Sounds good to Me.

[Glenn Grafton]

>Ron Lindquist wrote:
>
>> Some Piano is better than no Piano
>>
>> >
>
>We are all of course entitled to our own opinions and evalutations. I do not
>subscribe to the above statement at all. There is a point where "some piano"
>really becomes "no piano".

I certainly agree. I used to work in our shop doing re-building and still
tune I get to see both sides of the issue. It is very common that parents
start out a search for a "good used piano" for their child to start piano
lessons on.

Of course, to many parents a piano is a piano-as long as it's got 88 keys
and plays. A lot of what I do is to try to educate people coming into the
store as to the differences in different calibre pianos, their life spans,
etc.

I try not to discount the potential in a good used piano as far as the
value goes, but in my experience for every well maintained used
Yamaha/Baldwin/Sohmer or other better quality piano there's probably 20
junker spinets or uprights that should really be thrown out. Loose pins,
cracked bridges, etc. I always advise people if they're looking at a used
piano privatley to get a RPT member go out and check the piano over BEFORE
they buy it, understanding that for some reason there is a feeling of
pressure to make a decision now before someone else snaps up that beautiful
40 year old Lester spinet that "just needs a tuning."

Once a qualified tuner takes a look at the piano they are in a better
position to know what other work the piano needs-ie if the pins are loose
they'll know that up front and be able to factor the cost of that in with
the purchase price to see if the piano IS a good value or not.

A recent call from a Dr. asked about a nice used Yamaha grand piano for a
very reasonable price she found. I recommended a piano tech. to look at the
piano. Turned out the piano was in a restaurant and had many years of
playing, spilled drinks in the action and was fairly beat. He advised her
NOT to buy the piano due to the amount of work was needed.


Glenn Grafton
Grafton Piano & Organ Co.
Souderton PA
http://www.dprint.com/grafton/
gleng@fast.net
800-272-5980

The box said "Requires Windows 95, or better." So I bought a Macintosh.