Meissler of Berlin, a good make or not?
Moderators: Feg, Gill the Piano, Melodytune
Meissler of Berlin, a good make or not?
Hello everyone, I'm in the market for my first piano and as money is definitely an object for me I've been looking at what's available on eBay - I know from searching it's not the most popular route on here and I can understand why, but the prices are hard to beat. I'm in the process of registering on my local Freecycle sites as another poster was advised to do and hopefully there will be something on there but in the meantime can anyone shed any light on the possible quality of this piano? It's quite close to me so if it's got a decent pedigree it might be worth the risk at that price, I can't find any information at all on the maker with Google though.
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Gill the Piano
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- Joined: 25 Oct 2003, 19:39
- Location: Thames Valley
It isn't listed in Pierce's Piano Atlas either. It's impossible to say without seeing inside it, so it'd basically be a fifty quid bet... Around here, anything which is tuneable/playable for that price would be a bargain, but up North might be a different matter. Sorry not to be more help, but it's a bit like trying to evaluate a car on eBay!!
Earlier this year I picked up a nice baby grand for a hundred quid (cash in hand, know wot I mean) from a house clearance. My tuner got a call from a random white-van-man asking if anyone would give him some cash for it before he chucked it into a skip!
It might be worth contacting tuners/people-who-clear-houses (what are they called?)/music shops in your area know what you're looking for in case something similar happens. It might also be worth the outlay of placing an ad in your local paper. BUT, for God's sake get a tuner to check out any piano you might buy - there are a lot of knackered old pianos out there which look ok but which would end up being a huge disappointment.
It might be worth contacting tuners/people-who-clear-houses (what are they called?)/music shops in your area know what you're looking for in case something similar happens. It might also be worth the outlay of placing an ad in your local paper. BUT, for God's sake get a tuner to check out any piano you might buy - there are a lot of knackered old pianos out there which look ok but which would end up being a huge disappointment.
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superquark
- Junior Poster
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 14 Dec 2004, 00:43
- Location: England
Meissler of Berlin
Can't say I've ever heard of Meissler of Berlin, but thats not surprising since in the early part of the 20th century (when this was probably built) there were literally thousands of "manufacturers" operating in Europe - some of these were professional outfits producing great instruments, and others were a couple of guys trying to make a few pounds from a small workshop, with absolutely no idea.
Buying a piano on Ebay may or may not be good value for money - since you don't know what you're buying you MUST arrange a qualified inspection prior to parting with ANY CASH WHATSOEVER! OK so you pay £80 for a piano - must be a bargain, unless the soundboard is cracked, the wrest plank is split, the action hasn't been checked or regulated in 40 years, it hasn't been tuned for years, the bridges are knackered, the keys are sticking or need recovering, it has broken hammers, snapped tapes etc....etc....etc..... An £80 piano could cost literally hundreds (thousands) of pounds to put back into good playing order, and of course you wouldn't spend it, leaving you with a small hole in your wallet and a huge amount of hassle. There are doubtless a few good pianos sold on Ebay, but the majority are there because no-one would buy them through more traditional avenues.
Buy a secondhand instrument from a reputable dealer if you possibly can. It costs more, but any decent dealer (and there are a good few still around) will offer a guarantee for a year or two at least, and give you advise and service.
Buying a piano on Ebay may or may not be good value for money - since you don't know what you're buying you MUST arrange a qualified inspection prior to parting with ANY CASH WHATSOEVER! OK so you pay £80 for a piano - must be a bargain, unless the soundboard is cracked, the wrest plank is split, the action hasn't been checked or regulated in 40 years, it hasn't been tuned for years, the bridges are knackered, the keys are sticking or need recovering, it has broken hammers, snapped tapes etc....etc....etc..... An £80 piano could cost literally hundreds (thousands) of pounds to put back into good playing order, and of course you wouldn't spend it, leaving you with a small hole in your wallet and a huge amount of hassle. There are doubtless a few good pianos sold on Ebay, but the majority are there because no-one would buy them through more traditional avenues.
Buy a secondhand instrument from a reputable dealer if you possibly can. It costs more, but any decent dealer (and there are a good few still around) will offer a guarantee for a year or two at least, and give you advise and service.