Piano Shopping 101

Have any questions? Reach out for free advice, recommendations,

and help. Benjamin Helton - playerpianobenjamin@gmail.com

What to Look for in an Electric Piano:

● 88 Keys

● Fully-Weighted Action

● 32+ Note Polyphony

● 2-3 Pedals

● Good Sound Quality/Speaker Setup

● Highly Regarded Brands/Models - Yamaha Clavinova, Casio Privia,

Kawai, Roland, Nord

What to Look for in an Acoustic Piano:

● Less than 30 years old (or completely restored older models)

● Professionally Tuned Within the Past Year *

● Regularly Tuned and Maintained by a Piano Technician

● 42" or Taller for Upright Pianos

● 5' or Longer for a Grand Piano

● Have Piano Evaluated by a Registered Piano Technician Prior to

Purchasing

● Highly Regarded Brands - Steinway and Sons, Mason and Hamlin,

Baldwin, Kawai, Yamaha, Knabe, Chickering and Sons, Charles Walter,

Young Chang

*Acoustic Pianos Naturally Go Out of Tune With Seasonal

Changes in Weather and Should be Professionally Tuned Every 6

months. Tunings generally cost +/- $160.

Local Piano Resources:

Piano Stores:

● Piano Solutions of Indianapolis - Widest Selection of Electric and

Acoustic Pianos in Central Indiana - (317) 582-1946

● Meridian Music Company - High-End Acoustic Pianos and Digital-

Authorized Steinway & Sons and Roland Dealer - (317) 575 - 9588

● Piano Warehouse of Indianapolis - Used Acoustic Pianos

(317) 225-9784

● Sweetwater Sound - New and Used Yamaha Acoustic Pianos and

Keyboards Dealer - Many New and Used Keyboards from All Brands -

Largest Music Store in North America - Ft. Wayne, Indiana - (260)

432-8176 ext. 1219

Local Piano Technicians/Tuners:

● Bob Bussell - (317) 782-4320 - Piano Tuning, Regulation,

Repair, and Voicing Services in Central Indiana - Has

maintained pianos for Dave Brubeck, The Piano Guys, The

Eagles, Harry Connick, Jr., and many more

● Seth Winter - (317) 363-1931 - Piano Tuning, Regulation,

Voicing, and Restoration Services in Central Indiana -

Authorized Mason & Hamlin Piano Dealer

● Jacob Emch - (317) 395-4772 - Piano Restoration, Repairs,

Refinishing, Insurance Claims, Piano Storage, Player Piano

Installation/Servicing, Tuning, and more

Acoustic or Electric: Which is Right For You?

Acoustic:

● Lifespan - +/-45 Years Until Restoration is Needed - Indefinitely Restorable

● Initial Purchase Price

○ Uprights - Used ~$1,000-$10,000 - New ~$5,000-$60,000

○ Grands - Used ~$5,000-$80,000 - New ~$15,000-$325,000

● Generally preferred due to tonal and action characteristics

● Appropriate for all levels

● Able to be passed down

● Generally require $500-$2,500* in Tunings and Maintenance Yearly (*generally

less, but might require significant work after years of use or mistreatment)

● Ideal for anyone desiring uncompromising tonal characteristics, lovely

furniture, and an instrument that can be passed down through a family

Electric:

● Lifespan - 10-20 years

● Initial Purchase Price

○ Used - $250-$4,000 - New - $250-$20,000

● Ideal for Musicians with Budget and/or Space Constraints

● Generally include features including record/playback, multiple voices,

metronome, headphone output, and volume control

● Appropriate for beginning and intermediate pianists

● Generally require no maintenance, but may not be repairable should a problem

arise