Pianos and digital pianos: how to buy one with delivery
Acoustic or digital
An acoustic piano has a “live” sound and a real action, but it is heavy and needs tuning and steady humidity. A digital piano needs no tuning, has headphones and volume control, takes less space and is easier to live with in a flat. For learning, the quality of the keyboard matters more than the number of sounds: look for 88 weighted keys with a hammer action, like the Yamaha P-125. A grand piano is a different story: it needs space, a high ceiling and a big budget.
What to check on an acoustic piano
Lift the lid and look at the soundboard: cracks, especially along the grain, are a bad sign. Press a few keys and listen: none should stick, ring or stay down. The piano should hold its tuning: if it drifts soon after tuning, the problem may be the tuning pins or the soundboard. Ask when it was last tuned and how old the instrument is.
After a move, tuning is almost always needed, so budget for it in advance. Old instruments with a fine case often have worn action, so judge by the sound and the condition of the hammers, not by the polish.
Where to put it
An acoustic piano should stand against an inside wall, away from radiators, windows and damp: sharp changes in temperature and humidity put it out of tune and harm the soundboard. A digital piano is less demanding. Mind the height too: the piano must stand level and the stool should be adjustable.
Delivery and carrying up: a cost of its own
A piano weighs several hundred kilograms. It needs movers, often with straps or special trolleys, and for a floor without a lift there is an extra charge for carrying it up. So in your request write the floor, whether there is a lift and how wide the stairs are.
What to put in your request
- type of instrument — upright, piano, grand, digital;
- model, for example Petrof or Yamaha P-125;
- condition — holds its tuning, no soundboard cracks;
- keyboard — 88 weighted keys;
- delivery and carrying up — floor, lift;
- tuning after delivery;
- budget and city.
Example: “I need an upright or a digital piano with 88 weighted keys, for example a Yamaha P-125 or an acoustic Petrof that holds its tuning. Gqeberha, delivery with carrying up to the 4th floor without a lift, and tuning. Budget up to R 12,000.”
How BlaBlaPrice helps
You write a request on the home page and sellers and movers reply in the chat: price, photos, delivery and carrying terms. They can see where they stand and compete for your request. It is free for the buyer and your phone number stays hidden. Details are on the “How it works” page.
For comparison, see synthesisers, and for starting lessons, children often choose acoustic guitars.
