Will a U1 have problems if it is only tuned yearly?

[gru]

I am looking into buying a 16 year old U1 from a private seller. The piano is for my daughter who is just moving from Grade 5 to Grade 6. I haven't seen the piano yet but the price is good and the seller seems very genuine. The Piano was used by her kids through to grade 8 but they have now grown up and moved away. The piano was previously tuned yearly but she says it hasn't been tuned or played much for the past 2 years. I have arranged to go and see the piano this weekend but I am keen to also get someone with technical knowledge to check the piano as well.

My wife found a mover who is local to the seller who is also a piano tuner and buys and sells some pianos. He offered to come out and meet me at the sellers to have a look at the piano. When my wife first talked to him she said he was a bit negative about U1s, he didn't deal in them because their price was too high. My wife said he was also negative about the lack of regular maintenance. He said that because it hadn't been tuned more frequently it was likely to have problems that could be very expensive to fix. He gave us a reasonable price to move the piano but when my wife asked if it included insurance he said that it didn't but if we wanted it we could take some out ourselves. Everything my wife told him about the piano tended to get a bit of a negative reaction so it may well be that that's just his character.

The two things that concern me was the lack of insurance and the statement about the problems relating to the lack of tuning. I know that a piano should be tuned more frequently but it was tuned once a year up until two years ago which would seem to me to be not that unusual. It surprises me that this level of lack of tuning should raise any alarm bells, but maybe it should? I am very interested to know what other tuners or piano techs think about this. Also his approach to insurance concerns me. I would have thought it would be a standard option. I appreciate that there might be an extra cost but he didn't offer it at all, is that common?

Any input would be gratefully received.

[Barrie Heaton]

Find out who use to tune the piano and ask them the condition, when was the last tuned and was it on a pitch. You may have to pay for a pitch move one you get it home. I have 10 years old + Yamahas on my round that only get tuned every 18 months as they are in a very good environment, the pitch is bang on each time I go

As to the insurance Hmm if the removers damage the walls or doors taking it out then you are liable, so you would have to sue him to get your money back for any damage done Make sure the removal company has public liability insurance also for items in transit

Barrie

[gru]

Thanks for haring your thoughts. I have decided not to go with this mover, the lack of insurance was the clincher for me.