Personal Plan

This service will be helpful to you if you find yourself asking the questions that are stated below.
 

For those who already have a piano:
 

- What can I know about my piano, approximately how old is it, and where was it manufactured?
- How can I determine the value of my piano?
- What is the technical condition of my piano? What needs to be renovated?
- Is there a way to mute my acoustic piano so that it doesn't disturb the neighbors?
- Can I convert my piano to a self-playing or silent piano?
- Can my piano be repainted?
 

If you are considering purchasing a piano:
 

- What should I look for in a piano? How and where should I buy it?
- I encounter many digital and acoustic categories, how should I decide?
- What do I need to know about maintenance and placement?
 

Consider the situation when you or your child wants to learn to play the piano. When you look around the piano market, you are surprised by the number of options, unfamiliar terms, brands, and technologies, making it difficult to make a correct decision without knowledge and expertise, potentially leading to a poor purchase decision. Let me list some examples; all of these are instruments with keys and can be played like a piano: keyboard, synthesizer, digital piano, hybrid piano, and their many types and variations. Then come the acoustic instruments: upright piano, grand piano, silent piano, self-playing piano, and their variations in size, construction, and appearance. And I haven't even mentioned the option of considering used or new instruments, which raises many additional questions.
 

It is worth mentioning that you can get a lot of help, opinions, and advice from various forums, online, from piano teachers, musicians, or a music store. Let's take a look:
 

Pre-purchase advice requests:


1. Online, on various forums: The internet is teeming with commenters who call themselves experts and give advice with such confidence that it is enviable. Please, do not follow this example. Accept that this is a profession where one must spend many years and possess enormous knowledge and experience to give you credible, professional, and personalized advice.
 

2. Piano teachers, musicians, artists: I have great respect for teachers and artists and work with them continuously, but they cannot help you with technical issues of a piano that may end up costing you a lot of money. They can only comment on the current playing experience and sound (which is often subjective). When five pianists try out five pianos in a store, each will likely claim a different piano is the best. This is because they are artists, and for them, the playing experience, touch, and sound are the defining factors. They mean well, but we know that sometimes well-intentioned but incorrect advice can cost us a lot of money. Consider that even if we are good drivers or even race car drivers, we cannot diagnose a potential engine problem that could soon cause serious issues and cost a lot to repair.
 

I am a piano maker. Around 60-70% of my work comes from the incorrect decisions made based on the first two points. Eventually, you will end up at a piano repair shop. In every case, the owner of the faulty or soon-to-be faulty instrument says, "But I took my piano teacher's advice when buying it, and they said it would be good."
 

Purchasing:
 

3. Advertisements, market place: This is the most dangerous purchasing option. Not because the instruments sold there cannot meet your needs, but because you lack the professional knowledge to filter out the many faulty, worthless, but beautifully looking instruments. If you still want to buy based on an ad, accept this advice: only buy an acoustic piano if you have personally inspected it with a piano technician! Emphasize, not a musician friend or piano teacher, but a trained piano technician. For used digital pianos, only buy from private sellers if they offer at least a six-month warranty, meaning if the piano malfunctions through no fault of your own, they will refund your money. This is because the cost of acquiring and repairing a panel or non-functioning keys can equal the piano's price.
 

4. Music store, online store: I do not want to offend anyone, but a seller will want to sell you what they have in stock. This is a logical and legitimate commercial approach. Buying from a piano store is safe, and their offer may suit you, but I am sure you have many other options besides the store's stock or represented brands. I think you should get to know these options first, and if you still decide to follow the seller's recommendation and buy an instrument, you can do so with confidence and certainty. A reputable seller will not be bothered by your desire to learn about market opportunities outside their store.
 

I primarily want to help you not decide whether to buy the XY instrument but to provide you with a clear and expert picture of what category, type, size, etc., you need based on your requirements, playing level, and placement possibilities. After that, you can make a good purchasing decision with full confidence. Thus, I would like you to be well-prepared before selecting any purchasing channel for an instrument. You will know what to look for, what questions to clarify, and what to request from the seller during the purchase. And if you still need it, I will, of course, share my opinion about the instrument you have chosen.