EDIT BY KEN: A number of PW members are trying to help Brad get a piano. I've featured the topic so it will be more visible.

A 16 year old would love to enjoy a piano this winter, with your kind thoughts you could provide this respectful teenager with a piano. It doesn't have to be perfect as long as it plays fine that's all that counts. I have been looking for one over a year and half now and my search has been hopeless. As many of you know I've been asking lots of questions and found that I should post wanted signs everywhere so here is one.

I never thought it would be so hard, I have 2 Craigslists postings in 3 states. Have been running for a month half. I didn't think it was gonna be so hard to find a piano that just plays. Its all stressful and frustrating. I think im going to give up like I should have months ago. I guess a piano just isn't something meant for me to have, if Its right for me one will show up on my door step after all the work and things I have put into looking for one.

Brad,
You are going in a wrong direction. Instead of surrendering you need to get even more aggresive.
The first post is a good one, especially; "A 16 year old would love to enjoy a piano this winter, with your kind thoughts you could provide this respectful teenager with a piano. It doesn't have to be perfect as long as it plays fine (add - and holds a tune) that all that counts".
Print up a bunch of these and tack them to as many local bulletin boards as you can find. Deliver them door to door in you neighborhood. Stand on a street corner and pass them out. Put a picture of you sitting at a tiny (cheap) keyboard on your flyers and have some lovely piano music gently emitting from your boom box.
You've got to get creative man.
There are so many unused pianos sitting in rooms in houses that there is bound to be one fine piano ready to be delivered to an ambitious and dedicated 16 yr old desireing to play.

Mike

lol Durango that might be odd enough to work. I actually got couple of emails this morning say there is 3 pianos at the good will maybe its time to check those out?

Although I do still like this piano (with the bird cage action)

Brad,
That is a lovely piano.
However
Pick your piano for how it sounds and plays first.
How it looks, second.

Goodwill store. Good option. Keep searching.
Be deligent. It will come.

Mike

I see a natural affinity between this
type of post and the "I have a beautiful
piano but no motivation to play anymore"
type of post. There have been plenty of
both on these forums. People often
stop playing because they are playing
in a piano vacuum, so to speak. They
know no other pianists besides themselves,
so it's just them and their piano, and
that usually doesn't work after a while.
There typically needs to be a catalyst
of some sort that allows one to connect
emotionally with the instrument, otherwise
there is no motivating force to make one
put in the long hrs. needed in classical
repertoire, pounding on an instrument
that can be quite user-unfriendly.

But if a motivationally challenged
forum member were to send
this person the piano that he wants,
then this could very well provide the
intangible spark that would motivate him to
play again, with enthusiasm.

Haha! This old woman wants $400 or my laptop for this piano!

[img] http://image.hpphoto.com/rs/DCE46288-ED64-4659-A87F-8F857C5113E4/large-screen-show [/img]

Just laughs!

Yellowed keys and older style doesn't mean that it's a bad piano. For your price, you can't judge a book by it's cover. The real issue is, how does it sound?

Actually, the keys all look level, and the fact that not all keys are equally yellowed indicates some keytops may have been replaced. That indicates to me that some attention has been paid to maintenance. I think it deserves a second look, frankly!

I believe I have found the one, post what you guys think about it. I have went by the inside now not looks, does this have the bird cage action too? How does it look in there?









Whats the verdic?

Oh piano is a Warner serial number is 71310

Is it free?
How does it play?
And sound?
To you?

BradKY
If you were closer to the west coast I would give you a decent piano. You seem to have the enthusiasm and drive to follow this through as opposed to a passing fancy.I'm speechless as to the piano pics you're coming up with! Maybe we could start a fund to pay for shipping to Kentucky.Are you anywhere close to Elizabethton Kentucky. That is where Keyboard Carriage's main hub is located.I can get it there for $500. Anybody want to contribute to the BradKY piano transport fund?

"Anybody want to contribute to the BradKY piano transport fund?"

Bravo pianobroker!

$50.00 pledge from me if we can rally enough contributers.

Mike

I'm in for $50.

Mike,

Put me down for $50. Though we'll need to sort out a means of getting from here to there without banks taking half of it charges (if someone has a Paypal account or similar or perhaps via PW itself).

EDIT: And well done PB, of course!

-Michael B.

Brad,

Is Hopkinssville far from you? Did you see this one? http://cgi.ebay.com/Baldwin-Acrosonic-St...1QQcmdZViewItem

Acrosonics have a limited sound profile, but they are well-built and have great tuning stability (little maintenance expense). I lived with one for many years and it served me well. It's possible a last minute bid of $200 might snap it up.

On the free piano from Pianobroker idea, I'll send $50 to Broker if Brad himself covers $100. I'm not trying to be a cheapskate, but I figure having a decent piano should be worth something to Brad.

Just to let everyone know,when I say "decent piano" I don't mean some broke down 50-60 yr. old console or spinet.What would be the point of even paying the shipping on a piano of this sort. I'm impressed as for the generosity of the PW patrons already. Maybe we could do this fund drive for a week or two ? in that if there are enough participant pledges, one can just contribute $10 or $20 each instead of $50. Paypal would be doable.This is not a $ making venture on my behalf. I have a couple 48" and 52"Kawai uprts. with a few nicks & dings though not perfect would be 100 times better than the depressing pics I'm seeing.
I do want to say because business is booming,I am in the position of doing this one time donation but probably won't do this on a regular basis. We can monitor the pledges here though I can send the piano to Kentucky soon. We can see how it goes

Hopkinsville is about 250 miles from me, Elizabethtown is about 100 or so not far from Lexington

lol Are you guys shaking a stick at me? lol

Brad, I'm interested to know your motivation for wanting this piano? What type of music do you play, or want to be able to play? How did you first become interested?

When I was the age of 4 I got my first little keyboard, It was a small Yamaha that I still have to this day and still do play it (has like 15 keys) My friend has actually been giving me piano lessons for free. Every Saturday actually. He has been letting me use his keyboard till I could find a small spinet or upright to learn pedals. So far he has been teaching me how to read a little bit of music and has been writing the letters above the notes. I don't know how to explain its just something i've always loved to learn ive spent hours of listening and watching people play piano on Youtube (Yes its kind of geeky but its that bad!)Usualy when I go to church I always sit up by the pianist and watch her play she has given me a few tips on playing. I even thought about playing piano for church.

Look! Its what started the inspiration!

Haha, Burton are you afraid that if I get one I wont post the new things ive learned and make recordings and even videos?

I just looked in several places on craigslist near Harlen, KY, but didn't find a Baldwin Hamilton (45" studio upright with a much better action than a spinet). If someone could find one for Brad, I think that would be a very good piano. I got a 1951 vintage one for $400, and also recently saw one in San Diego, CA (my hometown) advertised for $75 that the owner said was kept regularly tuned. A friend of mine also got a 1955 Hamilton for free and it's in quite good condition inside and out.

Now... if Brad ends up practicing and eventually playing extemely well... I wonder if we may as well start the "get Brad a Steinway D / Bosendorfer Imperial / Rubenstein R-371 / etc fund" now...

Haha Yeah 88key that seems to be a regular thing of not finding a decent piano for a decent amount. Although I could buy that Kimball Spinet for $1,350
http://lexington.craigslist.org/msg/445714566.html

Haha

Ok. After seeing that keyboard, I'll donate $20.00 when the paypal is set up.

I could take up Organ...



4 Keys need fixed Haha

That actually looks more like a console. (Note: I'm referring to the Kimball that Brad posted on the last of the previous page in this thread.) Better than a spinet, but I still would prefer Baldwin or even Wurlitzer over that. And that looks a bit too expensive IMO.

(I'm looking to find a good piano myself (more specifically, better than what I have now, but I'm not going to describe or picture it in this post. And to clarify, I'm not referring to the Hamilton I said I got for $400 in my previous post in this thread - that piano's not the one I'm using at home, but is somewhere else. I want to replace my home piano, but enough rambling in this post. ), but I'm looking for something better than what you're looking for, and am willing (although I'll need to save some more $) to pay a bit more, too. I don't expect any competition between us, though, cause I'm in southern California, and I want to get a local piano.)

(P.S. I think I've just set a personal record for most separate edits on one post in less than 10 minutes.)

Burton, so a clear answer to your question I would probably wanna learn piano to play at church so probably one to learn Church hymns with.

Parents said they'd pledge $50 and traveling costs for me to go get it.