Top 5 Deals of the Week
Call 01327 300 016 for more information.
Hadley S1
£325
Classenti CDP1 in cherry
£399
Second Hand Broadway B1 in rosewood
£650 (Ex-Demo)
Rimhoff (acoustic upright piano)
£995 (was £1495)
Baby grand (acoustic)
£4995
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All second hand digital pianos
All second hand uprights
All second hand grands
Looks can be deceiving
Some used pianos (often called secondhand pianos or reconditioned pianos) look fantastic on the outside but are often in need of a complete overhaul on the inside. Only a piano tuner or piano technician will be able to advise you if you should buy it or not, and it is well worth the money to pay a professional to take a look at a used piano before you have committed to buying it.
Does the age of a used piano matter?
If your acoustic piano was built within the last 20 years then you shouldn’t have a problem (providing it has been looked after!). Older pianos are only worth considering if they are in excellent condition or if they have been built with good quality materials. In some instances a 70 year old used Bechstein or Steinway piano is often in better condition than a modern piano of only a few years old.
Used Upright Pianos
Browse through the used upright piano section. You can compare the age, condition, quality and rating of each second hand upright piano. All used upright pianos in this section have been reconditioned and have passed the UK Pianos quality control check.
You need to be careful when buying a used digital piano. Digital pianos are electronic and can be quite expensive to repair if something goes wrong. Repairs can cost between £100 and £300.
Before you buy a second hand digital piano, make sure you play each note in turn, check that all the sounds are even throughout, and there aren’t any strange noises coming from the keys. You might also want to check that all the different musical instrument sounds are working.
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Are you worried about the initial investment?…
Then check out our ‘rent-to-own’ programme!
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Questions and Answers
Hi Graham,
I played a little bit of keyboards in my youth and would like to dip my toe in the water again. The desire is most definitely there at the moment but the talent may not be! I would love to relearn a few of the tunes I played as a youngster and maybe learn a few others. My taste in music has changed vastly in the last 20 years or so and the songs I played as a kid and to be honest didn’t really like that much, (Georgia on My Mind, Satin Doll etc etc) are the songs that I now can’t get enough of. I have considered a digital piano but I’m struggling to decide what would be best. I don’t want anything too big and don’t want to spend a fortune. I have seen something on ebay described as a 2nd hand MP8800 (with 4 keys not working properly almost at the extreme far high end of the keyboard) and its located close to where I live. The seller is asking £60, but based on that price I’m thinking the quality will be quite poor. Is this a suitable model to get me started for the first 6 months or so or should I be looking for something else?
As a first piano i’d be willing to pay a bit more money for something 2nd hand (up to £200 for example) just to see if I use it as much as would warrant getting something better down the line. It doesn’t have to be digital of course, just anything that gets me going for 6 to 12 months or to a point where I can commit to getting a decent piano.
Do you have anything that might suit my needs or are there any 2nd hand retailers up in the Aberdeen area that I might be able to get something. Are there any models out there for that kind of price 2nd hand and which would you recommend.
many thanks and regards, Steve
Reply/ Hi Steve
Most of the pianos in the price range you are
looking at have only a semi-weighted, or at best,
a weighted key touch.
I recommend only a fully-weighted key touch
for learning on. It is vital to have this full weighting
so you learn to play with the correct technique.
This makes it easier to transfer to a real piano
at any time.
The most suitable piano for you would be the Hadley S1
This has 88 full-size, fully weighted keys that are
sensitive to touch, which means she can play
different volume levels on each key.
It has the most important requirements piano
teachers always ask for.
What’s more, it’s one of the lightest portable-
type pianos making it easy to transport or put
away when not being used – hopefully not
too often :-).
It’s an ideal piano for you to learn and progress
on up to the higher levels.
It is also available on rent-to-buy for £35 per month.
You can see details here
Yours pianistically
Graham Howard
—
Dear Graham,
Thanks for your helpful ebook on buying a piano which I got hold of through your website.
We are thinking of getting a used 2nd hand Clavinova through eBay having already got a CLP430 as
we live in two different locations. Have you any advice on this? Most Clavinovas that are
advertised are older models that have been discontinued and so are not covered in your guide.
Best wishes,
Cal
Reply/ Hi Cal
Buying an old piano on eBay is a bit of a risk…
There’s no way of knowing how much the piano
has been played. Mechanical parts start showing
signs of wear and tear after 10 years of moderate
playing. Noisy, clicky and sticky keys are the most
common problems.
A piano that has been hammered with scales and
arpeggios on a daily basis is likely to be worn out
in a much shorter time.
If you want to buy second hand then I recommend
getting something no more than 3 years old.
Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
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What Our Customers Say…
“Many thanks for all your replies and help with this — the piano indeed was unsuitable, as many of you suggested, so I will keep looking.”
Best wishes,
Richard Charlton