A freshly polished cabinet can hide a failing pinblock. Knowing what to check is what separates a bargain from a money pit.
Before buying a used piano, check six things: its history and service records, tuning pin tightness, the action, soundboard cracks, string rust, and the cabinet and keys. Have an independent technician inspect the piano before paying a deposit โ in Hong Kong this typically costs a few hundred dollars, far less than buying the wrong instrument.
Start with questions, not the keyboard. Ask three things: the piano's age and serial number (the maker or dealer can date it from the serial), where it has lived (near a window? next to a kitchen or bathroom? any humidity control?), and its service history โ a well-kept piano is tuned every 6 to 12 months.
Hong Kong's climate is persistently humid. A piano that has spent years in a seafront flat with no tuning ages far faster than its calendar age suggests. If the seller cannot say when it was last tuned, treat that as a warning.
Where you buy matters too. Pianos from dealers and used-piano specialists are usually reconditioned and sometimes carry a short warranty โ pricier, but with a reputation behind them. Private sales are cheaper but strictly as-is, with every risk on the buyer โ which makes the inspection step even less optional. Whichever the channel, the five checks below still apply.
Tuning pins hold the tension of every string, and they grip into a wooden pinblock. Once the pinblock loosens with age, pins stop holding, tunings collapse quickly, and in severe cases the piano is effectively beyond economic repair โ replacing a pinblock often costs more than the piano itself.
A quick on-site test: play through the notes and listen for unisons that beat or sound sour โ in the middle and treble range each note is produced by two or three strings, and widespread sour unisons are the classic sign of a loose pinblock. Also look at the pins under the lid: dark brown, gummy stains around them suggest chemicals were used to temporarily tighten loose pins โ a cover-up, and an immediate red flag.
Open the lid and look at the action (piano action) as a whole: are parts aligned, is anything missing, any sign of moth damage in the felt? Then the hammers: how deep are the string grooves? Deep grooves and little remaining felt mean heavy use โ reshaping or replacement will be needed.
Play every single key. Note any sticking, buzzing, dead notes, or keys with excessive side-to-side wobble. Isolated faults are usually repairable; problems across whole sections deserve a rethink.
The soundboard is the piano's resonant heart. Shine a torch across its surface at an angle: cracks show up as dark lines following the wood grain. Fine cracks may not affect the sound immediately, but they show the wood has been through violent humidity swings; cracks near the bridge, or widespread ones, deserve real caution.
On the strings, judge the rust: dull oxidation is normal on an older piano, but visible red rust โ especially on the copper-wound bass strings โ deadens the tone, raises the risk of breakage, and tells you the piano lived in damp conditions. In Hong Kong, string rust is the most honest indicator of how well a piano has been housed.
On the cabinet, look for water marks, lifting veneer and swollen wood โ all traces of past damp or flooding. On the keyboard, check that keys sit level and keytops are not chipped. Cosmetic scratches do not affect the sound and can be handled by professional refinishing after purchase โ if anything, they are a bargaining chip.
Finally, the step that matters most: before paying a deposit, hire an independent technician. In Hong Kong an inspection typically costs a few hundred dollars (roughly two hundredโodd for an upright, three hundredโodd for a grand, varying by technician), and covers what eyes cannot: pin torque, the inside of the action, the structure of the soundboard. The Pro Piano's certified technicians offer pre-purchase inspections too โ and once you buy, the first thing to arrange is a professional tuning and full check-up so the piano starts its new life in proper shape.
Strongly advised. Fatal faults like a loose pinblock or structural soundboard damage are hard to judge by eye. An inspection in Hong Kong typically costs a few hundred dollars โ cheap insurance against a five-figure mistake.
There is no fixed number; condition matters more than age. A 30-year-old Japanese upright kept tuned and dry can beat a 15-year-old piano that lived in damp. Judge the pinblock, soundboard and action, not the birth year.
Play through the notes and listen for sour or beating unisons โ each note in the middle and treble is produced by multiple strings. Widespread sour unisons suggest a loose pinblock; ask a technician to confirm with a torque tool.
Higher risk. At minimum, ask for the serial number (to date the piano), close-up photos of the interior and a playing video, and make a technician inspection before handover a condition of sale. If the seller refuses, walk away.
Let it settle in your home for two to three weeks, then book a professional tuning and full inspection โ the technician will also check the action, pedals and interior so any issues are caught early.
Found a used piano you like? Have a certified technician inspect it before you commit โ or book a first tuning and check-up for your new arrival.
WhatsApp Enquiry