Pianos are remarkable machines. The good ones last for generations and even when they are tired and worn out they still look pretty good. Frankly, I’m a little jealous.

The past 300 years have produced great, mediocre and lousy pianos. During this time pianos have been built in dozens of countries by thousands of companies, so age, brand and country of origin are not reliable indicators of quality when it comes to pianos. Every piano building technology has improved greatly over the past 100 years, especially wood curing and processing and metallurgy.

Pianos are made mostly of wood and time eventually takes its toll on the structure of every piano. They are particularly subject to the effects of moisture. In dry climates they shrink. In humid climates they mold and rust. As the seasons change in the Midwest, they swell and shrink. Plus, the main mechanical part of the piano, the action, wears over time just like any other machine.

The two most important consideration with used pianos are:

“What condition is it in today?”

“How long is it going to stay that way?”

The best way to answer these questions is to have an impartial third-party do it for you. Have a qualified piano technician, someone who knows a lot about rebuilding pianos, assess the piano for you before you buy it. It’s best to wait until you’ve found a piano that you really like the sound and touch of before bringing in a technician,

Rebuilt Pianos

A piano that has been properly rebuilt may offer performance close to that of a new piano. Proper rebuilding is an involved, exacting process that should be done by qualified technicians in controlled facilities. It should take about six months (less by very good technicians) and it is not an inexpensive undertaking.

Rebuilding is required when the pinblock dries out and constricts, causing the tuning pins to become loose and the piano will no longer hold a tune. There is no permanent repair for this condition; the pinblock must be replaced for the piano to be considered rebuilt. Rebuilding means removing the plate. If the plate hasn’t been removed, the piano hasn’t been rebuilt.

Other repairs, such as to the soundboard and bridges, can be done while the plate is removed. The plate and soundboard can also be refinished while the plate is out of the piano. It is usually a good idea to refinish the piano’s case at the same time, however, a piano does not have to be refinished to be considered rebuilt.

When the plate is removed, the action (key and hammer assembly) is also removed. Action do not always need to be rebuilt at the same time as the “belly,” and often only action regulation (adjustment) is required. Hammers may need to be completely replaced or only voiced. Complete action rebuilding involves replacing and calibrating thousands of intricate parts. The older the piano, and the more use it has had, the more likely the action will need replacing. This is a very gray area and the astute consumer will need to ask a lot of questions.

A piano that has been completely and properly (including action) rebuilt and refinished is likely to cost as much as a new piano. Most large cities have only one or two qualified piano rebuilders. It is important to be aware of the credentials of your technician to be sure that they are capable. If you find a piano being touted as “rebuilt” for less than $20,000, you can be reasonably sure that the work was not completely or properly done.

The biggest mistake a consumer can make is to attempt to save money by purchasing a piano and supervising the rebuilding themselves. This always costs more and is more frustrating than buying a completed piano. Some piano technicians get very excited at the idea of rebuilding a substandard old piano, especially if somebody else is paying the bill. A good, ethical rebuilder will never suggest you buy a piano before it is completed because they know there is no way to guarantee you will like the sound of the piano when the work is done.

If you want a rebuilt piano, it is best to find one that has already been rebuilt. Before you put down any money, hire an independent expert to evaluate the instrument, then make your decision based on sound, touch, aesthetic appeal and cost relative to new pianos.

If you already own a really good piano that needs rebuilding, it is safe to have the work done by a competent technician, as long as you know that you like its tone.

A few rules of thumb:

• It is almost never makes economic sense to rebuild uprights.
• If someone tells you a piano has been rebuilt, ask a lot of questions.
• If it doesn’t say Steinway & Sons (or a very short list of other names) on the plate, the piano is probably not worth rebuilding.
• Antique pianos are like antique cars – they’re fun to own and drive on Sundays, but they’re not practical for daily use.