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Over the last 20 years our customers have asked the following questions many
times. These questions often lead to more questions and discussions about
the piano and the customers needs. In order to not have the answers read
like a technical manual we have used some generalities that we would
normally discuss more in depth in person. So, here is a good place to put
our phone number, 888-797-4266 (888-79-piano). We were founded by a piano
technician and we love talking pianos.
The Selection Process - Finding the Right One
The Purchasing Process - Selecting the Right One
After the Purchase - Receiving and Maintaining Your Piano
The Selection Process - Finding the Right One
| Do I dare to buy a piano without seeing and playing it? |
It depends. First lets talks about the people who would never buy a piano without seeing and playing it: These are the people who have a specific sound and touch that they want in their pianos.
These folks will play dozens of pianos before they narrow down their choice to the instrument that will sing to them. It's hard to put into words what that person hears and feels when he or she knows that right instrument. But they know. For many of us, it's not that critical to find that elusive perfect instrument. However, we still want a decent, if not excellent, instrument that will serve us well for a long time. Is the piano going to be for a beginner? Do you have to stay within a budget range? Is furniture style important? How you answer these questions will determine the piano that is best for you.
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| What kind of piano is best for me? |
For consistancy of tone and touch, Yamaha and Kawai are rated very highly. The American pianos from the early 1900's through the 1960's have a warmer look and softer lines. They are not as consistant in tone an touch as the Japanese pianos, but they are for the most part very decent pianos.
Many of our customers have confessed that they dreamed of owning a Steinway. Steinway pianos stand alone as the finest instruments in the world. There are other instruments that are built to same exacting standards, but as an investment Steinway outperforms them almost every time.
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| What are the best brands? |
It may be foolish to try and give a quick easy answer to this question. A piano professional would want to find out more about your needs before they would recommend the best brand for you. By getting more information about your tastes and needs and giving you more information about different pianos, a truly caring sales professional can give you the tools you need to select the brand that is best for you.
But lets generalize a little here. Steinway and Mason and Hamlin are widely considered to be the best American pianos. Below these two brands fall Baldwin (depending upon the model, because Baldwin makes a wide range of quality levels within their line.) Knabe, Chickering, (again, depending upon the model) Sohmer, Hardman (again, depending upon the model). Below these fall most of the other brands. At this point it should be stressed that there are many exceptions to this hierarachy. There are also differing opinions and personal preferences among technicians.
Any discussion about the best brands must include Yamaha and Kawai. These two brands are not as fine as Steinway and Mason and Hamlin, but they are more consistant and still very decent. Because they are priced so much lower, but still approach the quality level of the finer brands, they are considered a good value. A used Yamaha or Kawai in excellent condition is an exceptional value.
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| What is the difference between, rebuilt and refinished, reconditioned, and as is? |
1. Rebuilt and Refinished: This is the most extensive process that we do to an instrument. The cabinet is stripped and refinished, and the strings, pinblock and damper felts are replaced. A decision is made to either replace or recondition the soundboard. The action is evaluated and the appropriate work is done. Since the condition of actions varies so greatly (depending on its past use) we make a judgement to either replace or recondition component parts. This may sound strange, but a skilled craftsman lets the piano tell them what to do. Careful listening, playing and visual observation helps us make the right decision to bring out the best in the piano.
2. Reconditioned: Piano reconditioning refers to working with all the original parts. It is generally done to later model pianos and includes cleaning, french polishing and or compounding the cabinet and hardware. The interior is reconditioned by cleaning, tightening, lubricating, tuning and regulating to the original factory specifications.
3. As Is: One of the reasons we offer as is pianos is that tuners, technicians and dealers can purchase these instruments and recondition them for resale. An as is piano may be appropriate for some end users if the instrument going to be used is for beginner to intermediate use or if the customer was handy and possibly wanted to refinish,recondition or clean the piano themselves.
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| What is better, an upright or grand? |
This depends on how much space you have. If you have the space, we recommend a grand, however, a high quality upright has better tone and touch than a low quality grand.
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| What is the difference between a baby grand and a grand? |
There is no exact cut off point between a baby grand and a grand. A more accurate way of describing these instruments is by their exact size. For example: 5'1" grand, 6'3" grand, etc...Measure your space with a bed sheet placed on the floor in the area where your piano will be. Keep in mind that all grands measure about 5' wide.
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| What are the differences between spinets, consoles, studios and uprights? |
They all fall into a catagory called verticals. Height is the main difference here. Spinets range from 36" to 39" high. Consoles range from 39" to 44" high. Studios range from 44" to 48" high and full size uprights range from 50" to 56" high. Spinet pianos differ from the rest because they have an inferior action (playing mechanism) which is called a drop action. Because of its design, a drop actin is not as responsive as a direct blow action, which is what consoles, studios and uprights have.
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| Which type should I buy? |
Where do you need to be on the quality scale and what style is most appealing to you? The answers to these questions will lead you to the piano that is best for you.
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| Does a cracked soundboard mean the piano is no good? |
This is a question and an issue that scares customers more than any other. New piano dealers want you to believe that a cracked soundboard renders the piano useless or at the very least devalues the integrity of the instrument. The fact is that Steinway and Sons does not warranty their soundboards against cracking. Why? A good soundboard is prone to cracking because of its nature. It is more responsive to vibration, therefore creating better tone. It is also more responsive to humidity changes, therefore making it more prone to cracking. Some less expensive brands like Samick manufacture laminated soundboards which will never crack but will never produce great tone. Yamaha and Kawai seem to have found the middle ground with a non-laminated board that is not as resposive as the finer brands, but, which will not crack as easily.
In some pianos, however, the cracked soundboard is an indication that other problems exist due to excessive dryness. Knowing the difference between a cracked board that is a problem and one that is not is imperative. We inspect and repair literally hundreds of soundboards each year and we won't offer a problem piano to a potential customer. We also back that up with a ten year warranty on every piano we sell.
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| I heard that used Yamaha pianos are dangerous to purchase. Is this true? |
For a detailed answer to this question click here
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| Five Things You Need to Know About Buying a Piano
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Five Things You Need to Know About Buying a Piano
What I've attempted to do with this guide is to:
1. Give some simple background information such as nomenclature and outline a few general principles;
2. Talk about some of the things that are most important to me in the selection of a good piano;
3. Point you in the direction of other information and resources that will be helpful in your search.
Keep in mind, I'm going to stay pretty general here. Refer to some of the links at the end of this guide for more detail and remember, there is still no substitute for getting out there and checking out pianos.
1. Nomenclature:
Spinets, consoles, studios and full size uprights are called vertical pianos, as distinguished from baby grands and grands.
Spinets are usually 36 - 39 high. Their playing mechanism is called a drop action. This is an inferior design to the direct blow action of the console, studio and full size upright.
Consoles are generally 40 - 44 high. They have a direct blow action, meaning the action sits directly on top of the keys. This is a more efficient design than the drop action of the spinet.
Studios are typically 45 - 48 high. They also have a direct blow action.
Full size uprights are generally 49 - 58 high. They generally have the best sound of the verticals because of their size. Bigger soundboard and longer strings equal bigger sound.
Baby grands and grands: There is no exact, uniform, agreed-upon size to differentiate between a baby grand and a grand. The correct way to refer to them is by their actual size, i.e. 5' 1 grand 6'3 grand etc. Grands range in size from 4'6 to 9'0 . The majority of them fall into the 5 to 6 foot range.
2. What quality levels are available?
Think of a pyramid. The top third are handmade pianos of limited numbers, built to a standard, not a price. Steinway is the first one that comes to mind here. Also included in this upper tier are Mason & Hamlin, Bosendorfer, and a handful of other handmade instruments. The middle third is composed of quality mass-produced pianos. These include Yamaha and Kawai among others. The bottom third are pianos built to a price, not a standard. Stencil pianos fall into this category. Stencil pianos are instruments mostly from China that the importer applies a stencil to - hence the name. For instance, the Bejing Piano Factory manufactures pianos. Importers order large quantities of these pianos and apply a decal to the front of the piano. The names are usually older American piano makers who have gone out of business and sold the brand name. What can become even more confusing is that some Yamaha, Kawai and Baldwin models are actually stencil pianos. These companies do this to take advantage of the inexpensive Chinese labor and offer an entry level product to the consumer. An informed piano professional will know the difference and be able to point out specific attributes of each.
3. The Axioms.
a. Something cheap is always cheap. Something good is always good.
b. Choose a piano you grow into, not out of, if possible. You will not be sorry if you invest in a piano that is a little better than you think you deserve... you are going to get better and a better piano will help you do that.
c. Bigger is better - sometimes. The bigger the piano, the longer the strings, the bigger the sound. That doesnt mean a smaller piano cant have a sweet sound. In fact, a good quality, small piano can out-perform a low quality big piano. Being able to compare a number of pianos in one place is recommenced. Dealing with a professional who will point out the good and bad attributes of the pianos is also helpful.
4. How to Evaluate a Piano.
a. Quality: There are attributes of quality that are recognizable. Some of them are obvious, such as the cabinet and finish. Some are not as obvious, but can be easily pointed out by a technician or a sales professional.
b. Tone: Listen to the piano... let your ears tell you. Trust your ears, they will tell you if it sounds good or not. Tone is a subjective attribute. Two pianists will have differing opinions on what they like and some folks like their sound a little more mellow while others like it a little brighter.
c. Looks: Looks matter as the piano is not only a musical instrument but also a fine furnishing in your home.
d. Size: The math is exponential here, so the size of a larger piano is disproportionate. If you have 20% more length you get 45% more sound. Play a five and a six foot grand that are next to each other to hear the difference. Remember, a higher quality smaller grand can out-perform a lower quality larger grand. The subjectivity issue also comes into play here. You may like the sound of a smaller grand of the same quality as the larger grand simply because its tone appeals to you.
5. Common Misconceptions/ Old Wives Tales
a. The outside wall fallacy. Never put a piano on an outside wall. This was true at the time of non insulated walls, but it is no longer applicable. Still, the more stable the temperature and humidity are the more stable the piano will be. A relative humidity of 44% is ideal.
b. You have to tune a piano every time you move it. The strings on a piano are not affected by moving the piano. A piano goes out of tune by setting the strings in motion - also called playing, but mostly by humidity changes. If you are moving a piano across the room you wont need to tune it because the humidity level hasnt changed. If you are moving it across town and the house that it is being moved to has a significantly different humidity level then the first house, then the piano should be re-tuned. The
effects of the humidity change takes place gradually so allow about two weeks for the piano to adjust to the new environment before re-tuning.
Never buy a piano with a cracked soundboard. Most used pianos have cracked soundboards. They are actually not cracks, but separations which occur because the wood is expanding and contracting. These separations can sometimes cause a buzzing sound due to losing contact with the ribs that support the soundboard. This problem is easily repaired by an experienced technician. In fact, Steinway pianos have no warranty against cracked soundboards. They do however warranty any problems associated with the crack.
These are the Five Things You Need to Know about Buying a Piano. Some people dont need to know these things because theyre trusting the judgment or recommendation of a neighbor, friend, teacher or tuner. Some people need to know even more before they are comfortable enough to feel they are choosing the right instrument. For those of you who fall into the latter category, here are a few more places to look for piano information. We spend a good part of our lives working to acquire things that we dont need and a piano is one of them. But still, I can't imagine life without music and especially pianos. Good luck in your search and enjoy your piano.
Paul Simone
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The Purchasing Process - Selecting the Right One
| Why should I trust viennapiano.com? |
That's a trick question. In your search for the right piano, eventually you'll have to trust someone. Will it be us? Maybe. If you receive your piano and you are not happy and you do not release your funds from excrow or you do a chargeback on your credit card, vienna piano looses as well.
So we have to make sure that the piano you have chosen from a picture with a description on this website, and a detailed discussion on the phone is indeed the right piano for you. If we do not do that we both loose. If we do it right, we both win.
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| When do I pay for my piano? |
You pay for your piano once you have selected it. That is when we take it off the market and reserve it for you. If you are not satisfied with the piano upon delivery, you have the option of returning it for a full refund.
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| How do I pay for my piano? |
1. Personal Check or Money Order: You may mail your payment to: Vienna Piano Co., 181 Main St., Hackettstown, NJ 07840.
If we have arrived at this point of the transaction, we will probably have spoken on the phone. We will contact you once we have received your payment. We will then finalize your delivery options.
2. Visa/Mastercard (no American Express)
3. Escrow (go to Escrow.com - We pay for half of the charges)
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| What happens to my credit card information? |
When we process your order, your credit card information is kept strictly confidential. For added protection, your complete credit card numbers are not printed on any receipt.
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| Do you share my name and information with other companies? |
We absolutely do not share your name or any personal information with any individuals or companies.
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| What about trade-ins? |
We do trade-ins for local customers but not for long distance customers. We can, however, guide you to the best way to get the most value from the piano you currently own.
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| Do I have to pay sales tax? |
All NJ customers must ad 6% sales tax. There is no sales tax for out of state transactions.
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| Can I finance my piano? |
Yes. We provide financing through Allegro Acceptance Corp.. They have competative rates and a 90 day same as cash option. Call us for details.
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| What does the price include? |
All of our prices include: a bench, one in home tuning after delivery, and a 10 year warranty on all parts and labor.
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| What about the warranty? |
Our warranty covers all parts and labor for a ten year period. It includes anything that inhibits the playability of the instrument. It covers the soundboard - not cracks in the soundboard since most used pianos have minor cracks in the soundboard - but it covers any problems with tone associated with those cracks such as buzzing.
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| Can I put a deposit down on the piano until my teacher or tuner can look at it with me? |
Many of our local customers have asked this question over the years. Our policy is that you may have your tuner or teacher inspect the piano as long as it is done within a one week period.
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After the Purchase - Receiving and Maintaining Your Piano
| Who will deliver my piano? |
If you are local, we deliver your piano. If we are overbooked on local deliveries, Camel Piano Moving Co. will deliver. Camel Piano Moving is a local company that we have come to know and trust as a professional, insured piano mover.
If you are not local, we use: Modern Piano Movers, Keyboard Carriage and Schaffer and Sons Piano Movers. These three companies are the best in the industry and we trust them. We have used them for hundreds of moves. This allows us to "buy in bulk" from them and we add nothing to their price. So you receive the lowest possible price and get the highest level of service.
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| What if they damage it? |
Damage does occur in rare cases. When it does, we will come to your home, access the damage and either repair it, replace it, or offer you a full refund.
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| How long will it take to be delivered? |
Local purchases are usually delivered within 1-5 days. Long distance purchases are delivered within 2-6 weeks.
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| How much will it cost to deliver? |
Local deliveries cost between 100.00 and 200.00. Long distance delivery charges will vary depending upon your location.
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| Will it be in tune when I get it? |
The piano will come to you in playable condition and very close to "in tune". If it is for recording purposes, performance or if you have a very keen ear, it will not be acceptably in tune. However, if it is for general use, it will be in tune. The piano will tend to drift out of tune over the first few weeks as it adjusts to the new humidity and temperature conditions.
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| How long should I wait before I tune it? |
We recommend about two weeks. We will arrange for you to speak with your tuner before your piano is delivered. Once you receive your piano, you can call him or her to schedule your appointment.
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| How often should I tune it? |
As often as possible. Steinway requires owners of their new pianos to tune them four times a year - with every season change. Some of our local recording studio clients have us tune their pianos once a month. Many local families and friends that have owned pianos from us tune them once a year. Use your judgement based on your ear and your tuner's recommendation.
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| What if some notes do not play or sound bad when I get it? |
Sometimes in the moving process, pieces shift and cause notes to stick or sound strange. In fact, immediately after the move is when most of the mechanical problems do occur. If this happens, call your tuner. He or she will repair these problems immediately.
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| What if I am unhappy with the tuner? |
Sometimes, for a variety of reasons this happens. If this does happen we will find you a new tuner.
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