Pianos were once a sign of wealth, and then of the middle class. With the addition of digital options, there are now pianos available at every price point.
Low-end digital pianos start at $500, while concert grands cost over $100,000.
In this post, I’ll go over the many buying options for pianos and the longer-term maintenance costs that you will want to keep in mind when establishing your piano budget.
Digital Pianos
$500-$20,000
I sometimes hesitate to recommend low-end digital pianos to students, because of the risk that an inferior product will inhibit their progress. The cheaper the action, the more likely that they will struggle to develop a strong finger technique. That said, I have had students make satisfactory progress with the Alesis Recital Pro.
More quality entry-level digital pianos cost closer to 1k.
The highest-end digital pianos, like the Yamaha Clavinova line, range in cost from $2-20k. They are often built to look like acoustic pianos and more importantly include wooden keyboard actions, which last longer and age better than plastic actions.
One of the advantages of digital pianos is that they do not need to be tuned. If the typical digital piano lasts 10 years before needing to be replaced or have the action repaired, that can save the pianist up to $3,000 over the lifetime of the instrument.
With a digital piano, the initial price is all you need to worry about.
Acoustic Pianos
$3,500-$200,000
An acoustic piano is classified by which direction the strings run. They can be a vertical (often called an upright piano), or horizontal (a grand piano).
Pianos generate sound when hammers hit strings and the resulting vibrations resonate through a soundboard. They are expensive instruments, because of both material costs and the skilled craftsmanship that goes into producing them.
How much Does a Vertical piano cost?
$4,500 – $40,000
Vertical pianos are colloquially known as “uprights.” The strings run vertically and they are typically placed against a wall. From shortest to tallest there are spinets, consoles, studios, and uprights. Generally speaking, the taller the piano the longer the strings. The longer the strings the more sound potential.
At the lower end of this price range, $4,500, we have starter instruments for students.
Few people will ever feel the need to spend $40,000 on a vertical piano. Those instruments cost more than many grand pianos and are intended for professional musicians with space limitations.
Foreign-made pianos
$4,500 – 40,000
Most student pianos are now produced overseas. For the American consumer, this keeps costs down. Initially foreign pianos had a bad reputation, because the manufacturers didn’t properly season the soundboards for the drier American climate. This led to the understanding that Asian-made pianos didn’t hold up over time.
That flaw has since been corrected and now there are many quality pianos made in Asia.
Popular brands include:
- Yamaha
- Kawai
- Pearl River
- Samick
- Baldwin
- Essex
- Boston
American made pianos
$15,000 – 40,000
The United States had scores of piano manufacturers in the 19th and 20th centuries. All but two of these have either gone out of business or moved their factories overseas.
The two that remain are:
- Charles R. Walter
- Steinway
These are high-end instruments. A great choice for someone who is looking for a high-quality piano but doesn’t have space for a grand.
How much does a horizontal piano cost?
$20,000 – $200,000
Horizontal pianos are also known as grand pianos and are classified by size, just like verticals. You may be used to hearing smaller grand pianos referred to as “baby grands” and larger grands as “concert grands”, but there are also “living room grands” in between.
The horizontal strings on grand pianos allow for a more sensitive keyboard action. Generally, the bigger the instrument, the longer the lever behind the key will be and the more dynamic control you can achieve.
Just like with verticals, the length of the strings affect the quality of the sound.
One thing to be aware of when searching for a piano is that a baby grand is not necessarily always nicer than an upright. An upright with longer strings may have more sound potential than a baby grand piano. At this cross-over point, it is especially worth trying them out to see which tone and action you prefer.
On the flip-side, a concert grand is designed to have the volume output for a concert hall, and is not the best choice for home use.
If you are looking to get a grand piano for your home, then you should match the size of the piano to the size of your room. A “living room grand” is appropriate for a medium to large room.
Maintenance Costs of an Acoustic Piano
The long-term price of a piano is not just about the initial cost. When calculating the overall cost, you should factor in additional costs associated with maintenance, as well.
The majority of an acoustic piano is made up of wood, metal, and felt. Because wood expands and shrinks with the weather, the tension of the strings will change over time and require regular tuning to re-adjust.
Felt compresses with use, so it is also a good idea to budget to get regulation work done every 5 or so years.
Tuning
About $300/year
The most basic aspect of maintenance for a piano is tuning. Most pianos need to be tuned twice a year, although climate control systems and careful placement can reduce this need.
To stay in tune, pianos should be kept out of direct sunlight and at a stable humidity level. Pianos should be away from radiators or vents that dry the air.
Climate control can be maintained with a humidifier and dehumidifier in the room. This has the benefit of also keeping the air comfortable for the pianist, but the noise can be bothersome.
Climate control systems designed for pianos, like the Piano Life Saver System use less electricity, are silent, and offer more precise humidity control.
Regulation and Repairs
$$ Varies, but should average out to a few hundred dollars a year.
The felts in the action will compress unevenly over time. This is normal and expected, as some keys will be played more than others. The hammers will harden and compress, as well. Replacing felts and voicing hammers is called regulating a piano.
Regulation work does not need to be done every year, think more on the timeline of every 5-10 years. The more a piano is played, the more frequently you would expect to need regulation work.
Regulation is an umbrella term that encompasses a number of different repairs, which can be done one at a time as you notice unevenness, or all at once to the tune of about $2000. Most technicians charge by the hour for this work, so total costs will vary based on your technician and the amount of work needed.
Moving
$400+
Acoustic pianos are large and challenging to move, so they add to expenses when moving to a new home. Verticals and grands both require a team of 4 strong people to move them. It is possible to move a vertical with some friends, but moving a grand piano involves flipping it on its side and removing the legs and pedals. You will want to get experienced movers to move a grand piano.
Whether you are doing a local or a long-distance move, many moving companies can move pianos with the rest of your furniture. While this is less expensive than a separate piano mover, it is not without it’s risks, which I discovered when a mover unscrewed my key blocks (completely unnecessarily) which meant my piano was moved without the keyboard being fully secured!
If you are going to use standard movers, I highly recommend being present when they pack up and unload your piano so that you can watch and make sure they do it right.
For a local move of a grand piano, you will have more peace of mind if you hire professional piano movers. Not only is this what they do, but they have more specialized equipment for grand pianos that protects your piano from the risk of being dropped as they flip it up and down.
How much does a used piano cost?
$700+
You can save considerably by getting a used piano instead of a new instrument. This will require you to do your due diligence, though, because not all used pianos have life left in them. And most importantly, you should always have a piano technician evaluate potential used pianos before you buy.
There is no such thing as a free piano. You will need to have the piano moved and then tuned after arrival, so to be safe plan to spend about $700 getting your “free” piano home and settled. If you are buying a used upright and have access to a truck and a few strong friends for an afternoon, you may be able to save the $400 moving fee.
Evaluation by a Piano Technician
$50-150
The price of this will depend on the piano technician you use. It should never be more than their tuning fee.
If the piano has been regularly tuned, you can save here by asking who their technician is and contacting them to ask about the condition of the instrument.
I can not stress enough how important this step is. The current market is flooded with old pianos that have not been cared for. Many have deteriorated beyond usefulness and will cost a significant amount of money to be restored. A conservative approach is to avoid any instrument that has not been recently tuned and to approach older pianos – those that are 50+ years old with extreme caution.
And of course, have them evaluated by a technician! The extra cost is nothing compared to the headache you could be saving yourself.
Are used instruments too much of a hassle?
No! You can get a great deal on a used instrument. If you are willing to check out a few options with a piano technician, you can potentially save thousands of dollars.
Rebuilt pianos
When student pianos break down beyond repair, they are usually thrown away. However, higher end pianos are valuable enough that it is worth rebuilding and restoring them. Refurbished grand pianos are functionally new with new soundboards, pin block, and strings. They can cost less than half of what the same quality instrument would new.
Rebuilt pianos are typically sold through dealers with showrooms, so you also get the opportunity to try out a variety of pianos like you do when you buy new.
How to Buy a Piano
If you are looking for a new or rebuilt instrument, you should contact your local piano dealer. They can let you know what models they carry and their prices. They may even have used options.
For private purchase of a used instrument, you can search craigslist and facebook marketplace. Just make sure you get a local piano technician to evaluate the piano before you commit to buying!
What type of piano should I buy for a student?
Some will recommend that you buy the best piano that you can afford, but it is my opinion that ideally you would purchase a quality vertical piano somewhere in the range of $5,000-$7,000 new or something used of equivalent quality (but perhaps for a better price) used. A good upright will take a student quite far.
Now, if that’s above your budget, then pick the best you can afford. A quality instrument helps a student get the most out of piano lessons, so it is money well spent.
If they are studying with a good piano teacher, they should have the opportunity to play on a higher quality piano at their lessons and various types of pianos for recitals.
Many people will find that a student piano keeps them happy for the rest of their lives. If they pursue performance seriously, eventually they may notice that their instrument is not supporting them as well as their teacher’s. I noticed this myself in high-school when I just couldn’t get my trills to go as fast at home as I could during lessons.
If they reach this point, you could look into an upgrade. By then, they will have had years of experience playing and will be able to tell which pianos are better quality by how it feels to play them. They will have a sense of what tone they prefer and maybe even a particular brand that they gravitate towards. They should be able to pick an instrument that will truly last them the rest of their lives.
Save the Highlights for Later
If you want a quick guide to come back to later, download my Piano Buying Guide. You’ll get a summary of what to remember when buying a piano and as a bonus – I’ve included several charts detailing the features on different digital pianos.
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