Hi there! I'm new to the community, so I haven't had a chance to read more than 40 entries back. If my question has already been addressed, I'll keep searching the archives
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Personally I'd invest in a newer piano that's in better shape. A 1928 piano, unless it's been looked after, and this one looks like it hasn't been, is more likely to not stay in tune and have a sounding board that's not in good condition.
I have a 1914 upright with the same problems - for me, it was nothing a good tuning and basic repair didn't fix. (The key hammers rot and fall off in older pianos.) But those old pianos require almost constant maintenance (like, a full workup every 3 months), and there are some things even good techs can't fix cheaply. (My E flat above middle C, if pressed too hard, hits the D string. Sounds HIDEOUS!)
In all, the old uprights sound amazing when they're kept up, but you might just end up paying more overall in tuning and repair fees than you would if you just paid more initially for a newer model.
In all, the old uprights sound amazing when they're kept up, but you might just end up paying more overall in tuning and repair fees than you would if you just paid more initially for a newer model.
Yeah, I think you're right. The piano tech I contacted offered an even older upright that he'd done work on for only a couple hundred more than the one in the original post, so I'm gonna take a look at that next week. I can handle investing a hundred bucks a year in tuning it if it starts out playable; if it needs hundreds of dollars of repair work before it'll even play, then I don't really wanna deal with it.
I totally agree. My upright is from the early 1920's and it's a challenge to keep up. If I didn't own a piano, I'd definitely look for something newer. (My piano has been in the family for 60+ years, so it's a nolstagia thing... and I don't have space for a second piano in my current home...)
Definitely have a tech look at the piano you're interested in. If it proves to be more trouble than it's worth, talk to your tech about what you're interested in picking up. There's a good chance that s/he might know where you can pick a decent used piano for very little investment. (This economy makes it real easy to pick up an inexpensive instrument). For example, had I the space for it, I could have picked up a decent baby grand for $500 a few months ago.
Yeah, it was not something I enjoyed playing when I tested it out. It'd need repair work for sure. Luckily, the piano tech I contacted offered an even older upright that he'd done work on for only a couple hundred more than the one in the original post, so I'm gonna take a look at that next week. I think I'll probably go for that one. Thanks for the insight!
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In all, the old uprights sound amazing when they're kept up, but you might just end up paying more overall in tuning and repair fees than you would if you just paid more initially for a newer model.
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Yeah, I think you're right. The piano tech I contacted offered an even older upright that he'd done work on for only a couple hundred more than the one in the original post, so I'm gonna take a look at that next week. I can handle investing a hundred bucks a year in tuning it if it starts out playable; if it needs hundreds of dollars of repair work before it'll even play, then I don't really wanna deal with it.
Reply
Definitely have a tech look at the piano you're interested in. If it proves to be more trouble than it's worth, talk to your tech about what you're interested in picking up. There's a good chance that s/he might know where you can pick a decent used piano for very little investment. (This economy makes it real easy to pick up an inexpensive instrument). For example, had I the space for it, I could have picked up a decent baby grand for $500 a few months ago.
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