The Best Place To Buy A Piano In Seattle. Insight From A Piano Industry Pro.

Looking to buy a piano in Seattle?

Here are a few bits of info to help you find the best piano store for you.

Where is the best place to buy a used piano in Seattle?

There are a few different piano stores around the Seattle metro area and each store has a niche  portion of the market to serve. This same general rule of thumb that can be said for any larger city. If you’re looking for a high quality used piano at a competitive price, my recommendation hands down, would be for Seattle Piano Company in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. While this is admittedly a bit of a biased statement as I am the owner of Seattle Piano Co… I can guarantee that the caliber of pianos we sell are second to none in terms of quality and value. The refurbishing process each piano is put through before hitting our showroom floor is about as in depth as it gets to make each and every piano look, sound and play as close to new as possible. I have been to a lot of piano stores throughout the years all over the country, and I can honestly say that I have yet to find a piano store that goes through their pianos as thoroughly as Seattle Piano Company. I see every piano on from low dollar to high dollar as a reflection of me as a craftsman and the skill that I have been honing for what is approaching to be half of my life.

Now that I’ve got the shameless self promotion out of the way, let's talk about some broader aspects of purchasing a piano. 

Is it better to buy a used piano from a dealer or private party?

While I can definitely advocate for cutting out the middle man in most situations, there are some pretty significant advantages to be had when working with a reputable piano dealer.

Like buying a used car from a private party, a large portion of the deal is based on trust that the seller is conveying truthful information about the history and condition of the item they are selling. Many people are savvy when it comes to what to look for when evaluating a used car for purchase, but unfortunately that generally isn’t the case when it comes to looking for a used piano to purchase. 

A piano could look great and actually feel and sound pretty nice upon sitting down and playing it for the first time in someone’s home, but gradually certain things can start to present themselves after the piano has been moved to a new home and settles a bit. 

For example, most piano players have Steinway and Sons burnt into their minds as a holy grail piano that plays and sounds like no other. Yes, there are some Steinway pianos out there, However, I would say that 9 out of 10 vintage Steinway Pianos I come across are in need a substantial amount of work. It never ceases to amaze me how even accomplished piano players can look through the glaringly apparent flaws in vintage Steinway pianos upon first playing them. There is a lot of romance and prestige tied up in these pianos which can effectively put blinders on a pianists. These blinders come off relatively quickly after a few hours of play when sluggish keys and sour notes can no longer be ignored.
The first visit from the tuner more often than not can include a hefty list of restoration work needed to bring the piano up to a respectable playing condition.

For the most part, when you’re purchasing a higher priced item NEW you’ll get the assurance and peace of mind with a manufacturer backed warranty. When purchasing a piano used from a private seller, unfortunately this is not the case. Once you buy it, it’s yours regardless of any defects found later. Note: To my knowledge there are no piano manufacturers that offer a transferable warranty. So even if a piano is purchased from a private seller with years remaining on the original warranty, that factory warranty is void as soon as it changes ownership. This is the case even if the piano is sold used by the dealer who originally sold it new. 

On the other hand, there is the scenario of purchasing from a reputable piano dealer. 

If you’re able to find a reputable piano dealer to work with, you may pay a bit more, but there can be some highly beneficial factors in your favor. Firstly, you’re likely to find many more pianos that you’re interested in all in one place vs the correspondence and traveling required tracking down one by one via online classifieds.

A dealer worth their salt will have a knowledgeable sales person to help answer any questions you might have going from one piano to the next.

Most piano stores out there are going to offer a 5 year warranty on any used piano they sell and it seems to be an industry standard at this point that most piano stores are now offering the Life Time Trade-Up option to trade your piano back in for %100 value of what you originally paid in terms of trading up to your next piano. This means if for some reason there were a problematic piano that made its way through the piano shops doors you as the consumer 1), have a warranty to satisfy any issues that may arise in the piano’s condition and performance, and 2),  you’ll have the option as long as the piano store is around to trade the piano back for something of better condition should you find any flaws you can’t live with, or if you simply ever want to up your game with a nicer quality piano. 

What are the best piano brands to look for?

As with other products, the “best” can be a subjective opinion.
However there are a handful of brands out there that set themselves aside from others in terms of quality, design, and longevity.

At Seattle Piano Company we are very fond of,
Yamaha & Kawai pianos
As you’ll learn quickly in your search for a used piano, there are HUNDREDS of different manufacturers that have existed over the last century. Only a handful have survived the test of time. The plethora of manufacturers that have come and gone over the years have produced pianos of varying quality targeting specific portions of the piano buying market.

Broadly, Japanese made pianos are some of the best made in the world.
Yamaha and Kawai have become industry standards for stage pianos and likewise are the highest rated home use pianos.
These brands have an astonishingly decorated track record with the pianos that they have produced over the years. There are examples of beginning tier, home pianos produced by both of these companies produced back in the 1950s and 1960s that are still in faithful service today. Their unbelievable knack for longevity is something that I have not seen surpassed by many other brands.

Steinway, Baldwin and Mason & Hamlin pianos
These American “big 3” manufacturers have been producing amazing instruments for well over a hundred years. All three of these manufacturers have created breathtaking instruments over their time in production, but there have some substantial gaps in quality for all three of these companies throughout their years of production. All three of these piano manufacturers have undergone multiple changes in ownership, ridden waves of economic rises and crashes, and have produced some short lived problematic designs which had to be discontinued. 

Again, all three of these piano manufacturers have had great eras of production and have instruments out there that are world class. HOWEVER, (big however) a piano from one of these manufacturers that is now 100 years old (or older) is not going to play like it did when it was new. A buyer who just got a great deal on an antique Steinway, Mason or Baldwin can often unintentionally purchase much more of a project than anticipated. There are thousands of parts inside of a piano, and many of them need replaced or refurbished throughout the life of the piano. It is possible that any piano regardless of manufacturer can require extensive restoration service before it can be enjoyed. Much of this restoration service focused on the interior moving parts that you don’t see (the action) as well as the strings and tuning pins. I’d suggest having a technician take a good look at an older piano by any of these manufacturers before pulling the trigger. Keep in mind a full restoration service of a Steinway grand piano (even a shorter one) can easily hit the $30k mark.

How does piano delivery work?

There are specialty moving companies out there who specialize in moving pianos and pianos only. Like researching the best dealer to work with, it’s also important to select a piano mover with a good track record. Here in Seattle, I’d recommend Piano Moving Art and Martinson Piano Moving. I’ve worked very extensively with both companies and trust my pianos to both of them. When working with us at Seattle Piano Co we do the legwork with arranging the piano delivery. The movers will give you a call for scheduling and book you for a date that is convenient for you.

Does a piano need to be tuned after it’s moved?

Yep! It’s not so much the physical movement of the piano while in transit that compromises the tuning stability, but the change in temperature and humidity levels that causes the wood inside the piano to expand and contract a bit resulting in the string tension changing thus putting the piano out of tune.
It’s generally recommended to have your piano tuned 2-6 weeks after your piano is delivered allowing it the adequate time to adjust to the new environment.

At Seattle Piano Co we include a complimentary in home tuning with each piano we sell.

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Thank you for reading!
I hope this article helps you with your search.

Working with pianos is my passion.
If you have any questions about finding a used piano, don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Aaron Firpo-
Seattle Piano Company
Aaron@SeattlePianoCo.com
206-556-5712