano but it’s not that simple. Getting rid of a piano you don’t want can actually be a real challenge.

Now if you have a piano in good condition – one that plays well enough and has a decent finish – you can probably find someone who is willing to pay at least a small amount for it or at least take it as a donation. But even then it might be a challenge to find it a new home.

If you have an older upright piano that is in pretty bad condition you might think that somebody out there might want it to fix up and you can avoid taking it to the dump. Sadly, in some cases this is the only thing you can do. Finding a home for a sub-standard piano is going to be a real challenge and unfortunately many pianos are taken to the dump every year. In some cases this might be your only option. Rebuilding a piano costs thousands of dollars and if you have a piano that has the potential to be worth only a small amount, it’s going to be very hard to find a home for it.

Now let’s say you have a piano that has potential and can play OK – what are your options? If you don’t want to go through the process of selling the piano yourself and nobody is willing to take it in on consignment then you can try an auction house. Many times they will haul your piano away for you and put it on auction. If it sells you may get some money for it and not have to worry about that piano taking up room in your home anymore.

This might seem like a crazy question to ask. Upright pianos are extremely common and popular and for many people with limited space are the only option they might have for a piano. In fact, in many parts of the world such as Europe and Asia, upright pianos are the standard type of piano because of smaller homes and limited space. Today we are going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of buying an upright piano and you can decide if it’s a good fit for you.

There is a lot of conflicting information about this topic floating around online. When it comes to rebuilding a piano or buying a rebuilt Steinway piano, you will encounter a lot of different opinions from various sources.

There are some people who believe that if you rebuild a Steinway with different parts (other than those provided by Steinway directly) the piano shouldn’t even be considered a Steinway anymore. This might sound a little extreme but there is some truth to this claim. If you replace the soundboard on a piano, it is a fundamentally different instrument. The soundboard is responsible to a great extent for the tone of the piano. Replacing it changes something intrinsic to the instrument. Much like removing the top of a Stradivarius violin means it’s not a Stradivarius anymore. The same rule applies to pianos – if you remove the soundboard it’s no longer the same as the original piano.

However, there are a lot of other parts on the piano besides the soundboard. What about strings, hammers, felts or one of the dozens of other parts on a piano? There is a lot of misinformation out there about this subject and I will do my best to clear this up.

There are two reasons you will hear people dissuade you from purchasing a rebuilt piano or rebuilding one of your own. On one side you have people who are generally trying to help customers avoid making mistakes. There are some rebuilders out there who will use substandard parts or not deliver the quality of instrument they really should. This is not a common practice but it is something to be aware of and why you should really have a technician check out any rebuilt instruments if you’re buying from an unknown source.

On the other side, the largest competitor to new Steinway & Sons pianos are used Steinway pianos! The market for used Steinway pianos is very strong because there is a large market for Steinway pianos in general. New Steinway pianos often cost a significant amount more than used Steinways and many people have their minds made up that they will only purchase a Steinway piano. Instead of breaking the bank, a lot of people will purchase high quality used pianos. It is in Steinway’s interest to sell as many new pianos as they can and dissuade buyers from purchasing used Steinway pianos.

So when it comes to the original question, do you need to rebuild a Steinway with Steinway parts? Yes, if they are the right match. There is a big caveat to rebuilding with only Steinway parts; they are not actually a parts manufacturer. The only parts they have on hand are for pianos they are currently building. So let’s say you had a 1932 Steinway Model M and a novice rebuilder wants to replace many of the action parts. They might call up Steinway and ask for parts for a Model M. After the rebuilder finishes and installs the parts, he might find out that the specifications are not correct for that particular piano. Some of the new parts won’t match what they had made in the past: the action weight could be off, the geometry might be wrong, there is a whole host of possible issues.

In some cases, Steinway parts are not the appropriate parts to use. For example, you could purchase Abel hammers or parts from Renner that could match the original specifications much closer. In fact, Renner provides all the action parts for Steinway pianos made in Hamburg, Germany. So no, it’s not wrong to use other parts from high quality manufacturers many of which will provide parts that match particular vintages of pianos better than what Steinway may have available at that time.

The biggest factor in rebuilding a piano is to use high quality parts that are the right match for that particular piano. It takes a knowledgeable rebuilder who has worked with Steinway pianos a great deal to make the right choices.

Many people – whether they are just starting to learn to play the piano or have been playing for some time wonder what piano will suit their skill level best. There are quite a few needs each person might have that will help them pick the right piano for their playing style or skill.

Many people assume that when they just start playing the piano, it’s O.K. to get a keyboard and get a piano later if they stay with it. If you are going to get a keyboard, be sure it has a weighted action. However, even high quality digital pianos with weighted actions present substantial compromises to your studies. It will never feel or play like a real piano – no matter what model or brand you get. Even a modest upright piano will offer a better playing experience than a keyboard and you are more likely to enjoy success with an traditional piano.

If you look inside a piano you will notice there about 100 parts associated with each key you press. Even if a keyboard has a good weighted action, it will never be able to produce the same expressiveness and feel as a real piano. While many keyboards respond to touch, they can’t replicate the wide range of expression and sounds created with a real piano with the hundreds of strings, soundboard and harmonic interaction of the tone.

Another thing to keep in mind is getting at least a console size piano to start with. For some people, spinet pianos are a great option because they have a lighter action and are easier to play. This may be appropriate for someone suffering from arthritis or other hand problems. If you are just learning and are young and healthy, you will develop a better technique on a console or larger piano because of the direct blow action which is lacking on spinets which have drop actions.

There is a point during your piano studies that you will outgrow even a fine upright piano. There are several reasons for this. Most importantly, in upright pianos the hammers travel sideways and don’t have the benefit of gravity as in grand pianos in which the hammers go up and down. This creates a slower and less responsive action. It’s very noticeable when trying to play trills or repeated notes because the hammers can’t repeat with the same energy.

When you start playing more advanced music you will realize this is a problem because it will affect the speed in which you can play. Once you progress beyond the Sonatina level, you will benefit greatly by having a grand or baby grand piano for practice. Studying music of Bach, Schummann, and Chopin on an upright piano presents many compromises. Students who practice on grand pianos and baby grand pianos progress better than students practicing on uprights.

Once your playing progresses to a very high level you will want to focus on playing and practicing with a larger grand piano. This is because the tone produced is much different – especially in the tenor and bass registers where the tone becomes expansive. The saying, “The bigger the better” really applies to pianos. It will always be better to learn and practice on a larger piano. For some, an upright or baby grand is a better option to start with – for either budget or space reasons – but eventually (if your playing progresses far enough) you will want to practice on a larger piano.