Piano Evaluation Service

Family Pianos:

I often work on Antique Pianos that are passed down through the family, from Grandparents to their Children and then to their Grandchildren. Although I encourage 'Keeping a Piano in the Family' and taking care of it... or Restoring it, there are times when these 'Family Piano' can have as many problems as the 'Free pianos' mentioned above. Therefore, it's always Wise to have the piano evaluated beforehand.... before it is moved.

Free Pianos not always a good deal!!

Although some may be perfectly good Instruments, and well worth the cost of Moving, Tuning and Repair... others were ready for the Junkpile decades ago!! Additionally, not all pianos can 'Hold a Tune' and/or some may have severe Soundboard and Bass Bridge cracks, which is expensive to fix... or un-fixable. Some.... although once Fine Instruments... may require too much $$ in cost to repair. And some (dare I say) have even had mice living in them... making a mess and damaging parts, and have toxic Allergens which cannot be cleaned. These are all things you should know, before acquiring a Used Piano... even if it's Free!!

Old and Antique Grand Pianos:

These should especially be Evaluated beforehand, as they can often have as many or more problems as Upright pianos... even if they were 'well cared for' by their previous owners. Just because they're Grand Pianos doesn't mean that they're any good, and thousands of 'Cheap Quality' Baby Grands were manufactured from the 1920's onward, which may have problems with the 'Pin-block' .... which is what keeps the piano In-Tune.

Or they may have been played 'hard' for decades, requiring extensive 'Action' (mechanical) work. The average Antique Baby Grand generally needs a minimum of $750 to $1200 of work, as a rule.

The Cost of Piano Moving:

By licensed-Insured professionals who will not damage your piano, floors or home

Can range in price from about $275 to well over $700 for a Big Upright or Baby Grand. Before you spend this money, you should know what you're getting.

Do the Math:

The cost of Piano Lessons nowadays ranges from $25 to $35 for a half hour lesson... every week. Monthly, that adds up to a minimum of $100 per month..... and $1,200. per year. As a Piano Teacher myself.... I know that the ability for any Student to learn to play piano is often based on having a reasonably good piano to practice upon. Especially younger Children with small fingers need a piano that works correctly.

Think about it:

Is it wise to spend over a Thousand a Year for lessons, and then allow the student to practice on a piano that's a 'Piece of Junk' ?? Yet I have seen this scenario dozens of times over the years... in countless homes. Often the teacher is unaware of the condition of the piano; other times, the teacher simply 'overlooks it'.