When purchasing a new or used piano, it's an excellent idea to have a qualified piano technician make a complete inspection prior to purchase. A modern piano has over 8,000 moving parts, and hidden problems can be very costly. When purchasing a new piano it is wise to be assured that you are getting one of the manufacturer's best examples. Quality can vary substantially even among the top names. That's right, some Steinways sound better than other Steinways, and more importantly, some manufacturers have recently started affixing traditional American names such as Weber and Wurlitzer, to less expensive Asian pianos. A piano is a substantial investment-it's important you know what you are getting.

The piano must be inspected first hand in order to be properly evaluated. And most important, the technician should be a qualified full-time rebuilder, someone who has knowledge of the structure and many inter workings of the piano. Also, it's smart to hire a technician who plays the piano so that it can be evaluated from an artist's perspective.

Items which must be examined and tested:

• Pin block: The laminated maple plank beneath the plate which holds the tuning pins. (checked to determine holding strength)
• Plate: The large cast iron "harp-shaped" plate holding the strings. (checked for cracks)
• Bridges: Wooden pieces attached to the soundboard over which the strings pass. (checked for cracks)
• Soundboard: The large spruce wooden piece under the plate. (checked for cracks)
• Tuning pins: Adjustment pins at the end of each string (checked for tightness)
• Action: Inter workings. (checked for broken or worn parts)
• Strings: Must be checked for missing or repaired strings.

Appraisal Fee: Approximately $65 within a 15 minute travel distance.

An accurate appraisal is cheap insurance! It's always better to find any possible problems before money changes hands and the piano is moved to your home.

I would like to share a story which is repeated many times each year by unsuspecting piano owners.

I get the call to come out and tune a piano which the customer received as a gift or had purchased cheap. As I begin to tune and inspect the instrument, I quickly discover that the tuning pins are so loose that they cannot hold tension on the strings, the hammers are in deplorable condition, and the strings are old and brittle with several past repairs evident. At this point, I have the very unpleasant task of informing the owner that the piano requires a complete rebuild before it can be tuned properly. For upright pianos, I explain that in most cases it's not cost effective to have it restored unless it has sentimental value, and in the case of grand pianos the cost to completely restore one can range between $4,500-$17,000. Generally, at this point I receive my minimum fee for an appraisal, piano lessons for the client's children are postponed indefinitely, and my customer comes to the sad realization that they are now the owner of a worthless "piano shaped object."

Remember:
When you buy a home, it is customary to have it inspected; when you purchase a used car, common sense dictates that you have it checked out by a mechanic; in most homes, the piano is the next most costly item-have it appraised for your own protection.

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