I been to view a few pianos now and i'm still not sure what sounds to look out for. Can anyone load (or link) up some reference notes i.e a piano in tune, out of tune, pins dropped, soundboard cracked etc
this would be soooo helpful for me to determine condition, i'm really skint so i'm hunting down cheap second hands ones.
Thanks in advance
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WinstonChurchill
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I can start you off from a personal point of vew, but I'm sure some of the tuners & technicians on the forum can give you some more specific advice.
Tone is a very subjective thing. What do your favourite recordings sound like? Listen to the various instruments the professionals play and decide what you like -- if you're on a budget, you're going to have to make compromises, but you should at least have an idea of what you find appealing. As a rule of thumb, a 'rich' tone is generally considered desirable, and extremes of brightness/dullness should be avoided. The pros can correct me here, but a bright tone can usually be corrected by voicing, whereas a dull or flabby sounding piano can cost a lot more to correct, since it could point to problems with hammers, strings, or pins. Older pianos can sound dry and thin if they haven't been restored or kept up well. Again, if you're on a budget, you want to pick something that sounds right to you without needing any work.
If you're thinking about buying privately, don't be surprised if you come across instruments that are out of tune -- in some cases, badly. This is not something to worry about necessarily, but it does indicate a certain level of neglect which can point to other problems. What's more important is how evenly tuned (or untuned) the piano is. Uneven tuning is bad news and shouldn't really be touched with a barge pole. Are there any notes that are way out compared to others? If so, run. In a shop you should expect all the pianos to be tuned, and if they're not, don't go back.
Cracked soundboards will usually give a buzzing sound, especially when you play notes right over the crack. Make sure you play right across the entire keyboard, and listen closely. If you do hear any buzzing, investigate further -- could just be something that has fallen inside (I've encountered bits of children's toys, etc) but probably it's a crack, which again is very expensive to have repaired and generally unsatisfactory anyway, since (as I understand it) repairs tend to make the soundboard less flexible and resonant.
You'll also want to keep an ear out for proper damping. When you let the keys up, do the notes stop immediately, or do they continue to ring? If the latter, the damping's not correct. Playing the piano, the sound shouldn't be muddy and the notes shouldn't run together. The notes should stop ringing when you let the keys up, but they shouldn't sound clipped either.
Don't forget to use both the damper and soft pedals, and make sure that you're happy with the sounds they produce, and that they operate responsively.
That should give you a starter. As I said above, this is the stuff that personally I always listen for, but the pros might have other things to say as well. The usual disclaimer is that you should take a tuner/technician along with you when viewing any prospective purchase -- although if you're thinking of buying privately, you'll need an indulgent one!
Good luck!
Tone is a very subjective thing. What do your favourite recordings sound like? Listen to the various instruments the professionals play and decide what you like -- if you're on a budget, you're going to have to make compromises, but you should at least have an idea of what you find appealing. As a rule of thumb, a 'rich' tone is generally considered desirable, and extremes of brightness/dullness should be avoided. The pros can correct me here, but a bright tone can usually be corrected by voicing, whereas a dull or flabby sounding piano can cost a lot more to correct, since it could point to problems with hammers, strings, or pins. Older pianos can sound dry and thin if they haven't been restored or kept up well. Again, if you're on a budget, you want to pick something that sounds right to you without needing any work.
If you're thinking about buying privately, don't be surprised if you come across instruments that are out of tune -- in some cases, badly. This is not something to worry about necessarily, but it does indicate a certain level of neglect which can point to other problems. What's more important is how evenly tuned (or untuned) the piano is. Uneven tuning is bad news and shouldn't really be touched with a barge pole. Are there any notes that are way out compared to others? If so, run. In a shop you should expect all the pianos to be tuned, and if they're not, don't go back.
Cracked soundboards will usually give a buzzing sound, especially when you play notes right over the crack. Make sure you play right across the entire keyboard, and listen closely. If you do hear any buzzing, investigate further -- could just be something that has fallen inside (I've encountered bits of children's toys, etc) but probably it's a crack, which again is very expensive to have repaired and generally unsatisfactory anyway, since (as I understand it) repairs tend to make the soundboard less flexible and resonant.
You'll also want to keep an ear out for proper damping. When you let the keys up, do the notes stop immediately, or do they continue to ring? If the latter, the damping's not correct. Playing the piano, the sound shouldn't be muddy and the notes shouldn't run together. The notes should stop ringing when you let the keys up, but they shouldn't sound clipped either.
Don't forget to use both the damper and soft pedals, and make sure that you're happy with the sounds they produce, and that they operate responsively.
That should give you a starter. As I said above, this is the stuff that personally I always listen for, but the pros might have other things to say as well. The usual disclaimer is that you should take a tuner/technician along with you when viewing any prospective purchase -- although if you're thinking of buying privately, you'll need an indulgent one!
Good luck!
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Gill the Piano
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