Secondhand Pianos … sustainable and environmentally friendly

Secondhand Pianos … sustainable and environmentally friendly

Considering good secondhand upright and grand pianos, as well as new, when looking for pianos, can offer added choice of make, style, finish, sound and feel for your budget.  Pianos have a longer life than most items and although many love perfect and shiny, which you would get with a new piano, a secondhand piano may have added personality and character, as well as a softer touch, which may make playing easier and more comfortable for some.

You can buy secondhand pianos from eBay, Marketplace, Shpock, Gumtree and other online sites as well as the more traditional noticeboard, friends and family but you will be buying it as seen rather than with any support, restoration or guarantee as you would get from most shops. 

Always remember, if you buy privately that you will need to arrange to have the piano moved and tuned and there is always an element of uncertainty.  Not all pianos can be tuned; they do not go on forever without continued and ongoing attention.

At Morleys we offer an extensive selection of secondhand and ex-rental upright and grand pianos from many makes, including C. Bechstein, W. Hoffmann, Grotrian-Steinweg, Yamaha, Kawai, Elysian, Monington and Weston, Petrof, Ritmuller, Waldstein, Broadwood, Zimmermann, Irmler and others to give a wider choice of age, look, tone, touch and price.

All our pianos are checked over and regulated by our trained technicians and tuned before being offered for sale or home rental, once chosen they will be inspected, adjusted as required and tuned again before delivery. 

We offer a no-charge tuning within 30 days of delivery within our local tuning area, (if requested) and always try to check with customer post-delivery that all is well.

When looking at pianos there are many things to consider, particularly if the piano is for a child or beginner, as we are all influenced by looks as well as sound and feel. 

If looking privately:

• Make sure the piano can be tuned to modern concert pitch A440 / C523.3 Hz, if not, it is not suitable for children as it may ruin their developing sense of pitch. Beware the phrase “it is tuned to itself”.
• If the key coverings are chipped, dirty or missing it will be unpleasant to play and are not cheap or easily fixed, recovering the whole keyboard is often the only answer.
• Do the keys look level, do they go up and down nicely and return smoothly or do they rub or stick, this could be an indication of corrosion on the metal parts, wood warping or the felts having been eaten by moth or deteriorating.
• Look inside the piano, does it have all its parts, hammers and strings, does every note work?  Does it make any odd or unusual noises?
• Do the pedals work?  Look inside the piano and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to and do not squeak or grate. 
• Make sure the piano fits in your room and is not too large
• The larger the piano the louder it will be and you do not want it to overwhelm, you want to like the sound (not too bright or too mellow),
• Has it got the third practice pedal, so it can be played quietly when needed?

But if you do not want the worry and want us to do the checking, fixing, sorting, tuning and arrange moving, 

then visit us to find your perfect piano, with lots to view and play, we are happy to talk through options.

Make sure you get something that works well and which you and your family will enjoy for many years.

You need to like how the piano sounds, feel and looks, pianos are a focal point in the home, to give pleasure to the eyes and the ears.

Choose a piano you love and it will bring years of joy.