Piano Evaluations

Will That “Free” Piano Pass the Test?

You’ve been wanting a piano for your home. You think piano lessons would be great for the kids and you wouldn’t mind brushing up on your skills too. Just then, serendipity comes calling. Your neighbor’s sister’s brothers-in-law’s cousin has a lovely piano that they’ll let you have for a song. In fact, they may even be willing to just give it to you because they’re moving and need it gone.

What are the odds? Can’t beat the price of free, right? Should you jump on this opportunity and take it before someone else does?

Let’s take a beat and consider a few scenarios:

SCENARIO #1: Hand Me That Piano!

You take the piano. You have it moved to your home and it plays beautifully. The kids are thrilled. You’re ecstatic. Life is good.

SCENARIO #2: Free Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be

You take the piano. You have it moved to your home. You notice a few quirks. It could probably use some tuning, so you hire a Piano Tuner. Your professional Piano Tuner examines your piano and tells you it’s got some issues that need to be addressed before they can tune it. Upon deeper examination, it turns out the issues are quite extensive and very expensive to repair. You ask the Piano Tuner how you can just get rid of the piano? They tell you if you’re going to junk it, you’ll have to pay to have it hauled away.

Obviously, there is a world of difference between these two scenarios. Unfortunately, we hear Scenario #2 from far too many people — those who inherited the family piano, those parents with a child getting ready to start piano lessons who found a piano in the neighborhood, or from other Piano Tuners who share stories of how they had to break the news to their clients.  

But wait…there’s a third scenario.

SCENARIO #3: Have It On Good Authority

You DON’T take the piano. At least, not right away. Instead, you hire a Professional Piano Technician to perform a Piano Evaluation.

The Piano Technician goes to where the piano currently resides and inspects it inside and out. They then provide you with a full report on the piano’s condition along with recommendations for any repairs it might need as well as what the repairs might cost. You consider your options carefully and make your ultimate decision with total confidence.

While you will still need to pay the Piano Technician for their services, it is a much more affordable option than paying for piano moving, extensive piano repairs, or a junk removal service to haul it away and dispose of it for you.

A Pretty Lie

Pianos — especially ones that are free, inherited, or incredibly cheap — are what we refer to as a “pretty lie.” You want to believe that the inside of it matches the beauty of the outside. Unfortunately, all too often the outside cabinetry has been well-maintained and cared for, while the insides have either been neglected or are just not functioning properly due to wear and tear.

That’s why it’s so critical to call in a Professional Piano Technician. During an evaluation they’ll assess things you couldn’t possibly know about or even see, including:

• General Piano Information. This includes the make/model and date the piano was manufactured as well as how long it may have been owned by the current owner.  
• Exterior Examination. Outside wear and tear may indicate if the piano was ever dropped during a move or shows obvious signs of damage.
• Elemental Damage. Fire, water, or rodent damage to the instrument are the big three that might point towards larger repair or restoration work.  
• Playing Assessment. While playing the piano the technician is listening and feeling for how the piano action and pedals behave. It’s a mini preview of what they will be looking for when they open up the instrument.
• Interior Examination. The technician will perform an inspection of the piano action. They’ll look over the strings for signs of prior repair or corrosion, along with the felts, hammers, and wood for damage that will require repair or replacing. They’ll also assess the cleanliness of the piano’s interior.
• Structural Assessment. This is a visual assessment of the plate and the soundboard, blocks and bridges for cracks or breaks. The technician will measure the torque on the tuning pins to make sure that they are not too loose or too tight. (If they’re too loose, the piano won’t hold its tuning; too tight can be a red flag of potential injury during a tuning.)  
• Other Factors. The technician will take note of other things such as where the piano is placed in its present home, information for piano movers like steps and turns to get the piano moved out of the home, and any history of the piano that the owner can provide.   

A piano is a 200–1000-pound musical Rube-Goldberg machine that begins when you push down the key and ends when the hammer strikes the string(s). There are a multitude of parts for each individual key.  First, the hammer is striking up to three strings. The strings are strung on roughly 230 pins with each individual string exerting somewhere between 160-200 pounds of pressure which amasses around 30,000-40,000 PSI upon the plate. It is a beautifully complex instrument that must be meticulously maintained to create the gorgeous sounds it is capable of making.

Myth Buster: There’s No Such Thing As A Cheap Or Free Piano

Should you find yourself in the position of taking ownership of a piano that is gifted to you or offered at a greatly reduced price, we offer the following advice:

• Don’t bring a stray piano into your home before you know what you are getting.
• Hire a Piano Technician for a Piano Evaluation.  Yes, it will cost something, but it is cheaper in the long run.
• Never try to move a piano yourself.  Hire professional piano movers.  While it will cost a few hundred dollars, hiring professional piano movers will mitigate the risk of unnecessary damage to the piano from being tilted the wrong way or dropped. And you won’t risk an injury to a friend or family member from lifting/twisting the wrong way or dropping the piano on their finger or foot. (*NOTE: We recommend working with Piano Movers Extraordinaire or Manny’s Piano Moving for moves in Minnesota, particularly the Twin Cities Metro.)
• Make sure you have a good spot in your home for the piano that won’t subject it to humidity or solar damage.
• Allow it to rest for 2-4 weeks before having your Piano Technician return for its first piano tuning.

A Special Deal For You!

Are you considering getting yourself a used piano?  Drop us a line and mention this blog post to take advantage of our Piano Evaluation Services and get up to three pianos inspected that are within a 15-mile area for the cost of one Piano Evaluation. PLUS, we’ll even take $50 off your first piano tuning. Offer valid through Dec. 31, 2024.