Purchasing Advice

Purchasing advice when choosing a piano, you need to ask yourself a few questions. The answers will help you decide which makes & models will suit your needs.

Before we begin, all new pianos are iron framed, overstrung and have underdamper actions. Some older pianos might be over-damped and also might be straightstrung.

How Big? The taller the piano, the longer the strings in the bass and larger the soundboard, this gives a better sound but is dependant on build quality. Resonance improves with larger soundboards but is dependant on the quality and build of the soundboard.

Warranty? All of our pianos come with a written warranty. All new pianos have a minimum of 5 years and some up to 10 years. All secondhand pianos have a minimum of 12 months. Conditions apply.

Delivery? All pianos have free delivery for easy access, ground floor and within 30 miles of us. Extra charges may apply. We will do our best to delivery when it best suites you. All pianos are insured during delivery.

Tuning? All pianos are tuned 2-4 weeks after delivery and is free with every piano purchased. This will be done by a qualified tuner. Pianos will need re-tuning between 6 & 12 months depending on use and environment. Tuning

How to pay? We accept payment by cheque, credit & debit cards (except AMEX), bank transfer or cash. We also offer finance options, all finance is subject to acceptance and conditions. View our credit options.

Are you looking for a traditional or a modern looking piano? Traditional looking pianos have pillars joining the keyboard to the toe. These pianos have castors for ease of movement and have a vertical top panel. Traditional pianos range from 110cm to 132cm in height.

Modern or studio type pianos are low in height with a sloping top panel, to give the impression of small & neatness. Usually don’t have castors for safety reasons as they don’t have toes. Safety brackets can be fitted to these instruments to add ease of movement & stability.

Is colour or finish important? Some manufacturers have a large range of colours / wood veneer types, and also offer satin finishes as well as the standard polyester high gloss finish. Black is the most common finish as it doesn’t fade easily in sunlight and goes with the majority of house decors. Some makers limit the finish range to increase production, so understandably, a specific finish, example Oak Satin, which is not as popular as black, might take a while to order in if it is available from the manufacturer.

Quality of build / manufacture? This question is mainly down to budget. The higher the cost of the instrument, the higher the quality of build and materials. Large manufactures have a piano to suit the pianist’s budget, but some are focused on the professional / higher quality pianos, and some other piano makers more aimed at the entry / lower cost level. Quality of materials has a large part to play in how a piano will sound and last. For example hammers, the heart of the piano, better quality hammers, like German made Renner or Abel hammers, are found on more expensive instruments, resulting in better sound / tone and will give the pianist a better dynamic range. Better made instruments will last longer than cheaper instruments but bear in mind that the average piano should last 50 years!

Sound & touch? This is a personal thing which you either have an idea to start with or you gain over years of playing. Manufacturers have an idea on what their pianos should sound and feel like, so they try and copy that with every piano they make but remember every piano is different! Actions (touch) can vary with the amount of weight needed to depress the key, resulting in a heavy or lighter touch. Other factors concerning actions are “responsive” and “control”. Quality of regulation (fine adjustments to the action) makes a difference to the touch so make sure the piano you are trying has been expertly regulated. To provide the ultimate touch with your new or used grand piano, we recommend installing a PTD (precision touch design) in to your grand piano giving you the touch you and want and an even tone.

Sound is dependant on many things. The room it is being housed in for instance makes a difference as larger rooms with taller ceilings give a different sound to the player than a smaller room. Also soft furnishings can alter sound, so if the room has a wooden floor and not much soft furnishings like curtains etc, then the sound will also sound different. In general, a piano can be soft & mellow or in the other extreme, loud & bright. Larger pianos in general have a richer sound and more power than smaller pianos. This is due to the larger soundboard and longer strings. Toning a piano to suit the pianist can be done by needling the hammer felt to soften the tone or using heat / solvent to brighten the tone.