What to look for in a second-hand piano

Why a second-hand piano can be the sensible choice

A good piano is one of the few things in life built to outlast its first owner. Many instruments made in the 1920s still have plenty of music left in them, and a well-chosen second-hand upright or grand can offer far more tone for your money than a new instrument at the same price. The catch is that pianos hide their problems well. A cabinet can be polished to a shine while the vital organs inside are tired, cracked or rusted. If you go in knowing what to inspect — and, more importantly, when to call in a professional — you can buy with confidence rather than hope.

The soundboard, bridges and strings

The soundboard is the piano's lungs: a large, thin sheet of spruce that amplifies the strings' vibration. Its health matters more than its looks.

• Look for cracks. A short hairline crack in a low-stress area is often harmless, but a crack running along the bridge line, or one where the board has separated from the ribs behind it, is a serious fault.
• Check the crown. The board should curve gently upwards towards the strings. Run a straight edge across it or sight along the underside; a collapsed, flat board gives a dull, tubby tone that no amount of tuning will fix.
• Inspect the bridges, the long wooden rails that carry the strings. The notches should be clean and the bridge pins snug. Splits, loose pins or a bridge lifting away from the soundboard all cause buzzing and poor tone.
• Look at the strings themselves. Light surface discolouration is normal, but heavy rust, especially in the bass, means replacement — an expensive job. Pluck a few bass strings and listen for rattles.

Tuning pins, wrest plank and pitch

The tuning pins sit in a thick laminated block called the wrest plank or pin block. This is the piano's grip on tune, and it is difficult and costly to replace. Each pin should feel firm and resist a gentle twist; if pins turn too easily, the block is worn. Check for rust around the coils and for pins driven unusually deep.

Pitch tells you a great deal. Ask when the piano was last tuned and to what pitch. An instrument that has sat flat for years may need a pitch raise followed by several tunings before it settles, and a piano yanked up to concert pitch too quickly can crack the soundboard or the cast-iron frame. Check the frame, or plate, for cracks, particularly around the struts and tuning pin holes, and look for any signs of a repaired crack — a serious warning sign.

Action, keyboard and pedals

The action is the mechanism that turns a key press into a hammer strike, and it contains thousands of small parts. You do not need to understand every spring and centre pin, but you can learn a lot by playing.

• Play every note, softly and then firmly. Listen for sticking keys, double strikes, clicks, buzzes and notes that sound weak or muffled.
• Check repetition: strike a key rapidly and see whether the note keeps up. Play trills in the middle of the keyboard, where problems show first.
• Look at the hammers. Deep, flat grooves mean heavy use, though felt can sometimes be reshaped. Broken shanks, moth damage or rust in the action suggest a damp past.
• Test the dampers — the note should stop cleanly when you release the key — and try all three pedals. Listen for squeaks and check that the sustain pedal lifts every damper evenly.

Ask about tuning history and where it has lived

A seller's answers are as revealing as the instrument itself. Ask how long they have owned it, who tuned it, how often, and when it was last serviced. Receipts from a technician are a good sign. Ask whether the piano has been moved recently, whether it has lived near a radiator or in a damp garage, and whether it came from a school, church or hall — regular tuning but heavy use. Find out if any restoration has been carried out, and by whom.

Arrange an independent technician's report

This is the single most valuable step, and it is not expensive relative to the cost of a piano. A technician will examine the soundboard, bridges, wrest plank, strings, frame and action, assess the pitch and the work needed, and put it all in writing with an estimate of costs. Use your own technician, not the seller's, and arrange the visit while you are present so you can ask questions.

Budget beyond the purchase price: moving a piano costs money, a first tuning after it settles is essential, and regulation or repairs may be needed. Measure your space, think about humidity and sunlight, and remember that a piano needs a stable home. Do this groundwork and a second-hand piano becomes what it should be — a warm, characterful instrument that will reward you for years.