Choosing a used grand: what to ask beyond the upright routine.

Before the viewing

Measure the room and the route first.

A grand piano is longer than it is wide and travels through the building in pieces. Before booking a viewing, measure:

• The room: length, width and ceiling height. The piano needs space behind the keyboard for the bench and the player, and clearance to raise the lid.
• The route: every door width, corridor turn, lift cabin dimension and staircase width between the building entrance and the room. Ask the delivery team to assess all the constraints, including turns and the handling space, rather than relying on one measurement.
• The floor: ask about suitable protection for the actual instrument and floor. Raise any structural or load-bearing concern with building management or an appropriately qualified adviser.

Send the measurements with your enquiry. The dealer or delivery team can tell you whether a particular size is practical before you travel to see it. The delivery guide covers the logistics for HDB, condo and landed homes.

02

What to ask the seller to show you.

On an upright, the soundboard is at the back against the wall and the action must be lifted out by a technician. On a grand, several parts are more accessible. Ask the seller or a qualified technician to demonstrate:

• The soundboard from above: with the lid raised, look down through the strings at the board. Ask the seller to point out any cracks along the grain, any previous repairs, and the condition of the ribs and bridges.
• The soundboard from below: ask whether the underside can be inspected. A technician can assess rib contact and any cracks that run through from the top.
• The action: a grand action can be removed for inspection. Ask the seller or technician to show you the hammers, the felt condition, and any parts that have been replaced. Action removal and reinsertion is professional work.
• Tuning stability: ask whether the instrument has been tuned recently and whether it held. Ask the technician to assess whether the pins will hold a tuning reliably.

The viewing checklist covers the general routine for a used piano. Yamaha’s component guide illustrates the names and arrangement of grand-piano parts; it does not assess the condition of the instrument you are viewing.

03

The lid, pedal lyre, legs and castors.

Ask about these fittings on the actual instrument:

• The lid: ask the seller to demonstrate both stick positions (short and long). Check the hinge, the prop sticks and the lid edge. Ask about any marks or repairs and whether the lid has been refinished.
• The pedal lyre: on a grand, the pedals hang from a lyre assembly attached to the underside of the case. Press each pedal and listen for play, squeaks or looseness. The lyre comes off for transport and goes back on in the room.
• The legs and castors: a grand typically rests on three legs, each with a castor. Ask the seller about the condition of the legs, castors and their bearings. A seized castor makes positioning difficult.

These parts travel separately during delivery. The delivery section explains how delivery is carried out for the instruments Music Companion sells.

04

The written quotation for a grand.

A grand quotation includes items that an upright quotation does not. Ask for all of the following in writing:

1. The instrument by exact model, serial number and year, confirmed at the viewing.
2. Its condition including the soundboard, action, strings, pinblock, lid, lyre and castors, with any outstanding work named.
3. The price of the instrument on its own.
4. Delivery including the route survey, any dismantling and reassembly, crane access if applicable and any building requirements.
5. The first tuning after the instrument has settled, and whether it is included.
6. After-sale cover and its exclusions, in writing.

The sale page has the six-point quotation checklist for any used piano. A grand adds the lyre reassembly, castor condition and the possibility of crane access to that list.