From tfosselm@sbcglobal.net Wed Jan 10 11:41:58 2007
Subject:Re: OT: Shopping for a Baby Grand

David,
I was a piano tuner/tecnician/rebuilder for years and probably the best
thing you can do is to find a tuner in your area (one that's not
affiliated with a piano store) and have him inpect any pianos that you
find that you think look interesting.
Things to look for: Overall good, even tone across the entire keyboard.
Listen for buzzing that could indicate a cracked bridge, soundboard or
worn bass string windings, among other things. Visually inspect the
soundboard and bridges for cracks. Not all cracks are necessarily
problematic, let your tech make that determination.
Check the keyboard for a good responsive action without rattles, full
key travel, good springback and response. Visually check the condition
of the hammers for excessive wear.
As far as brands to stay away from ... when it comes to a used grand,
the condition outweighs the name every time.
Having said all of this, in identifying a likely prospect for a "final
inspection" from a tech, trust your judgement. If the piano plays and
sounds like a piece of crap, it undoubtedly is. If you sit down to play
the piano and don't want to stop playing it ... you have found a likely
candidate.
Hope some of this helps,
Tom

--- In CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com, "David" wrote:
>
> dealer offer $5k for the Kurz. as a trade-in, but I haven't seen what
> he has to trade for yet because I really don't know what to look for
> in a baby grand...never bought one myself.
>
> Thanks for any input,
> David
>