Should I get a free piano from Facebook Marketplace?![]() I get the question regularly 'should I get this free piano from marketplace? It only needs me to pay to move it'. There is no straightforward answer to this question. Often on marketplace people are clearing houses or just simply trying to get rid of unused furniture. Therefore they are happy for it to go for free. In some circumstances these piano can be a really good find and peotentially worth hundreds, if not thousands. However, you really need to know what to look for. I therfore thought I would produce a really simplistic guide of things to look out for when exploring a free piano. Obviously there can be no guaruntees and sometimes even a piano that may look like a good deal is free for a reason! 1. Age of the pianoOne of the most important things to look out for is the age of the piano, as in this 'price range' newest it more often than not best. Obviously, there are some older high quality pianos that can be expensive and have been extensively restored. But these are mostly found at dealers and not facebook marketplace. Age can be determined by the serial number inside the piano and a quick google search will often provide you with the list of serial numbers and dates for that manufacture. However, sometimes you may not get to see this before deciding. The next way of telling is design, though this uses stereotypes it will do for our purposes. Below, I have produced a diagram showing what upright pianos have looked like for the last hundred years of so. Generally, the bigger the piano, the older, the more intricate and patterned the case the older it is. You can see from around 1950/60 onwards small pianos have looked somewhat similar in style. However, older ones tend to have a more natural wood veneer and newer pianos have finishes including polyester. The diagram does not include larger modern pianos as these are not often available for free and hold their value better resulting in people not giving them away for free. 2. Brand![]() The next thing to consider is brand. Although, given we are looking at free pianos, we cannot chose solely on this however if you see a recognised brand you should definately consider it more seriously. These brands include Knight, Welmar, Monnington and Weston, Kemble, Danemann, Bentley. These were all British brands of piano that made mostly good pianos. These brands no longer exist in their original form. Some, such as Kemble have been brought by bigger brands, Yamaha, in their case. Others are used on pianos made by other manufacturers in order to sell to the British and European market. There are other brands you should seriously consider looking at such as Steinway and Sons, Kawai, Yamaha, Bluthner, Bechstein. However, these are less likely to be free and if they are or are cheap may have serious issuses that mkae them unplayable or not worth repairing. This list is not exhaustive and based on my opinion, which is subjective but based upon my experience playing hundreds of pianos. 3. Tuning![]() This is quite a simple tip - 'may need tuning' means 'horribly out of tune'. Ideally you want something that still sounds like a piano and reasonably in tune and at pitch. Some 'buzzing' or a note or two slightly out of tune may not be a problem. However, if it significantly out of tune a pitch raise and tuning may well negate the fact the piano was free. 4. Appearance vs. Function![]() All that glitters is not gold! This is very true of pianos. It is easy when looking at pianos in general, let alone those you may get for free and thinking if it looks nice it must be good. Whilst, yes, it must live in your home, a fresh coat of paint on a piano can hide a multitude of sins. You could always paint a piano afterwards in your choice of colour afterwards. Far more important is that the insides are in good condition. From a stable pin block to a working action these are far more imprtant than looks when selecting any piano.
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AuthorStephen is a qualified music teacher who is experienced in the classroom and teaching studio for a secondary school in Staffordshire and his private practice. Archives
June 2024
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