Should I buy this piano ???

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, I've seen a lovely upright Gortrain steinweg piano for sale. It's £500 and they say it's strings and action are in excelent condition. I know it'd need tuning once moved and I believe that costs £50-£70.
It would look lovely with a french polish but I don't know how much that costs ?

I don't know much about piano's but I only play by ear. I'm going to be having lessons though, and so is my daughter in a year or so. She's 5 at the moment.

I know it would be better to see it first, but I wouldn't know what to look for. It seems like such a good price, I couldn't afford one from a piano shop.

What do you think ?

Bump

I found this page.

I bought a piano last year after visiting lots of piano shops, thumping on the pianos and pretending to know what I want. But eventually I did thump on one I like which was surprising since I didn't think I could tell one from the other. So I think you ought to go and see it, play it, and play others. My local piano shop owner says the thing to do is to thump (technical term ) the very low notes and thump the very high notes to see if you like them...

Don't know about french polish...

HTH.

I have seen loads of pianos for about £50 in the local press - sometimes free to take away.
I paid £50 for mine from a friend in quite good condition prob needs a f polish and a retune at some point.
Is the make of the piano that important to you - £500 sounds quite exp.

I just thought it'd be something special for me and my daughter to share. If it's a really good make then hopefully it'll sound lovely and last a long time.
It's actually very cheep for this make. Most I've seen are £12,000+ I thought at that price it'd be an investment.

How to buy a piano.

500 pounds may not be expensive - it all depends on what it's like. But you really need to see it, I think. Also don't rule out piano shops yet - some of them stock second-hand ones that are not that expensive.

Another web page, though I've not used it. Also try local freecycle.

Oh, and it's my 30th birthday soon. (Trying to justify myself)

Buy one!

I think you need to be a bit wary of buying a piano privately if you don't know enough to be able to tell if there are any problems with it. My SIL bought one (much cheaper than £500 though) for DN - it wasn't tuned when she tried it out, but she assumed it would be fine when she got it home and had someone come to tune it.

But the tuner said it could not hold a tune as there was so much wrong with it, and it would either cost a huge amount more to repair or else would sit there just being an ornament!

So she really just wasted her money because she didn't know how to see there was a problem.

I think you'd be better off waiting till you have a teacher and then get their advice about buying a piano, or else get one from a shop where you have some kind of warranty. That way you can be sure of what you're getting.

Thanks AMumInScotland, that makes sence. I'd be deverstated after spending all that money.