Even pianos from this period that were well made - and there were some - are now 30 to 50 years old, and so are likely to need some restoration before they will be suitable for the student. But many others were passed on to this generation’s children, and now, as those children retire, a second wave of these instruments is entering the market. The first wave of pianos from this era began to enter the used-piano market in the 1980s, as the people who originally purchased them began to retire. Many of these small, cheap pianos were so poorly designed and constructed that, even when new, and regulated and tuned as well as possible, they played poorly and sounded terrible. Spinets were usually the least expensive entry-level pianos a company would manufacture, and most are not worth repairing. Installing a set of replacement elbows can cost hundreds of dollars. Also, during the 1950s and early ’60s, many spinet actions were manufactured with connecting parts, called “elbows,” made of plastic - a technology then in its infancy - which eventually deteriorated and broke off. These actions are difficult - and thus expensive - to repair. Spinets, which are 36″ to 40″ high, have a recessed, or “drop,” action that is connected to the keys with long “stickers” of wood or metal. In addition, small pianos, especially spinets, were heavily promoted for their cabinet styling at the expense of their musical qualities. The result was that the few remaining American makers of inexpensive pianos began to cut as much cost as they could from their production. Small, cheap, American-made pianos from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s - During this period, American companies started feeling the competition from Japanese (and, later, Korean) makers who could undercut their prices. In most cases, this category of used piano should be avoided for use in serious practice. Parents who purchase these deteriorating instruments as practice pianos for beginners will probably face a constant stream of complaints and subsequent repairs. Many have difficulty holding a tuning, and/or desperately need new strings, hammers, dampers, or pedal repairs - or all of the above. Most pianos that are a century old and have not been discarded will need extensive restoration before they can be useful to the student, but few are worth enough to have such work performed on them. There’s nothing wrong with this - as long as a young student is not saddled with it.

In some instances, buyers fascinated by old uprights see them as an opportunity to tinker with and learn something about pianos. Many buyers will purchase an old upright with the idea that it might have antique value, then quickly find out that it doesn’t.

Old uprights - These are usually 48″ to 60″ high and somewhere around 100 years old. Most reputable piano dealers offer month-to-month rental programs.Īlthough good and bad pianos have been made in every decade, and every used piano must be evaluated on its own merits, certain decades or categories of piano frequently found in today’s used-piano market should raise red flags:

If you’re concerned about a child’s continuing interest, I suggest renting a new instrument now, with an option to purchase it later. If an older piano is chosen, it should be one that was of good quality to begin with, and has been restored to like-new condition. And with a young talented student, moving up to a quality grand is never a mistake. And when you include other factors - the costs of moving, tuning, and repairs an older piano’s shorter remaining life lack of warranty protection the need to hire experts to make repeated trips to evaluate the conditions of various older pianos - a new or more recently made instrument may start to look like a bargain in the long run.įor these reasons, I would encourage the financially able family to look at good-quality new pianos, or better used pianos no more than 15 years old. No amount of practice on such an instrument can overcome its shortcomings. When a piano’s action can’t be regulated to the correct touch, or its strings tuned to a harmonious sound, the student, unable to duplicate what was taught in a lesson, will become frustrated and discouraged, and will lose interest. Students don’t have enough experience to distinguish between a bad piano and their own lack of ability. In many cases a piano that is too old, too small, or simply not good enough will soon become useless to the student. However, a bad purchasing decision at this point in a student’s learning tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Parents may not want to invest a lot of money in a piano - after all, the child may lose interest - so an older, cheaper piano may seem the logical place to start.

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