How to Buy a Piano:

Ask yourself these three questions first:
Will this Piano meet my current and future needs?
Will this Piano fit in my home and/or studio?
Am I comfortable with the price of the Piano?

Consider that Most NEW pianos start around $3,000.

Don't over pay for your first Piano which often is a upright that already “aged.”

These pianos often need work done to them to function properly. Tuning can be a nightmare and the general condition of an “aged” piano can discourage an eager student from wanting to learn or even play music.

Piano Classes: Hand-made and Mass-produced

Mass-produced are the obvious choice for the affordable new piano.

New uprights start around $3,000- $4,500

New Grand Pianos start around $8,000- $11,000

Handcrafted Pianos will vary greatly in price based on the quality and brand. Something made by a well know brand often only make a few hundred pianos a year. If the craftsmanship is of expert quality the price will reflect it, such as Bosendorfer.

Mass-produced pianos made in Indonesia and/or China are of much “lesser” quality, but are priced for entry level buyers.

Be sure to ask your sales-person where the Piano was made, because often major names are build in countries other than their Home base.

If your dealer offers a pre-servicing before delivery take it and if they don't, ASK FOR IT.

Learn about what the dealer covers on the warranty and what the manufacturer covers. Some dealers may cover some or all of the manufacturer's warranty,

Make an effort to buy your piano on the dealers premises. This will give you an opportunity to check out the “quality” of the store. You should be able to gage for yourself if they are ready to help you with your major financial investment. The dealer may offer Pianos that are “off-site” such as at a hotel, lounge, convention centers, etc. This is a buyer beware situation and you should consider the quality of pre-servicing or after-servicing when buying “off-site”. Get it all in writing and you could still get a good piano.

Lastly there is the Digital Pianos. The pros of owning one of these is the ease of transporting, privacy with the use of headphones, more “weather friendly” , there is no tuning required, you can plug them into a computer (sometimes) and get enhanced value and education from digital pianos.