“Used pianos”, “pre-owned pianos”, “antique pianos”, “vintage pianos”…How do you determine which is which?

Sellers often use these terms to put their product in the best light.  The lines can be blurry between them.  The following information will define these classifications.  Piano dealers often use the term “pre-owned”, however, technically, they’re all “used pianos”.  “Pre-owned” is simply a sales technique.  Piano stores often take used “trade-ins” on their new piano sales.  They then provide those used pianos for sale.  “pre-owned” is a term that simply sounds better than “used”.

Used pianos can be found in many places, other than stores.  Piano stores are not usually your best source for used pianos.  Estate sales are often a great place to look.  Pianos sold through estate sales are usually higher quality brands such as Steinway and Sons, Chickering, Mason and Hamlin, Baldwin, etc.  Estate sales often provide very reasonable prices as well.  Your local piano technicians can also be great sources for used pianos.  Often aware when a piano belonging to their clients become available, they also will have intimate knowledge of the condition of these pianos.  A piano technician’s opinion is important information to have, and should be highly respected when buying a piano.  The classified Sales section of your local paper can be a great source as well.

When looking for a used piano, you should keep in mind that a poor environment or lack of service can cause severe damage to a piano.  Either of these situations may not be revealed in a photograph, therefore a used piano should always be inspected in person before it is purchased.  Ideally, this inspection should be performed by a qualified piano technician.  This can greatly complicate the purchase of a piano from a distant source such as E-bay or other internet sources far from your location.  Piano moving or shipping can be very costly as well.  Old used pianos may have been restored.  Restorations can cost several thousand dollars.  However, in many cases, with grand pianos, a quality restoration by qualified and experienced technicians and rebuilders can greatly increase the value of a used piano.  The increased value of the piano will usually exceed the cost of the restoration.  At the same time, substandard restorations can ruin even a great piano.  Sloppy refinishing, restringing, or repairs can sometimes cause damage to a piano that is so severe that it is beyond repair.    Rebuilding an old piano correctly takes a true craftsman with a lot of experience.

In order to understand used pianos, you should know some information about the history of the instrument.

This site provides some information and the links can provide more detail, including illustrated information on piano restorations, rebuilding, restringing, refinishing and repairs, and also services required for proper maintenance.

A Brief Chronological History of the Piano

The first pianos were developed as an improvement to the harpsichord.  The mechanical concept of a striking hammer opposed to a plucking quill added a much wider range of effect the player can have on volume and nuance of music.  Built in Europe in the 18th century, this instrument was called piano forte.  It took a half century before this newly developed instrument was refined enough to be commonly considered superior to the harpsichord.

In the 19th century, the piano had developed into a commonly produced instrument around the world.  Over the next 100 years, many technological innovations were developed.  Sometimes certain innovations were time-proven failures.  However, over time many improvements were made in design and construction techniques resulting in greatly improved tone quality, ease of operation, durability and longevity.  In the last 100 years, no major innovations have been developed to significantly improve the performance of a piano.  However, many efforts have been made to produce pianos more affordably to make them more available to the average household.  Long before the television, or even before the radio or phonograph, the piano became the primary “entertainment center” in hundreds of thousands of homes around the world.

Hundreds of piano manufacturers existed in the late 19th century and early 20th century.  Small, obscure builders often built very high quality pianos, but were squelched by competition before they could establish profits to sustain the substantial expense of crafting a quality piano.  By the middle of the 20th century, almost all of the small piano manufacturers were gone, leaving only a few dozen major piano builders.

As many piano manufacturers went out of business, they would often sell designs and name rights to other, larger manufacturers.  In recent years, this trend has continued, until today only a handful of major piano manufacturers remain anywhere in the world.

As the average household’s entertainment options have become practically infinite, the piano has lost some of it’s cultural importance.  This phenomenon has pushed manufacturers to produce pianos much more cheaply.  “Cutting corners” in both quality of materials and time consuming craftsmanship has become the norm.  Most of today’s pianos are mass-produced, incorporating inferior materials as well as rushed production techniques, in areas where labor is cheap.  These pianos, however cheaply manufactured, often proudly display a great old name of one of the renowned piano builders of the past.

Antique Pianos

The history of the piano now spans over 300 years.  As pianos become very old, they could have the potential to become antiques, however, millions have been produced over the years.  Unlike a piece of furniture or jewelry, pianos were built to perform a function as a musical instrument.  In most cases, a piano will become antiquated before becoming an “antique”.  A few exceptions exist.  For example, any existing piano forte from the 18th century has significant historical value simply pertaining to the invention and development of the piano we know today.  Any surviving examples are museum pieces.

By the 19th and early 20th centuries, pianos were very plentiful, so the criteria has changed.  To be considered an “antique”, pianos from this era are usually distinguished by certain factors.  For instance, if a renowned manufacturer built a piano in a very limited quantity, perhaps commissioned by a specific customer, the piano would have historical significance in relation to the manufacturer.  One of the most common examples of this would be one of the “art case” pianos built by Steinway and Sons. Other piano companies, such as Chickering, Kronic and Bach, and George Steck, also built limited edition art case pianos.  However, Steinways are, by far, the most popular.  This criteria is also met with the first handful of pianos built with a specific design or style that later becomes highly regarded:  with the first-built being the most valuable.  Sometimes, even more valuable, are pianos built specifically for famous venues or specifically for famous people combining an historical significance with a one-of-a-kind production.  An example of this kind of piano is the Steinway art case grand piano built for the White House.  The three legs are carved eagles and the finish includes murals of American historical events.  Even a commonly produced piano that has been used in a famous venue, used by a famous person, was owned by a famous person, or was used in a historically notable performance can be very valuable.  Antique pianos such as these must have this criteria verified.  If authentic, they would be very desirable to collectors.  Their value would depend on many aspects:  importance, rarity, condition, etc.  As with other antiques, major repairs, rebuilding, or refinishing can greatly compromise their value.  However, sometimes, if an antique piano is functioning, it can be more valuable than if it is not.

Vintage Pianos

“Vintage piano” is a term that refers to a piano that is old enough to reflect a past era in design and/or craftsmanship.  Unlike antique pianos, the value of these pianos depends greatly on their condition.  Usually, a piano must be at least 40 to 50 years old before you would consider it “vintage”.  Fortunately, unlike most pianos built in the last 2 or 3 decades (which have very limited lifespans) pianos built in the first half of the 20th century often have lifespans as long as 100 years if they have been properly maintained and were never subjected to a harsh environment.  Vintage pianos built by quality manufacturers, after half a century or more, often perform beautifully.  Certain aspects such as tone quality and sustain can actually improve with age.  To maintain maximum value, a vintage piano requires appropriate repairs, rebuilding, or restoration as components wear out or deteriorate.  Piano restoration can be very expensive.  From a marketable standpoint, most pianos are not worth the financial investment of restoration.  However, grand pianos originally built to a high quality standard are usually worth any restoration necessary, performed by qualified rebuilders, to achieve the piano’s maximum potential performance.  A restored vintage piano, besides making a stylish statement, often will perform better and last longer than most new pianos available today.  Pianos approaching 150 years old did not perform well when they were new, as a rule.  Built before many design innovations, their actions did not respond well and tone quality was limited.    Consequently, rebuilding and restoration results would be limited to the original quality, and therefore would usually not increase the value of the piano enough to justify the expense to refinish, restring, repair, and rebuild it.

Restored grand pianos built from around 1870 to 1940 are the most highly regarded vintage pianos available.  Depending on style and quality, they are often marketable for several times the cost of a brand new, inexpensive grand piano.  Pianos from this period were usually built to incredibly high standards with the best materials and time consuming construction techniques by experienced, talented craftsmen.  These older pianos retain desirable elements such as beautiful rare woods incorporated into the cabinet.  Often they feature time intensive wood carvings and stylish accents seldom seen anymore.  Also common in vintage pianos, though becoming more rare, are real ivory keys, which have unique character and style.  Experienced piano rebuilders can preserve these elements and properly incorporate new components to restore proper performance.  These aspects often make vintage pianos preferable to the cost-efficient cookie-cutter production pianos from the last several years.

Heirloom Pianos

Any family heirloom retains personal sentimental value often based on happy memories associated with the object, or simply by the fact that it once belonged to a loved one who has passed away.  A piano often can be a center point for many happy family memories.  Most of today’s pianos do not have sufficient lifespans to last more than a generation.  Older pianos, however, commonly are passed on to children, grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren.  After establishing this kind of history, these pianos can become priceless to their owners, regardless of the marketable value of the piano.  After a few generations, these pianos usually require a certain amount of restoration to remain a viable instrument.  Their cabinets often need refinishing to be presentable in a nice home, and restringing is usually required for the piano to retain proper tuning.  In many cases, very old pianos (uprights and grands) can obtain very good performance with the appropriate repairs and restoration.  Choosing qualified rebuilders is extremely important.  “Johnny-come-lately” piano rebuilders seldom have the experience to perform quality restorations.  The best benchmark for a quality rebuilder is time…. such as rebuilders who have been operating in the same area for decades.  This usually demonstrates their on-going customer satisfaction reputation.

With the renewed longevity acquired with a quality piano restoration, the piano can be passed down for generations to come.

Article By Rick Conder
Conder’s Piano Service - www.charlotte-piano.com
Serving Charlotte, NC. since 1954 

This article may be reproduced provided the authors bio and web site information is clearly referenced.

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