Former Public School Choir Director, Folsom, CA.
Musical Director, Emerson/DaVinci Davis, CA.
Concert Band, Concert Orchestra and Chorus.
Bob Comarow Music
Davis, CA 95616
ph: 3215911954
comarow
The setup of your instrument greatly influences the ease of playing the instrument and how it will sound. No one can learn to play on a piece of junk or an unplayable instrument.
Pianos:
There is nothing like a real piano. And, of pianos, nothing like a grand piano. If you have the space, don't consider anything but a good quality grand piano. Well maintained it will be a family treasure and a good investment.
Always wash your hands before you play a piano.
Used pianos will save you many thousands of dollars. However, selecting one is a daunting task. I provide some basic information to find a candidate, but before buying it, have a piano technician inspect it. You can pay a lot more and buy a used piano from a dealer, you will get peace of mind.
However, there are so many people selling their pianos, espeically considering the economy it's a buyers market and many great deals exist.
Pianos have thousands of moving parts. This includes springs, felts, hammers, complicated actions, strings that corrode, and many parts you can't see. After you check out a piano, before you buy it pay for a technician to analyze the piano. Buying a piano that needs unexpected work can cost you many thousands of dollars.
So first pick out likely candidates that will pass your test as an inspection will cost about $150. It's like taking a used car to a mechanic, and you probably know more about cars than pianos.
First play the high and low notes on the piano. The bass strings should sound rich or full.
Upright pianos. A very short piano, like a spinet will never sound good. Look for pianos over 46" tall and hopefully taller if you want a rich bass. In uprights I like at 52" for a rich bass. In general, the longer the string length, the better the sound. In olden days they made pianos bigger than 52" but they would need to be restored.
Fully restored they can be very special instruments, but if it doesn't say Steinway, you'll never get your money back on an upright piano.
In Japan they think it's disgusting to buy a used piano, except for a golden age name American piano. Consequently, they send 5 year old Yamaha and Kawai pianos to the US in containers. They are called grey market pianos and often excellent deals.
Grand pianos have many advantages. They usually have longer strings. They are beautiful and become a show piece for you house.
Remember, the longer the length, the better the sound.
Thus a 6' Grand Piano will sound much better than a baby grand. Don't waste your time buying a baby grand, they are just for show. Better to buy a good upright piano if your space is limited.
A grand piano over 7' will sound exponentially better, yet they are harder to sell since most people don't have the room. If you can fit a piano over 7' you'll get a better piano and perhaps a better deal if you find a motivated seller.
Good quality grands that are well maintained will actually increase in value. It is often worth the money to restore an old quality grand piano but rarely worth restoring an upright.
Of course Grand Pianos eat up a lot of space in your home.
When I lived in Florida I had a fully restored 7'2" Knabe Grand.
I sure miss that piano.
How to Check Out a Piano:
Play all the notes, they all should feel the same and every note should work. It might be a minor repair, but only a technician can judge that. There are lots of used pianos, so why look for a headache?
If you are buying a used piano and it is more than a half a note flat, generally pass the piano by. Often people ruin pianos by thinking since no one is playing it there is no reason to tune it. They are ruining their piano.
If you must buy a piano that is over a half note flat, or perhaps there is a piano in your family, it will require a risky, expensive pitch raise. This means it will require at least 7 rough tunings and 1 fine tuning. You will have to pay for all those tunings. In the process strings may break and pins may snap. Only a technician can judge if a piano is worth having a pitch raise.
If you own a piano, even if no one is playing it, get it tuned every 6 months or it will lose most of it's value.
Look over the sound board, hopefully it is free of cracks. Some cracks can be excused, but not if they rattle. Play the piano and listen for any rattles. If it rattles, pass if by.
The hammers must be filed as grooves develop and eventually need replacement. Check that the hammers don't have deep grooves or you will have to pay to resurface or replace the hammers. This can be a minor or major repair, only your technician can determine that.
The felts that stop the strings from ringing require maintenance and replacement perhaps every 20 years. When you lift your finger off a note, the felt must stop it from ringing. If it rings, you will probably need to replace the felts. This is an expensive repair.
Pianos over 35 or more years generally need the strings replaced. Look at the strings, the brass strings should still be shiny. It can be worth restoring a grand, only rarely with the exceptions I note below to restore an upright. Restring a piano is very expensive and only worth it on a fine instrument.
Keys may need to be replaced. If they are cracked or chipped they can replace the surface. Older painos used ivory but they would need to be replaced with plastic key surfaces. The importation of ivory is illegal and immoral. That said, some technicians have a few saved ivory key tops if you only need one or two.
Here are some very rough numbers to consider in restoring an old piano. Restoring the action and strings on a piano will run between $2,500 and $5,000. A partial restoration, not including restring the piano can run between $1,500 to $2,500. Refinishing a piano costs between $2,000 and $3,000.
If appearance is important pianos can be beautiful instruments. Regularly clean them with lemon oil as it protects the wood. A refinished piano can be beautiful. a showcase for a home. Frankly, for most customers, refinishing a piano is the best way to add value as most consumers want pieces of furniture more than musical instruments.
On the other hand, a good working instrument that is cosmetically challenged can be a great deal. You can improve the appearance of any old piano by rubbing many coats of oil into the finish.
Sometimes serious piano players buy older pianos, have the strings and actions replaced but do nothing with the furniture. When in financial need these pianos hit the market.
Older instruments used better woods and materials but are most likely to need work. Sometimes grandma's piano has sat in homes with no maintenance in decades. They may not be tuneable, or they more offer something great. Restoring such an instrument may be expensive but can provide something special. Be prepared to spend thousands of dollars to restore an old piano.
Special Older Pianos Worth Restoring:
While everyone knows the name Steinway, that was because it was the first piano to successfully invest in Marketting. They hired celebraties to say they only played on a Steinway.
Consequently, you pay far more for a Steinway than a similar or better piano. However, it is worth investing in expensive restoration of even upright Steinways as they will return value.
Personally, I would only restore an older upright that was at least 52" tall or a grand piano 6' or bigger.
There are some other pianos from the Golden Age of Pianos that were as good or better than Steinway, both in uprights or grands. If you are getting a piano to keep and want a piano far better than a new piano and are willing to pay thousands of dollars for a restoration you can look for these brands.
Knabe
Chickoring
Maslin and Hammer
Schimmel (Actually, the best new upright you can buy today)
Bosendorf (Still made great today, better than a Steinway)
Newer Yamaha and Kawais (Not made of real wood, but good quality.
Toyo: This is an odd bird. It is a high quality piano sold new in Japan to compete with Yamaha and Kawai, almost as good, but not sold new in the US. They are sent over with other used Japanese Pianos and since no one knows about these pianos, they are much more discounted than Yamaha and Kawai.
Young Chang: Yamaha worked with them to improve their quality. For a recent model they can be an excellent deal.
Petrov: A good newer European piano company.
Huge companies bought these Knabe, Maslin and Hammer and Chickoring and put the names on cheap pianos. Some technicians have some of these origianl great pianos for sale that they have fully restored. So, if you see a piano that says Knabe, it probably is not one of the originals.
For example, old Knabe's were heavier and made with better materials than Steinways. There are computer programs to restring old Knabes that make them sound like magic. I loved my old restored Knabe.
You can get a great piano, far better than any new piano you can buy today by buying one of these fully restored older pianos.
However, unlike a Steinway, few people know about these superior pianos and will be difficult to re-sell. If you want a piano to keep, they are something special.
During the Golden Age of Pianos, between 1900 and 1930 they used better materials, literally heating the factory with better woods that would be used on modern pianos. Some of the golden age pianos are made of really solid material and worth restoring, even if they are not the name. Dont expect the original parts to be worth salvaging, but you could get a piano far better than any new piano with few exceptions.
However, these restored pianos without a prestigious name will be difficult to re-sell.
Electric Pianos:
Only consider an electric piano with 88 keys. The keys should be "velocity sensative", that is, if you hit it harder it will play louder. Don't even consider a keyboard with less than 88 keys.
Electric pianos do not require tuning or maitenance. New electric pianos depreciate very quickly.
However, older, high end electric pianos may have great sound and action, but not have the stupid bells and whistles you don't need to learn piano. They can be great deals. You don't need a piano that can play itself, you need one that sounds good, is in good condition and plays like a real piano.
You can see them listed on EBAY and Craigslist. Many were bought with intensions to learn piano and that faded. Stick to Yamaha, Kawai and Roland for electric pianos. Other companies make more expensive synthesizers, which you don't need. In fact, all the toys are distractions from learning.
In addition, should you live where volume is a problem, you can play them quietly or even use headphones. Thus they are great for students.
In fact, sollege students should get electric keyboards not made as pieces of furniture as they move often. For most homes you will want one more like I use in my studio.
This picture has what was a top of the line Kawai Electric Piano, sold by a college updating their instruments. It will not make up bass parts or play songs for me. It does play and sound great however, and it never disturbs the neighbor.
While you can buy some new electric pianos very cheaply, don't expect them to last, they are made in China with poor quality materials. Better to buy an older Yamaha or Kawai.
String Bass Setup: A setup generally includes "dressing" (providing the perfect shape) of the fingerboard, adjusting the nut, setting up a bridge, installing strings, and cutting and fitting a sound post. The quality of the setup not only makes the bass easier to play but has a huge influence on the sound of the bass.
The specific placement of the soundpost dramatically changes the sound of an instrument, often changing a dog into a highly responsive instrument.
Most stores that don't specialize in string basses generally have a cheap setup including inexpensive strings. A proper setup can cost hundreds of dollars but makes the bass much easier to play, allows lower action and sounds much better.
While you'll pay somewhat more at the specialized bass shops the money is well spent. In the long run your instrument will be easier to play, sound much better and over time save you a great deal of money and frustration.
Strings: Strings vary greatly in the amounts of tension, and low tension string are much easier to play. This applies to all instruments though I focus on String Basses.
New technologies have created amazing strings with a synthetic core and metal wrappings. They offer low tension, can be both bowed or played pizzicato.
An example is the Kolstein Heritage String which can be played equally well bowed or pizzicatto with a warm gut like sound.
Players using higher tension string require more disciplined practice and playing.
Guitar and Electric Bass Setup.
A great setups make the instrument much easier to play and sound better. The exact setup is adjusted depending on the individual player. Most instruments are not setup optimally.
Generally, beginners should start on acoustic guitars. See my section on Starter Instruments.
Copyright 2012 Bob Comarow Music. All rights reserved.
Bob Comarow Music
Davis, CA 95616
ph: 3215911954
comarow