Photo: Mao Li

Does the age of a piano matter?

As a piano ages, the hammers get hard and wear down to the wood. Also, the wood parts become brittle and break causing the piano not to play correctly, or at all. And the strings become rusty and dusty and no longer create a good sound.

thepianogalshop.com - Why age matters... | Piano Tuning, Music Store & Lessons

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“It’s an antique”, is a phrase I hear often.

The term antique should not be applied to a piano. Think of a piano less in terms of a piece of furniture, and more in terms of a car. A piano may LOOK like a piece of furniture, and in some ways it is i.e. picture frames on top, but it is a complicated musical instrument with a lot of working parts inside. Once a car gets to a certain age, it needs a new engine, a new transmission and stuff like that. As a piano ages, the hammers get hard and wear down to the wood. Also, the wood parts become brittle and break causing the piano not to play correctly, or at all. And the strings become rusty and dusty and no longer create a good sound. There are a multitude of more issues I could discuss, but those factors are pretty huge.

Left alone, pianos do not last forever.

A piano can be reconditioned. A piano can be restored. Both of these involve a great deal of expense and new parts. Unfortunately, the common scenario with a piano that I see most often is that it was purchased, then tuned maybe once or twice over the course of several decades and that’s about it. So, now there is a 60 (or 100!!) year old piano that has all original parts that are worn and dusty and not working well, and the poor piano hasn’t been tuned in ages. Why does this matter to someone else? The biggest issue is that this scenario seems to be the most common one for pianos that are listed on Craigslist and other marketplaces. The owner wants to get rid of it. They think it’s in “great” condition because the furniture part of it (the outside) has been cared for and dusted. However, the piano has rarely been opened in its tenure in that home. I’m going to share some pictures of older pianos in order to illustrate what happens as pianos age. These photos show dust, rust, and wear, which are all things that make a piano sound and feel bad. It isn’t just about it needing to be tuned with a piano. And grabbing a free piano off Craigslist and then having a tuner come and tune is not going to fix these issues (provided the piano can be tuned at all).

When looking to acquire a used piano, age matters.

It matters a lot. Find out how old it is. Pianos always have a serial number and the age can be pulled from that, if the owner doesn’t know how old it is. If the piano is older than 40 years old, generally, take a pass on that piano. The exception to this is owner care. If the owner had the piano service annually, then a 40 year old piano is much better than a 25 year old piano that hasn’t been serviced even once. There are multiple factors when considering a piano. One of the top considerations should be age. Once you know how old it is, then start digging into the condition and other factors.

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Musically,

Marta

The Piano Gal

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Are old upright pianos worth anything?

Antique pianos and organs can be valued anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. It is important that sellers realize the real value difference between a restored instrument and an unrestored instrument.

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Restoration is not cheap, but it is necessary to make any instrument worth top dollar. If your instrument was an antique automobile sitting on blocks, full of rust and ruining due to neglect, you wouldn’t expect it to fetch a very high price. If you invested in having the automobile restored to make it a show car, you could then expect it to sell for a tidy sum – likely at a nice profit after your investment. Pianos and organs are the same way. Restored instruments sell for high dollars – original, unrestored instruments simply do not. Over the past two decades, we have seen the value of antique pianos and organs nearly double across the board. Much of the credit goes to education – folks are now able to go to the internet and learn about what they have, often encouraged to invest and preserve their instruments. The best way to get a general sense of what instruments are worth (after restoration) is by comparing them against what similar instruments are selling for in the real market. It may be helpful if you go to our online showroom. Here you can see what different types and styles of instruments have been selling for over the past few years.

Will it cost more to restore my instrument than it will be worth?

How many home renovation or “house-flipping” shows have you seen on TV lately? People all over the country are renovating old homes and buildings so that they can be sold for profit in the end. Much like the real estate industry, restoring a vintage instrument adds real value to the piece, ultimately making the instrument worth more than the cost of restoration in most cases.

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