First piano ? Zender

[goldenmum]

Hi,
I am looking for a piano for my daughter who has done keyboard up to grade 5 but now wants to move to piano .
Space is tight and we had set our heart on a Zender but have seen comments that they are only suitable up to grade 4 playing .
The dealer we are hoping to buy from said it would see her through all her grades so I am confused .
Also it is 30 years old but doesn't look if it has ever been played , is this a good or bad thing if it has stood for years .
Many Thanks
Goldnmum

[Gill the Piano]

It's not quite clear whether your child is doing grade 5 Piano or keyboard? If it's keyboard then I don't suppose it matters, but if it's piano then you should get the biggest piano you have room for, as longer strings give better tone. And if the Zender is the biggest you have room for, then go for it. I got to grade 7 on a similar beastie, and it didn't do me any harm. Probably...

[Openwood]

I don't think it's possible to say a certain type of piano can only get you to a certain grade. I had to make do with whatever my parents could afford right up until Grade 8 - in my case it was a Bentley upright of ineffable crappiness. But you can only afford what you can afford (as we are all now discovering all over again). My advice is to have a piano teacher or tuner whom you trust go with you and try out the piano. See what they say, and don't be embarrassed to tell the vendor if it isn't what you're looking for. With something like a piano I feel strongly that you should try and get a well informed opinion otherwise you may get stuck with a turkey for a long time afterwards.

[goldenmum]

Thank you for the replies , my daughter is just starting out on piano and hasn't done any grades yet .
The advert for another Zender that has worried me said due to the "about grade 4 the level of phrasing and dynamic expression that you are trying to achieve will be much better on a larger better quality piano " which means nothing to me sadly !
Many Thanks

[Barrie Heaton]

What the dealer is telling you (and not very well ) is that the Zender is only 85 note and some Grade 7 pieces use top C so you will need an 88 note piano

Get a tuner to look at it

Barrie,

[goldenmum]

Thanks Barrie , that makes sense
Can anyone recommend a piano tuner in Derbyshire .
Many Thanks
Goldenmum

[Openwood]

What the dealer is telling you (and not very well ) is that the Zender is only 85 note and some Grade 7 pieces use top C so you will need an 88 note piano

In that case the wording of the advert is strange indeed. The effect on the 'phrasing and dynamic expression' created by non-existing notes is surely the least of the player's problems! It's a bit like saying that detonating a nuclear bomb above St. Paul's Cathedral would lead to tuning problems with the organ; true, but not exactly the main problem.

Also, the piano would presumably be fine for Grades 5 and 6. In fact, when I think about it I've got up to diploma standard without once needing the top three notes, so it still sounds very odd to me

[joseph]

No small upright is going to produce ideal results, but if the piano is being offered for a reasonable price and it fits in the space you have, then it will probably be OK.

Most of the repertoire won't use the top 3 notes, and many people have gone through all the grades on an 85 note piano. Of course, in an ideal world you'd want to have a piano with the full range. I've given concerts on old Steinways with 85 notes.

This business of dynamic range, well, you won't get as much from a small upright as you will a grand, but it will be possible to work on it, as long as your daughter resists the temptation to thump when she thinks it isn't loud enough. If she gets a good teacher and practices properly, then that won't be a problem,

[Barrie Heaton]

Thanks Barrie , that makes sense
Can anyone recommend a piano tuner in Derbyshire .
Many Thanks
Goldenmum

Depends on what part
Peter Millgate FABPT
Mobile: 07533675785


To put the dynamic bit in to context Zenders used the same action and back as Bentley as they were made in the same factory.... well 30 years ago maybe not ...

Barrie,

[goldenmum]

No small upright is going to produce ideal results, but if the piano is being offered for a reasonable price and it fits in the space you have, then it will probably be OK. ,

Does £1200 sound reasonable it appears immaculate and the dealer says it hardly been used.
Many Thanks
Goldenmum

[PianoGuy]

It's a strong dealer price. For that money I would expect to be buying from a VAT registered high-street dealer of good reputation, not a trading-estate part timer. I would also expect:

A five year warranty
Delivery
First tuning

As for the piano, I would expect it to be a MINTER of a late model Bentley-built Zender ( the iron frame will have a 'sandy' finish with a cast-in Zender logo in the middle) with a Schwander or Langer action dating from the mid to late 1980s or early '90s.

If it's older it's likely to be a '70s one and I'd offer around the £900 mark.

[goldenmum]

Hi,
It is said to be 1974 model and is in walnut .
Many Thanks
Goldenmum

[PianoGuy]

It's 35 years old then!!

£850 to £900 delivered, tuned and guaranteed.

The dealer would still be doing OK out of it.

[vernon]

piano guy
I'll second that opinion. £800-£900

[joseph]

yeah thats a pretty old piano actually, for not all THAT much more than 1200 you could start to shop around for a new chinese piano.

[goldenmum]

Hi,
Thank you all for the honest advice , I think we need to keep looking to see if we can make our money go a bit further.
Best Regards
Goldenmum

[mgmcgill]

I had a 1977 Zender up until last year. I bought it second hand in 1995 for £1400. It was a great little piano. The only reason I've not got it now is that I moved to a bigger house and with the profits I bought a new Kemble Mozart.

Based on my experience, I would recommend a Zender, but as people have previously said, it would have to be checked out. The one I had had very little use before I got it and it never gave me any problems in my time of ownership. I got to Grade 4 and studied Grade 5 on it but stopped due to children.

I traded it in for £550 and the dealer had one very similar to it for sale for £950.

When you buy anything, whether it's a piano or a tumble dryer, ALWAYS ask the cash price. In this current climate, you will always get a discount.

Michael

Ps ...On a side note, my piano teacher passed his Performance Exam using nothing but his family piano. I could even tell you the name, but I was fortunate to play it recently....What a pile of ****.....Sorry, but it is. But it didn't do him any harm.