What Makes a Good Piano? 50 Things to look for
A user on Quora requested me to answer this question. I listed the first 50 things I look for when determining the good qualities of a piano.
Q. "What makes a good piano?"
-Submitted by a Quora user
A. "There are many things that make a good piano!"
From the perspective of a Piano Technician, here are 50 qualities I quickly notice about a piano that are important in determining whether it's a great piano or not!
50 Qualities for How to Tell it's a Good piano
No major damage to soundboard
No major damage to the bridge
No major damage to the finish
No major damage to the pinblock
Tight tuning pins
Properly spaced hammers
Properly traveled hammers
Properly burned hammers
Piano is up to pitch and does not need a pitch raise
Piano has been recently tuned
Free of sticking keys
Front key bushings are not loose and do not wiggle side to side too much
The action is bedded properly (no knocking when playing)
The hammers have been filed properly
The hammers have been voiced
The hammers have been seated to the strings
The strings are spaced properly
The tri-chord strings are level to the hammers
The soft pedal is does not shift too far, but shifts to a preference of hitting only two strings or two strings and slightly the third
The sostenuto pedal functions without catching on the sostenuto tabs as to create excess noise
The sustain pedal lifts off of all dampers at the same time
The sustain pedal has sufficient lost motion so as not to cause excess notes to ring without pressing the pedal
The tops of the pedal rods are tightened with wrenches (not just fingers)
The furniture is free from deep scratches, or gouges, nor missing veneer
The music shelf is in working condition and adheres to the guide rails
There are hinge pins in both hinges for the lid
The piano has been fully vacuumed and clear of dust or debris that may vibrate when playing
The wheels are sufficient to slowly move the piano without excess noise or friction
The finish does not have a milky appearance
The finish is not sun-faded
There is sufficient aftertouch for each key
The bushings of the keys are not too hard/crusty or are all in place
The strings are free from rust
The piano does not have a humidification system that is too old
If the piano has a player system that it operates and does not need a power supply replaced or replacement in the near future
If the piano has a player system, that it is calibrated
The coils of the strings over the tuning pins have 3 coils and are tightly wound
Tuning pins are all drilled at the same angle
There are no broken strings
The hammer return springs do not have cords that are broken or are disintegrating
The keys are level
The bridge does not have any tears
There are original strings only
The keys are clean and clear of filth on the sides
The bench is tightened
None of the keys make erroneous clicking noises
None of the strings have false beats
The tone quality is even throughout the piano, yet well balanced and tasteful brightness in the extreme ranges
The tone quality is even throughout the full dynamic range of a keystroke and is consistent on all keys
The copper strings are not corroding
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