Shopping for a used piano? Or as we like to call our used stock “pre-loved”,
then there are certain questions you should be asking the seller!
Do you restore pianos?
If the answer is yes, then ask where their workshop is. Can you see the
workshop?
It is perfectly acceptable to be interested in the restoration of pianos and this will give you evidence that you’re not being misled. Everyone online nowadays is claiming to be a piano restorer, when in fact their experience, knowledge and practical skill base is extremely questionable! To at least see piano restoration works in progress, with a proper workshop environment will at least confirm to you that the piano dealer may very well know their stuff.
Obviously if you receive a no or a vague answer then please walk away from the dealer- as they will not be qualified to sell you a used piano!
“We use a piano tuner to restore and assess”
Sometimes piano dealers will use a piano tuner to assess their used piano stock. This is a flawed approach, as piano tuners- believe it or not- are also very limited in the restoration and repair of pianos and can miss all sorts of important aspects.
How long have they been a piano restorer?
Piano restoration is mainly training but also experience. We
started in 1953 and for decades were the County Council piano tuners and repair contractors for Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, Harrow and Bucks. Therefore, we have seen thousands upon thousands of pianos and the various issues they form in time. So much of piano problems can be avoided and fixed easily and knowledge of pianos of to avoid (there are many) and the age of used pianos to be sold as used and how long they will be of functional use for.
Who trained them in piano repairs and where did their trainer’s
knowledge come from?
It is important to trace back the knowledge base of the piano dealer: who trained their mentor? My Father trained myself when we were just Ronald Ware & Son pianos and my Father had completed a traditional restoration and tuning apprenticeship at Hickies & Hickies in Boscombe, Dorset. My Father’s training in piano restoration and tuning can be traced back to the start of the twentieth century. In Dorset and Hampshire, there are no other piano dealers who can boast these facts, they are all mere piano sellers and not experienced and knowledgeable piano restorers.
We are the only pre-loved (used) piano dealers in Dorset & Hampshire with the knowledge base of piano restorers second to none.
You can by a used piano from us with complete confidence that our knowledge is not flawed and your pre-loved piano will last for years with no issues!
