Q: Why do some pianos cost more than other pianos. They all seem to look alike on the outside?
There are a lot of reasons for the disparity in piano prices, and it’s not just profit margin. Pianos are made with exotic woods and materials. The wood in the soundboard, for example, can be made of no-name spruce, perhaps laminated like plywood or it can be made of more expensive Sitka Spruce and built from solid planks glued edge on edge. Many of Yamaha Piano Company’s concert line of pianos now use a special exceptionally rare and expensive Austrian Spruce.

Woods also require aging. Some companies age their woods for ten or more years – others build the piano within a few months of the tree coming out of the forest. The selection of materials inside the piano will also cause the price to vary, as well as labor costs. Pianos made in Japan likely have higher labor costs than those made in developing nations.

Q: I see many old pianos online. Do old pianos ever wear out?
Just like everything else, pianos do have a lifespan and do wear out. What destroys most pianos is a combination of Lack of Maintenance and the woods drying out over time. It’s been our experience that 50 years is about the average life expectancy of a piano before the effects of time require major rebuilding. Currently, a MAJOR rebuild which would include new strings, pins, pin block and action rebuild can cost as much as $10,000 or more.

While you can purchase a new set of Guitar Strings for less than $10, a new set of piano strings installed will run well over $1,000!! If you stop by Bill Jones Music, we have several beautiful pianos (for demonstration only) that are complete junk as they can never be tuned without the great expense of major repair. You may be amazed.

Q: Does a piano need to be tuned, even if no one has been playing it?Yes. Each year the piano goes un-tuned, the strings will loosen and the pitch will drop. A properly tuned piano will have over 43,000 pounds of pressure pulling on the harp of the piano. That’s why a piano has that heavy cast iron plate, to offset all that pressure. Changing the Pitch can put major stress on the instrument breaking strings and even breaking the cast iron plate.

Even if nothing breaks, if the piano has been out of tune for some time, a new tuning will not last very long as the strings want to return to the more relaxed position they have been over the years. The minimal fix for this is to tune the piano often, several times a year until the strings can hold. At over $100 per tuning an inexpensive piano can quickly become expensive to maintain.

Q: My child is only a beginner, does my piano need to be in tune?
Yes. Each year the piano goes un-tuned, the strings will loosen and the pitch will drop. A properly tuned piano will have over 43,000 pounds of pressure pulling on the harp of the piano. That’s why a piano has that heavy cast iron plate, to offset all that pressure. Changing the Pitch can put major stress on the instrument breaking strings and even breaking the cast iron plate.

Even if nothing breaks, if the piano has been out of tune for some time, a new tuning will not last very long as the strings want to return to the more relaxed position they have been over the years. The minimal fix for this is to tune the piano often, several times a year until the strings can hold. At over $100 per tuning an inexpensive piano can quickly become expensive to maintain.

Q: What types of instruments do you rent for students?
We currently rent keyboards, pianos, violins, cellos, and guitars at a monthly rate for student use. Depending on the type of instrument the rates and minimum rental time will vary. We also allow a portion of the rental paid toward the purchase of a new instrument. This amount also varies by which type of instrument. Feel free to call us for a current quote on the instrument you need to rent.