Piano Buying Tips

Buying a piano

Buying a piano is a huge investment, financially, physically and emotionally.

A piano takes up a fair amount of space in your home, and it can take quite a hit on the bank account too. At The Piano Gallery, we want to help you find your perfect piano; A piano that is exactly what you’re looking for.

We believe that if you can walk past a piano, it is not doing it’s job properly. You need to have a connection with your instrument, you need to love it.

So, How do I chose?

We recommend that you firstly consider 3 main factors:

1. Budget
2. Size
3. Your personal preferences: The way the piano sounds, the way it plays, and the way it looks

Although not always the deciding factor, it is good to have an idea of what you would like to spend when you walk in to a piano shop. Our beginner pianos start at £1,000, but no matter what your budget, we will always have a piano for you. Just ask.

In an ideal world, your starting budget for a first piano would be min.£1,500-2,000, and with schemes in place like Take it Away, it makes buying a piano affordable.

Measure the space you have. Most pianos are either 85 or 88 notes, and are on average 150cm wide. However, pianos can vary from 130cm to 160cm wide. If you are planning on putting the piano in an alcove, remember to measure from the edge of the skirting as this can sometimes make all the difference.

If you are looking at buying a grand piano, you might not be sure what size you can accommodate. We can make a grand piano template that you can place on the floor, showing the footprint of the piano in your room. Remember to allow a 2-ft in front of the piano so that you can sit comfortably, not squashed in a corner.

Last, but by no means least, you will need to consider your personal preferences:

The way the piano sounds. Do you like a bright tone, or a mellow tone?
The way the piano plays. Do you prefer a heavier touch or a lighter touch?
The way the piano looks. Do you have an idea what you’d like it to look like? does it need to fit in with decor?

As you can see from our online, up to date stock list, pianos come in all different sizes, colours, and styles. Consider what would be your personal preference.

Buying online vs. Buying from a shop

It can be tempting to go straight to ebay for ease, and often (but not always) the attractive low prices. However, if you’re a first time piano buyer, it’s a good idea to visit a piano shop in person. You will be able to try out different instruments, compare different makes and models, the varying characteristics of each piano. Most importantly you can get advice and demonstrations from our knowledgeable staff.

However, we understand how busy lives can get these days, so we offer a personalised virtual piano selection process for those of you who are unable to make it to see us.

We will talk to you in detail in order to understand exactly what you are looking for. We then email photographs and videos to help you make your choice.