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Writer's pictureGlenn Woodruff

Free Pianos: The Final Verdict

A piano is a large and complicated instrument weighing 500-1,000 lbs.that requires proper care to play properly. For most, the decision to get a piano is a decision you’ll only make once in your lifetime. So for all the effort that goes into getting a piano, you deserve one that sounds, plays, and looks good.


The "Free Journey" - What to Expect

You can find many free pianos on Craigslist, Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace and more. At first, the idea of finding a nice-looking “free” piano, rounding up a few friends to lift it into a truck to take it home seems tempting. The basic process of picking a free piano is browsing a few dozen listings near you, finding one that looks good, and messaging the owner to arrange a pickup. The process sounds simple, and its initial ease may make the free piano seem like the right decision; however, there’s quite a bit more to the process than first meets the eye. The reality, though, is that going for a “free” piano runs a very high risk of ending up with a bad piano that requires costly repairs. Even worse, you could end up with an unrepairable, untunable piano that you’ll need to dispose of yourself. And that costs money.


Lack of Information on Piano

One of the largest initial obstacles to finding a good free piano is the lack of useful information on most of the free piano listings. A large number of them are:

- Only have a few—usually low-quality—images.

- Don’t mention the brand, model, or any size dimensions.

- Don’t state the serial number—which tells you the piano’s age, manufacturer, and country of manufacture.

- Don’t have any pictures of the inside—hammers, strings, action parts—which give a good idea of the current condition of the piano.

- Lack any description of the piano’s tone or feel—or other useful information that might justify the effort of getting the piano!


Without most of this useful information, you’re left in the dark as to which pianos might actually be worth the effort to consider seriously.


Lack of Patience from Sellers

Most posters are impatient and just want the piano gone as soon as possible. Many will feel that since they’re offering their piano for free, they shouldn’t have to “work” with you as much. Some people will frankly have little patience for any questions. One of the most common phrases you’ll find on free piano posts is some iteration of “must go ASAP”. This puts a ton of pressure on you to immediately come out to see the piano. And they’ll assume since you came out, you’ll pick it up immediately right then and there. This all makes professional involvement like a qualified piano mover or a visit with a piano technician to assess the free piano more difficult.


Pitfalls of “Shopping” Free Pianos

If a piano is being given away for free, it’s because it has no value to the owner. It’s reasonable to assume that if the owner doesn’t value the instrument, it’s probably an older piano that hasn’t been properly taken care of. So it is highly likely a “free” piano will require $1,000+ worth of work to play at an acceptable level (assuming the piano is even in a repairable state). And even with this work completed, there remains a high probability of expensive future repairs as the piano acclimates as well.


Note: these costs are general estimates and will vary depending on your local market!


Possible Scams

In addition to these difficulties, you’ll have to sort through posts that aren’t actually in your area, that are old and unavailable, and that are scams. Often these scams are free piano posts that seem a bit too good to be true. That ” free shiny black Yamaha baby grand” could lead to you paying for a fake move or giving up your personal information!


Words of Wisdom:

Moving

Get the Piano Moved Your best option is paying for a professional move, costing approximately $200–$350. While you may be considering picking up the piano yourself, this runs a high risk of injury to yourself, your friends, and the piano. Most free pianos are in a fragile state and an unprofessional move can easily cause more damage in repairs than the cost of the piano or the cost of a professional move.


Schedule a Piano Tuning (or 2-4)

Your “free” piano most likely need another tuning after the move. Assuming it is still capable of holding a tune (which you would not know until a technician has looked at it), you may not be just looking at a single standard tuning. A standard tuning from one of our techs costs $250 with a pitch raise for very out-of-tune pianos bringing it up to $375.

NOTE: Pianos should be tuned once to twice a year and stored out of the sun.


Consider a Piano Cleaning

It would be fair to say many free pianos haven’t been worked on internally for many, many years. Additionally, the piano could have been negatively affected by pets, pests or smoking during its life. Dust, dirt and grime are bad news for the 12,000 parts in a piano. It impacts the sound, playability, and is a good indicator of the overall condition of the internal parts. Make sure to study where the piano was stored in the home before making a final decision to adopt the "free" piano. A thorough cleaning of the inside and outside of the piano by a skilled technician is recommended, which can cost around $300–$500.


Get the Piano Repaired & Regulated

Your “free” piano will almost certainly be in need of regulation, essentially re-aligning those 12,000 mostly wooden parts in order to play consistently. There’s a good chance several parts will need to be replaced. Depending on what needs to be replaced or repaired, these costs could easily stretch the investment in the playable condition of your free piano, if substantial parts replacements are required.


So even with all this work done, you could still be left with a not-so-great piano. Its true sound, feel, and quirks will not be apparent until after you’ve spent significant time playing on it! This is not to say that a “free” piano is never worth it, but your odds of finding a truly worthwhile “free” piano are slim — much like finding a needle in a haystack.


Bottom Line

Yes, it is possible to find a decent or even nice free piano to take home. Usually if a friend or family member is giving it away, you can at least get an honest and patient look at the instrument. Call JB Piano, and we can help you determine if this "free" piano is going to be worth your time, and money. We are always here for you: (415) 456-9280

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