Pianos are complex mechanical instruments with over 10,000 moving parts. While a used piano can be a wonderful investment, it can also be a hidden money pit. Before you purchase a used piano off the private market, check for these critical defects.
1. Antique is Just Antique
If you open the piano and the wood has changed its color to a gray-brown, looking almost rotten, walk away. Bridle tapes (usually made with white buckskin) will have changed color and hardened. This happens when a piano absorbs too much moisture over a long period (often 80-100+ years). If you press a key with fortissimo, you will likely get a hammer-shank breaking sound.
2. Worn Hammer Felt
The hammer felt is the portion that hits the strings. If it's worn away so deeply that the wood underneath is striking the strings, you will hear a harsh, metallic sound. This is frequently found in pianos that were open to the public, such as in old churches or schools.
3. Pinblock Defectiveness (The Deal Breaker)
This is the most critical and frequent defect. To keep the piano in tune, the friction between the tuning pin and the pinblock must be extremely high. If a piano is exposed to extreme dryness or humidity, the laminate wood of the pinblock can crack or lose its grip.
4. Rust on Strings and Pins
Rust on the tuning pins, wire, and hitch pins is a major red flag. In Canada, rust is often caused during shipping processes or by placing the piano near damp exterior walls. While surface tarnish is normal, deep rust will cause the strings to break during tuning. If you see shiny new strings mixed with old rusty ones, it means strings are already beginning to snap.
5. Infestations and Twisted Keys
The space under the keys is a perfect nesting ground for mice and insects. It is not uncommon to find mice droppings around the pedal trapwork of a 30-year-old piano. If keys are sticking, it could be due to foreign objects (coins, cards), warped key sticks from moisture, or inflated felt bushings causing extreme friction.
6. Bridge Cracks
The wooden bridge transmits the vibration of the strings (which hold up to 16 tons of tension) to the soundboard. Over time, changes in humidity can cause the bridge to twist, shrink, or expand. Look closely at the bridge pins; if you see hairline cracks running along the pins, the piano will lose its tone and eventually produce a loud buzzing or striking noise.
7. Cracked Soundboard
The soundboard is the heart and soul of the piano's tone. Just like a cracked acoustic guitar, a cracked piano soundboard loses its resonance. Look underneath a grand piano, or at the back of an upright. Large cracks can cause buzzing sounds and dead tones. Never lay a piano on its back or subject it to extreme weather, as this causes the spruce soundboard to split.
Conclusion: It takes over 10 years for a brand new piano to become completely stabilized, and after 20 years, design flaws or poor maintenance will manifest as malfunctions. If a 20-year-old piano passes all these tests, it has survived the Test of Time.
At Piano Inside, every used piano we sell has passed a rigorous inspection for these defects, ensuring you get an instrument that will last for generations.