What questions should i ask when inquiring about a second hand piano?

Question:

What questions should i ask when inquiring about a second hand piano?

I'm currently piano hunting and want to buy a second hand upright piano. Despite the obvious questions- when was the last time it was tuned & is there any hidden damage; are there any relevant and potentially vital questions which i could ask?
Also, do you think that it would be ok to base the piano in a conservatory? The temperature varies a little in there from the main house (around 2-3 degrees hotter or colder in summer/winter) Could this have a profound impact on the working/ tuning aspects of the piano?

Many thanks!!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: First of all, invite your tuner / regulator to inspect the piano before you buy it. After all, he or she will be working with it at least twice a year as long as you own it. Find out whether the piano has been sitting in the light, near a window, near an outside wall, inspect the hammers for both fungus and excessive wear. Make sure that there aren't any clever little accessories installed like a tack bar (a bar that lowers down between the keys and the strings to make it sound like a honky tonk piano. It's slightly better than actually pressing tacks into the hammers, but now much.

Check the pedals and find out how close to a correct action it has. If it has a completely correct action (usually only available on grand pianos and a few full uprights) the right pedal will be legato, (lifts the dampers so all the strings will ring) the middle pedal will be a sostenuto (lifts the dampers of the keys you push down initially and allows the rest of the keys to remain staccato) and the left pedal will be an "una corda Diminuendo." (which literally shifts the hammers to the left in order to strike one string instead of three) In less expensive pianos, the middle pedal simply lifts the dampers on the bass side of the harp, and the left pedal (soft pedal) physically moves the hammers closer to the strings which creates a similar effect, but not nearly as satisfactory if you are used to a true una corda diminuendo.

It is more important that the temperature be consistent. A small space heater is usually sufficient to keep the temperature within range if necessary. Your tuner can advise you about this. Your tuner may also advise a humidifier or dehumidifier depending on the area of the country you live in, and what type of heating you have in your living space. Take this advice seriously. It is much less expensive to purchase one of these than it is to fix a cracked soundboard or replace a piano that is irreparably harmed by a sudden shift in climate.

Look for rust on the tuning pegs. This will indicate that the piano has not received regular care. Look closely at the soundboard. If it has been glued or reinforced, this piano may not be a good investment for you. Look at the keys and sight down the row to see if they are even. If they are not, it may indicate poor regulation. Look at the stems of the hammers and make sure that they have not been glued back together. A professional tuner will replace the stem rather than trying to patch it together. You may also see that it has been bonded together with tightly wrapped string. This is an amateur attempt to do a home repair and probably indicates that your tuner will be out to your house for a more complete repair during your first tuning.

When you place the piano in your living space, it will need to be tuned a few days after it arrives. Do not tune it on the day that it arrives because you will be tuning it again after it settles anyway. It's alright to tweak a few unisons if it's absolutely necessary, but you really want the cabinet to adjust to the floor,
and the harp to settle in after having new strain put upon it by the movers.

You will probably want to get it looked at again in two to four months, and then every six months or as needed. This depends largely on the sensitivity of your ear, how often you play, and your ability to tweak a unison when needed. I always keep a hammer and some felts in my instrument repair kit, but I ahve been trained by a professional tuner and know how to use them correctly. Be sure you go through that vital step before you try to do anything like that yourself. As you expected the instrument to be placed on an inside wall, away from direct sunlight, you should do the same yourself. Make sure that you inspect the instrument, or have your tuner do it as soon as it is placed in your apartment. Even the most professional movers can inadvertently inflict damage during a move and you want this corrected as soon as possible. Avoid movers who brandish touch up pens. This is not a reasonable expectation when it comes to a repair for any but the most superficial of scratches. Sometimes the tuner also moves pianos. This is ideal. Make sure you get some pure lemon oil or professional polish on the piano as soon as it arrives. Applying it will allow you to inspect the finish thoroughly without seeming to be fussy. Make sure the piano is balanced as well. Have a level available if necessary and ask in advance about shims, coasters, or whatever other materials will be necessary to ensure that your instrument is in an optimum position to support the harp, as well as the soundboard.

Hope this helps. say thinks like - are the ivories good for tinkling ask what tunes it plays :) Does this piano works? find out who tuned it last, how old is it, where has it been setting? (shouldn't have been sitting by an outside door or on an outside wall, that is backed up to the wall). Try to speak with the person who last tuned it. Try to take someone who knows something about pianos with you. This may sound a little yucky but have it checked for woodworm. Ask how many keys it has - seriously, they don't all have 88.
A 2-3 degree annual variation should be OK, but does it stay constant all day and night too ? If it gets cold overnight it will affect the tuning. Try to keep it out of direct sunlight, and away from anywhere damp. You mainly need to know if all the keys are in working order and if the piano needs to be tuned. With tuning also comes voicing of the keyboard where the tuner pays special attention to the section of the keyboard you use most for playing the melodies of the selections you are working on. The touch of the keys should be even as well, not some harder than others to play easily. I think the conservatory will house the piano well and the temperature may alter the intonation of the keys as the weather changes, but usually a tuner is needed about twice yearly for proper upkeep where that is concerned. With a used piano, you need to make sure that the sounding board where the strings are attached and where your sound comes from is not cracked or broken. If it is, then you will never be able to keep your instrument in tune. Your piano becomes basically worthless. The temperature needs to be as steady as possible and you need to avoid dampness or dryness in excess. Be sure not to place the piano on an outside wall. This will help keep the dampness and temperature changes to a minimum. Is It fully stringed, when was it last tuned,also ask the vendor how many white notes on the piano,if the answer is I don't know.Ask how many white notes are on the instrument, if the response is the same ask the vendor to name six animals that c**p in a field, if they do then say, "No wonder your selling the piano you know more about s***e than you do music" boom boom.
Glad to be of service