Hey Group,
I am looking at purchasing my first piano as a private sale. The price seems to be right from the comparisons, research, and advice I have sought. I did however notice several of the lower keys will continue to sustain after released. Also, a few keys stick after pressed. Does this seem like an easy repair when I get it tuned or something more complicated. The piano is a 1988 baby grand and, according to the owner, has been tuned and maintained at least twice a year. Thanks for your help!

You might want to post your question over at the piano tuners-technician forum but to me (note that I'm neither a tuner nor a technician) if keys stick and the dampers don't work properly (notes sustaining after key is released) it's hard to believe it has been tuned and maintained twice a year. I'd have it checked out by an independent technician.

Good luck on your purchase!

it is wise to ask a technician check it out first before buying it. if it's not an easy repair, then you have to add the cost to your purchase.

It's impossible to know w/o seeing the piano, but the fix could be as simple as lubricating the damper rod bushings and easing the sluggish keys. On the other hand, the action may have gotten wet and need to have keys sanded/planed/replaced, etc. These are just 2 guesses - there's no limit to what the problem might be or what solution will be req'd. My GUESS is that it would be fairly simple to correct, but you really need to have someone check it out before you buy. What brand and size grand is it?

Thanks for the info!! I think a technician would be a great idea. Unfortunately it is a friend who is moving (unexpectedly) and needs it gone soon. I'm not sure how quick I can get someone there to check it out.

It is a 1988 Howard black 5'7". It does appear to be in tune, except for the previous mentioned issues. Extreior appears flawless. She is asking $6000.

If you can trust your friend and she assures you that the piano hasn't suffered any injury (like the spilling of a vase into the action) then I wouldn't worry too much about some sluggishness in the action. Especially if everything else about the piano is to your liking. Are you able to play well enough to assess the touch and tone of the piano? Also, I could be wrong, but $6,000 seems a little high for a 1988 Howard. Maybe not if it is in pristine condition.

From what I can tell, the exterior is flawless. The interior, from an untrained eye, appears in excellent condition. I believe she really took good care of it. The tone seems of equal quality to similar age/style pianos in a few local stores. As far as the price, i'm not too sure. I did some internet comparisons and talked to a few local music people. They all seemed to think it was a fair price.

It sounds as though you've done your homework! Of course I can't know for sure about the dampers and keys, but I'd be surprised if there was a serious problem.

This piano sounds like it hasn't been
tuned or maintained in yrs. This is
typical with many pianos being sold.
The usual reason it hasn't been maintained
is that many piano owners tend to be
solitary types, and they gradually come to find
the intrusion to their privacy that
is necessary to get their piano tuned
and maintained several times a yr.
to be unbearable, and then they begin to
skip tunings and maintenance, which
results in an unplayable instrument,
which leads to them giving up playing
and selling the instrument.