Piano Shopping - Things I Learnt

I have went to a few places for Piano shopping, and learnt a lot of things on pianos. Hence would like to share here:-

To recondition my dear Schubert?
I have the old Schubert, which I actually wanted to replace because after many years of playing, the action of the piano keys are not as responsive. Effectively, all the keys are still working, as in the keys will bounce back when they are pressed, but if I want to hit the same key at fast repetition, it has a limit as the key needs time to bounce back. Also, when I hit the same key too fast for some of the keys. I can hear the knocking sounds. I suppose it is the normal wear and tear of all pianos. My old Schubert is about 35 years old now. And I had wanted to recondition it, to see if I can extend the lifespan of it. However, most people advise me against it, as they says that the money spent on the reconditioning could be better spent on a new decent piano. Of what I remembered, to recondition a piano, it will need about $1k to $2k about 8 years ago. With the inflation that had happened over the years, I suppose now would already be more than that. So, if I do a calculation, it would be better off buying a new piano. Recondition is usually meant for pianos which are of very good make, and only need to change certain parts. Or when the piano has sentimental value. As for my Schubert, yes, I love it, but I am still a more practical person.

To dispose my dear Schubert?
If I were to buy a new piano, then I will need to find out ways to dispose a piano. According to the advice from the Piano Forumers, the normal way is to sell to the Karang Guni in Singapore, who hopefully will recycle the piano, since it is made of wood. However, because my piano is not in that bad a condition. Effectively, I can still play and enjoy it, so when I get a new piano, I am hoping to donate or to give it free to anyone who is keen in learning piano, but is unable to afford the cost of buying one. Or maybe, keep it and let my nieces, nephews and kids play with it for fun.

Digital Pianos vs Acoustic Pianos?
Digital pianos are electronics, where the sounds are usually pre-recorded using sampling method so as to produce the different loudness when the keys are pressed with different strengths. However, it is still digital in action, meaning to say, the dynamics which can be produced by a digital is limited compared to an acoustic piano. For the study of classical music, it is necessary to use acoustic pianos to be able to practice and learn how to control the keys to give the feeling and dynamics needed to express the piece. Some piano teachers might even not want to teach students who are using digital pianos.

Also, digital pianos are electronics which have a lifespan of say, how many times can a key be pressed before it is spoilt (like all the electrical applicances which we have at home), and the lifespan of a digital piano is definitely shorter than that of a acoustic piano, typically based on the warranty period. Once the chips are burnt, no sound means no sound. Not like acoustic pianos, because it is mechanical parts, hence it can still have sound even after many many years. So, if I am talking about normal performance, I am comparing 8 years with 30 years.

However, digital pianos have the advantage that it does not require any tuning, regulating, voicing and yearly maintenance like an acoustic piano. Also, because it is digital, it can be linked to the computer to upload and download music, translate what has been played into scores and even replay what had been played. And for the money you spend on a high-end digital piano, usually can only get you a low-end acoustic piano.

Personally, I am looking for a decent but not too expensive piano that my family and I can enjoy for many years, and good enough for my kids to take exams if they are interested, or just to play for leisure. Even if they do not play, I can still play for fun. So, judging from the lifespan, budget and my needs, I prefer acoustic pianos.

New vs Second Hand?
New pianos usually comes with warranty (for parts and labour) for quite a long period (about 10 years) from the manufacturer.

As for second hand pianos, if you are buying a reconditioned piano, where the parts has been replaced, then you will need a technician whom you can trust to go down with you to examine the piano. How well these are reconditioned depends on the parts that are used, and also the technical expertise of the person whom reconditioned these pianos. However, there are not that many piano reconditioning technicans in Singapore given that Singapore is still a pretty small country (in land area size), so I would personally not choose second hand reconditioned pianos.

As for second hand imported pianos, these pianos are sold and used in some other countries for 10, 20 and even 30 years. But because the weather in the foreign countries are very good, and hence ther parts are still relatively ok despite the long years of usage. However, these pianos are usually not built for the humidity and temperature in Singapore, and hence, the piano might not be able to settle in well in Singapore, and might degrade very rapidly. Hence, I personally would not choose these pianos.

However, if you are able to find a second hand piano which is preferably less than 10 years old, and had been through moderate use (not like people who are in the higher grade, had been practising on the piano), those pianos usually have very damaged hammers, so not very good buy. But for those who bought a piano, but their kids give up playing after a few years. Then ok, these are ok pianos to buy. But there again, please engage a technician to help you look through it, test all the keys, the pedals before committing. Usually these pianos still have warranty coverage as well.

So, for me, I am either open to new pianos or used pianos less than 10 years old made for Singapore use. I was also told that sometimes it is better to buy a second hand better make piano than a new worse make piano.

Difference between Grand Pianos and Upright Pianos
The difference between Grand pianos and Upright pianos is the action of the hammers. Grand pianos allows the hammers to fall into its rest position when no keys are pressed with gravity, and therefore has much lesser moving parts compared to upright pianos. In pianos, the lesser the number of moving parts, the better it is because for every error in the moving parts, the pianos keys would be affected. As for upright pianos, they are usually separated into different category like spinet, console, studio and professional. These categories are separated by the difference in height. Basically, the taller the upright piano, the better it is because, the strings are longer for vibration, they have a larger soundboard and thereby a louder sound, and the action of the hammer has less moving parts.

Another obvious difference, is that grand piano looks really magnificant in one's home. So, it is really a nice piece of furniture. So personally, of coz I love to have a grand piano, but they are much more expensive than uprights. So, sigh, my budget does not allow that. But if I come across a good one, why not?