The following checklist will help you identify problems when purchasing a piano if a qualified tuner or technician is not available
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes" it is essential to seek professional advice
First Impressions
The iron frame can be seen most easily in the bottom of an upright piano, although it usually covers most of the area inside the piano. The strings are attached to the frame at the bottom and to the tuning pins at the top.
The soundboard is the varnished wooden panel which can be seen underneath the strings. The bridges are lengths of wood, glued to the soundboard, into which metal pins are driven. The strings run over the bridges and between the pins. The vibration of the strings is transmitted to the soundboard by the bridges, and this produces the sound you hear. It is vital that these parts are in good condition.
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes" it is essential to seek professional advice
First Impressions
- When playing a few notes, does it sound badly out of tune? Is it at the incorrect pitch? (Use a tuning fork, or an instrument like a recorder or a flute to ensure that its 'C' matches 'C' on the piano.)
- Are there any buzzing noises?
- Are the keys uneven, with excess side movement?
- Is the case dirty and untidy, with bad scratches?
- Remove top and bottom panels. With a good torch check all around. Is there any woodworm in the keys, action or casework (including the back of the piano)?
- Do the pedals fail to work properly and quietly?
- Does the action look untidy and dirty?
- Can you see any broken, missing or badly worn parts?
- Can you see any irregularity in what should be a neat row of hammers?
- Can you see any obvious sign of moth damage?
- Try repeating a few notes at treble and bass. Are there any sluggish hammers? Do they fail to return to the rest position?
- Are the damper felts dirty, hard, or not stopping the notes from sounding when the key is released? (Dirty or hard felts could cause buzzing noises, and notes continuing to sound indicate broken damper springs.)
The iron frame can be seen most easily in the bottom of an upright piano, although it usually covers most of the area inside the piano. The strings are attached to the frame at the bottom and to the tuning pins at the top.
- Is there rust on the frame or strings? (top and bottom)
- Is the iron frame cracked?
- Are there cracks in the wrest plank (the wood in which the tuning pins are inserted) between the tuning pins? Are some tuning pins leaning down more than others?
- Are any strings missing, or have some been replaced? (New strings will be a different colour from the rest)
The soundboard is the varnished wooden panel which can be seen underneath the strings. The bridges are lengths of wood, glued to the soundboard, into which metal pins are driven. The strings run over the bridges and between the pins. The vibration of the strings is transmitted to the soundboard by the bridges, and this produces the sound you hear. It is vital that these parts are in good condition.
- Are there cracks in the soundboard?
- Are there splits in the bridges between the bridge pins? (An older piano may have a wooden bridge close to the tuning pins, in addition to those on the soundboard.)
- Are the bridges poorly attached to the soundboard? (If so the sound will be of poor quality and there may be a rattling noise as the notes are played.)
