• Discover Types of Pianos

• Pick a Piano Maker

• Evaluate Pianos

• Find a Piano on eBay Australia

• Buy a Piano With Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Discover Types of Pianos

Discover Types of Pianos

Consider where you’ll keep your piano and how much you’re willing to spend before you choose between a small or large piano, an upright or a grand piano. These factors will help you set some restrictions and concentrate your search.

Upright pianos vs. grand pianos

Generally, grand pianos cost more than upright or vertical pianos and take up more space. The tallest upright pianos can reach 1.5 metres. It should be remembered that it is possible to get the same tonal quality with an upright piano as with the grand piano. In fact, a taller upright piano can sometimes produce a better tone than certain baby grand pianos.

Select an upright piano

Upright pianos are differentiated based on their size.

• Spinet pianos: Spinet pianos are usually around 90 centimetres tall.

• Console pianos: Console pianos are approximately 1 metre tall.

• Studio pianos: Studio pianos are around 1.15 metres tall.

• Professional pianos: Professional pianos are 1.2 metres or higher.

The taller the upright piano, the more the number of moving parts the piano houses. An upright piano has around 5 000 to 6 000 moving parts, whereas a grand piano has an average of 10 000. Grand pianos are often found in the homes and studios of more serious piano players because of this distinction and the increased price tag it attracts.

Play in style with a grand piano

Grand pianos come in many different shapes, though the majority today have a standard ‘wing’ shape that has a curved right side and flat left. They vary in size from 1.37 metres to more than 2.75 metres long. The main difference between grand pianos is the quality of the bass tones, the overall quality of sound produced and the quantity of sound that can be produced.

• Baby grand pianos: Any grand piano smaller than 1.8 metres is generally considered a baby grand.

• Concert grand pianos: Any grand piano 2.75 metres and above is referred to as a concert grand piano.

Experiment with digital pianos

Digital pianos offer a variation on traditional acoustic pianos. To recreate piano sounds digital pianos include sound chips and speakers. This creates some distinct advantages over traditional pianos, such as being able to make other keyboard sounds, like the harpsichord, organ or background music and can provide the ability to record your performance. Major brands of digital pianos include: Suzuki, Yamaha, Casio, Roland and Technics.

Enjoy player pianos

If you like the appearance of a piano but can’t play a note, perhaps a pianola might be the way to go. Older, pneumatic pianolas (containing a mechanism that is controlled by a paper music roll) are more common than the new magnetic tape varieties.

Pick a Piano Maker

Pick a Piano Maker

Pianos made in different countries, even regions within the country, have entirely different sounds based on variations in tonal quality. Primarily, this is to due to the difference in design, materials and production techniques. Following is a quick summary of Australian made pianos, U.S. made pianos, Asian made pianos and European made pianos, as well as their most notable brands.

Australian-made pianos

Australian made pianos are again gaining recognition as high-quality pianos. The more well known of Australian made pianos are:

• Beale pianos: No longer in production, the Beale piano is an instrument to be cherished.

• Stuart and Sons: A relative new-comer to the industry the ‘Stuart’ piano is considered by many to be the finest sounding piano on the market.

• Overs: Known for its grand pianos, these finely crafted instruments are generally reserved for major music institutions.

• Wertheim: Again, an instrument to be cherished as production of the Wertheim piano ended early last century.

American-made pianos

In general, pianos made in the U.S. are of high quality design and construction.

• Steinway pianos: Steinway pianos are considered to be the ‘model’ piano by many pianists, the designs copied by other makers. In terms of price and quality Steinway pianos are on the high end, best known for their grand pianos.    

• Baldwin pianos: High quality Baldwin pianos also produce Chickering and Wurlitzer pianos.    

• Mason & Hamlin pianos: Mason & Hamlin pianos are high quality, and therefore extremely rare. 

Asian-made pianos

Asian pianos are highly regarded and very popular in Australia today. The two most popular Asian brands are based in Japan.

• Yamaha pianos: Yamaha produces more than 200 000 pianos a year.

• Kawai pianos: Kawai established the practice of using plastic parts in pianos

Other leading Asian brands include: Young Chang, Daewoo, Hyundai, Pearl River, Samick and Nordiska.

European-made pianos

Although German- and Austrian-made pianos have long been considered some of the worlds finest, the Czech Republic, France and the U.K. also produce a fine range of pianos.

• Germany/Austria: Look for Bechstein pianos, Bosendorfer pianos, Grotrian pianos, Schimmel pianos, Feurich pianos, Hamburg Steinway pianos, Bluthner pianos, Sauter pianos, Forster pianos, Ibach pianos and Seiler pianos.     

• Czech Republic: Look for Bohemia pianos, Petrof pianos, Riegler-Kloss pianos and Scholze pianos.    

• France: Look for Gaveau pianos, Pleyel pianos, Erard pianos, Rameau pianos.    

• UK: Look for Bentley pianos, Kemble pianos, Marshal & Rose pianos, Chappell pianos, Broadwood pianos, Collard & Collard pianos, Welmar pianos, Knight pianos, Woodchester pianos and Whelpdale pianos.

Evaluate Pianos

Evaluate Pianos

No two pianos are exactly alike. Before buying your piano be sure to study the following musical aspects of pianos and you’ll be on your way to finding the perfect piano.

Piano tone

How the piano sounds is a result of how the components work together and the quality of the piano’s construction. However, the appeal of the piano tone is a very personal decision; every person has a different concept of what sounds good.

For some people a clean, light tone sounds best, for others a warm, round sound is best and others still prefer a deep, loud sound. One ting to consider is where you’ll be playing as this may affect tone and your decision.

Ultimately, if you like the tone, the piano offers good mid-tones and a strong balance of tones in both the higher and lower registers, then it’s a good piano for you. Try to avoid a piano that has a sharp edge to the sound as tone should be well-balanced and rounded throughout its entire range.

Remember that every brand has a unique sound. A Beale piano will sound different from a Daewoo, a Yamaha piano sounds different from a Kawai etc.

Piano tuning stability and durability

You should expect your piano to ‘live’ around 30 years. Unfortunately, no matter how much you pay for your piano or what brand it is, no piano will stay in tune forever.

Most good quality pianos have greater tuning stability, that is, the length of time the piano can sound good between tunings. You should remember that the more a piano is played, the more often it will need to be tuned.

Ask the seller about the piano’s tuning history. Piano tuners often leave records inside the piano or in the piano stool. 

Piano touch

This is an incredibly important test as the touch of the keys can affect the tonal output. How receptive are the piano keys? When you press them, do they deliver an even and comfortable response? Avoid sticky or loose piano keys.

Piano finish

Often, it is the aesthetic of the piano that attracts a buyer to a certain model or brand. The unique finish and styling of a piano creates the overall aesthetic. Piano cases can be made or finished in either clear or opaque finishes.

• Clear piano finishes: Clear finishes, in which you can see the type of wood and wood grain through the finish, most commonly include walnut and mahogany, as well as oak, pecan, rosewood or pine.

• Opaque piano finishes: Ebony, white and ivory are the most common opaque finishes. However, you can find opaque finishes in just about any colour- think Liberace.

Look at whether the piano has been finished in an open or closed pore style. Considered a nicer quality finish, closed pore finishes leave a smooth, flat finish.

Find a Piano on eBay Australia

Find a Piano on eBay Australia

Once you know what type of piano you want, go to the Musical Instruments portal, click Keyboard, Piano and start searching for item listings on eBay Australia.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you concentrate your search by item type. You'll find links for Accessories, Keyboards and Pianos.

• Keyword search: Search eBay Australia listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a Yamaha-brand piano, type "Yamaha" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Australia's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Australia Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Australia will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy a Piano With Confidence

Buy a Piano With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Australia and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Australia (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Australia are not covered by eBay Australia protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay Australia item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Australia sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Australia and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,500.

• eBay Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Australia veteran with just the information you're looking for!                      

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

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