I am considering buying a 20 year old Yamaha model M305. It is owned by an older couple who have no children. They bought the piano new. The cabinet is nearly perfect, the insides are clean and don't show any real wear, the pedals all work and it has a very nice, bright sound, although out of tune. The price is good.

The piano is located far from any technician and it will probably be fairly costly to get someone out to look it over.

Given all the above, how risky would it be to not have it checked by a professional understanding that would be the safer route? Thanks.

I have rarely seen any serious problems with used Yamaha pianos. They are good workhorses. How good is the price? One thing to consider:

We charge $100 for a pre-purchase check + mileage if the piano is outside our local area. Many times the client is able to recoup the money by negotiating a better price for the piano. Having a tech with you: 1. shows the seller that you are serious enough to invest in having a tech look at the piano. 2. can point out areas of improvement which can put you in a good position to talk the seller down a bit.

The last pre-purchase check we did, saved the buyer over $500. That was $400 in the bank for him, and piece of mind regarding the sale.

There is only one real concern I have about Yamahas of this vintage: they are usually beginning to break hammer return spring retention cords. The fix is anywhere from $250.00 to $400.00 depending on the type of flange, and the technician you use. Apart from that, the pianos are usually pretty solid and hold tune well. I would recommend having someone check this for you, because it could reduce the value and price substantially.

Good point, Dave!

Those models also have butt plates whose tightness is often neglected. The center pins begin to work themselves out of position. Nothing seems wrong at first until the condition has gone too far and then it is a disaster.

I've had quite a number of experiences where the same question was asked of me, "How come no tuner never said nothing about that before?"

In other words, it's best to have a tech look at it.

Thanks for the advice. I have just gotten off the phone with a technician who will check it out for under $100 without adding a mileage fee! Must be the lousy economy here in Wilmington, NC which is even worse than the country as a whole.

I will report back after I get my report if anyone is curious.

Please do. The action may or may not have butt plates but is it does, make sure the tech checks to see if any center pins are seen moving out sideways. If it does have butt plates and no sideways movement of the center pis is detected or there is very little, you will want to have the technician you hire to tune and service the piano to tighten all flange screws and butt plates and replace any flanges that have broken spring cords.

the piano will probably also need thorough interior cleaning, especially under the keys. Negotiate your purchase price down to include the technician's estimate for those services. Otherwise, that kind of piano should be a great find.

UPDATE;

I offered to report back on this piano after the technician had gone over it, so here it is.

The piano, in his words, is in 'mint condition'. He said it looks like it was never used. There isn't even a speck of dust inside. The only negative is that it is a twenty year old piano that never once was tuned after the original tuning following its delivery from the dealer. It will need a bit of work to get back to tune, but no big deal.

The seller and I are at an impasse price wise. If I end up buying it, I will come back and tell you what I paid for it.
Thanks again everyone for your suggestions and comments.