What to Check Before Buying a Used Piano
A practical inspection checklist for private sales and estate finds.
Play every key, then every key again with the sustain pedal down. Dead notes and buzzes tell you more than the finish does.
Look at the tuning pins: heavy rust or visible pin doping usually signals a failing pinblock, the single most expensive repair.
Check the soundboard from behind or below for cracks and for ribs that have separated from the panel.
Ask when it was last tuned. A piano more than a semitone flat is not automatically bad, but it will need a pitch raise plus a follow-up tuning.
Free pianos are rarely free once moving and restoration are counted. A paid inspection is cheaper than a bad purchase.
How we can help
If any of this describes your instrument, a service visit is the fastest way to know where you stand. We inspect, explain what we find, and quote before doing anything. Call (303) 425-5672 or request a quote.
More guides
- How Often Should You Tune a Piano?
- Piano Humidity Control in Colorado Homes
- Sticking Piano Keys: Causes and Fixes
- Upright vs Grand: Maintenance Differences
- Why Piano Strings Break and What It Costs
- The Three Piano Pedals Explained
- Moving a Piano Without Damaging It
- Everyday Piano Cleaning and Care
- Is My Piano Worth Restoring?
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