Buying a used piano or digital piano: the checklist against the mispurchase

The used market is the best and the most dangerous corner of instrument buying at once: a well-kept digital piano loses hardly any ability, only price – a neglected acoustic piano, by contrast, can be a write-off with furniture character. The difference is decided at the viewing.

Used digital pianos: almost always a good idea

Hammer actions age slowly, electronics usually last decades. Models like a well-kept Yamaha P-125 or Roland FP-30 often cost 30–40 % less used than new. Check: strike every single key (equally heavy? equally loud? nothing rattles?), all sockets (headphones! USB!), the speakers at high volume for buzzing, the pedal jack. Accessories like headphones and benches are better bought new.

Used acoustic pianos: opportunity with a drop height

The inherited or gifted piano can be a treasure – or decades untuned, with a tired action and cracks. The viewing checklist:

☐ Strike every key: does a tone come everywhere? Nothing sticking? Silent or doubly sounding keys are a warning sign.
☐ How far out of tune? A piano that is uniformly too low is normal (tuning ~€100–150, after long standstill two passes). Chaotic detuning across the registers points to pin-block problems – hands off without an expert verdict.
☐ Press the pedals: does something audibly move without squeaking?
☐ Look inside (have the lid opened): rust on the strings, moth damage in the felt, cracks in the soundboard?
☐ Ask about placement history: damp cellars and radiator proximity are piano killers.

Negotiating the price with the checklist

Every fault found is an argument: a due tuning, a missing power supply, a wobbly bench. Print this page or our purchase checklist from the Configurator and tick things off on site – it structures the viewing and makes the price negotiable.

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