- Should I buy an acoustic piano or a digital piano?
If you plan to upgrade later, avoid digital pianos. They are not
a good investment. Acoustic pianos retain much better value and allow
much higher trade-in value later—when you need one.
- How much money should I spend on a piano?
Spend as much (or even a little more) than you can afford. If purchased
wisely, pianos retain their value and [often] make a good resale.
Stay away from "bargains" and "auctions specials." Most pianos under
$2000 are hardly worth the effort. You'll pay later—when the
tuner comes for a visit!
- Should I get a new or used piano?
If the piano is for a new student, a good used or restored piano
is often better
than a cheap new piano. Select a dealer who offers both options but
doesn't push you in any one direction. The best dealers are those
who have in house repair shops and back their products with a full
[factory] warranty.
- What brand should I buy?
You are shopping backwards. Brand shopping belonged to the 80's when
only a few brands were on the market. Since the late 90's, many new
makes and models have become available which have greatly raised the
overall competition in the market. This allows you to buy the "best
piano for your buck" as your dollar goes MUCH further in today's market!
Compare prices for IDENTICAL sizes of pianos, their sound, feel AND
factory warranties that come [or don't come!] with them!
- What is a 'stencil' brand?
A stencil brand is a piano produced by manufacturers bearing usually
a German sounding name. Most salespeople will not tell you where they
are made or simply say they are made to "dealer's specifications."
To support the credibility of stencil brands, the pitch of "German
parts and technology" is frequently used by their salesmen. What they
typically won't reveal to you is that these pianos DON'T carry a valid
MANUFACTURER'S warranty backed by the factory ITSELF. This fact not
only can severely limit the resale value of such intruments in the
future, but — should the business shut down itself — may
well leave you stranded with NO WARRANTY at all!
- Which dealer should I buy from?
Owner operated stores will always give you the best service. Owners
cannot quit or run to work for other stores. They tend to react more
quickly to your concerns than commission sales people. Owners give
most shoppers less pressure primarily because they don't have to make
the sale to earn a commission. Remember; you're in for the long run!
Trust develops right from the beginning. And carries on from there
— for YEARS TO COME!
- What about highly advertised "College Sales?"
This is one of the most serious scams in the industry. Check out
this online article on industry
scams. Then RUN in the opposite direction!
- Should I hire a piano tuner to check a piano?
If you're looking in the private market, this is a MUST! What often
sounds like a "good deal," often turns out to be a lemon needing tons
of repairs. Don't forget that repairs are very expensive today and
the piano may not even be worth it. At HERITAGE PIANOS we provide
a FREE service — many pianos on "your list" may, in fact, already
be known to us! Let us help you. GIVE US A CALL! WE'RE HERE
FOR YOU!
