Used pianos can be just fine, but the vast majority of used pianos that are available for purchase have long since lived their musical life and will no longer serve its intended purpose. Although the cabinet might still look good, failures in major components like the soundboard, bridges and pin-block, or excessive wear of the action parts can make it impossible for a piano to produce proper pitch or reproduce proper keyboard technique. In other words, the wrong used piano can cause a student to fail. Avoid the pitfalls of used pianos by reading our PIANO GUIDE FOR PARENTS.

Most of the reasonably good used pianos we come across are less than 30 years old and sell for about half of the cost of a new one. If this is your price range, then you may FIND A GREAT USED PIANO to serve your needs. However, most of what we usually see are very old and worn out pianos that are completely inadequate to give a beginner a fighting chance to learn how to play. Beyond the failure of major components like the soundboard, bridges and pin-block, the most common and often overlooked reason a piano will cause a student to fail is that the action bushings have simply worn out. Have you ever played an old piano and felt the keys were a little wobbly? This is usually due to worn key bushings. It’s normal for these friction points wear and eventually wear out, but it is a problem that is almost never corrected before or after a used piano is purchased because it would represent a significant expense to do so. However, a beginner student will never be able to develop proper technique on a piano with worn out bushings, because the piano will never reproduce the same feel, response, and speed that is being taught during lessons. Imagine trying to learn to parallel park in a car that is out of alignment, with no suspension, and an extremely loose steering system. Worn bushings can truly mean the difference between inspiration or frustration, success or failure.