Piano Tuner Wilmington DE Concludes Explanation of Difference in Quality of Pianos

As your piano tuner Wilmington DE, I am frequently asked what makes a high quality piano different from a lesser quality piano. Often, the underlying question is whether it is better to buy an inexpensive new piano or a quality used piano. This article will discuss that underlying question. If you have not read the preceding three articles, now would be a good time to do that. They discuss the differences between instruments of varying quality.

To review, there are three main areas that differ between expensive and inexpensive pianos. They are:

1) Resonance of the instrument

2) Sensitivity, speed of repetition, and reliability of the piano action

3) Beauty of the tone of the instrument

Our experience is that a quality used piano typically gives better service than an inexpensive new piano for a number of reasons. One reason is that there are pianos being sold that are so cheaply made that the actions soon become sluggish and difficult to play. Even one note not working on a piano is enough to make the piano unplayable. There are hundreds of action centers in a piano action. Repeated service trips can be expensive. Another reason is that the actions on inexpensive pianos typically are not made carefully, and are therefore not sensitive to play. The whole purpose of a piano is to have a touch-sensitive action, so that you can play beautiful lines of music. When you do not get the reward of beautiful music from your effort, you are less likely to practice and make progress in your playing.

Third, many parts of a piano action are made out of wool cloth. Inexpensive cloth wears out faster, requiring expensive replacements. Fourth, an inexpensive piano is less likely to hold a piano tuning well, requiring more frequent tuning. Fifth, the lack of beauty of tone makes practicing and improving less likely.

Before you make a purchase, though, it is important to make sure the quality used piano is in good condition. Even the best quality pianos can be worn out, or have structural problems that only a professional could detect.

The first step to buying a piano, then, is to call Kenneth Keith Piano Services and we can discuss with you the piano you are considering. If you’d like to schedule a piano evaluation, we can carefully review the condition of a piano. Please let us know how we can help. We are your Wilmington DE piano tuning experts. We also provide piano tuning Philadelphia PA, Eastern Shore MD and Southern NJ.