So I’m getting the itch to play again, after many years of neglecting and abusing my fingers in some of the most criminal ways imaginable, and I see this on Craig’s List. As it happens, someone with a pickup is actually coming to visit me anyway tomorrow, so I almost have no reason to turn this one down:
Seems like fate, but question is, is a Smith & Barnes (Chicago) Upright any good? They say “they would like it picked up this weekend if at all possible. it is in relatively great shape for being made in the early 1900’s. could use a tuning, and there are about 5 piano keys that need new ‘ivory’ tops.” I’m totally willing to tune and tweak to get it sounding ok again (to the extent that a random piano tuner I find in the book can do for a reasonable fee), but I have no idea what kind of sound this type of piano would have, even when in tip-top shape.
“Relatively” has me slightly nervous, but hey, it’s free. And what the heck should I expect from something that’s 90 years out of warranty?
Edit: Oh, so I guess it’s got that “Saloon” sound:
I guess I could wait and save up, but it’ll be a while because I just splurged on a new PDA.
Get it, learn ragtime. It’ll be a great conversation piece, if nothing else. If you ever get a baby grand, you can give the upright away to someone else.
Real pianos are heavy as hell and require constant tuning. Are you sure you don’t want a good electronic piano with credible key mechanics? The upscale models don’t look too techy and feel almost like the real thing…
I realize that this piano is free but maybe you want to move someday, and you certainly should check how expensive tuning is…
Yeah, if you can swing by a local music shop and demo a few electronic pianos that might not be a bad thing to check out. The Yamaha P-80 is supposed to be good and around the $1000 price point. There might be better stuff available nowadays. The weighted action on most electronic pianos still doesn’t feel that good, but I never felt the uprights I played had quite the right feel either (not familiar with the brand you mention). Unfortunately there is nothing quite like a grand, at least in my experience.
I think that depends greatly on how variable the humidity is where you live. I know that my brother only bothers to tune his once every year at the most.
I realize that this piano is free but maybe you want to move someday, and you certainly should check how expensive tuning is…
Piano tuning, assuming that it doesn’t have a cracked soundboard or require other major repairs, shouldn’t be too expensive. And if you move, you can always give it away yourself. A good used upright is going to cost you in the neighbourhood of $3000, so a free one, assuming that you have an inexpensive way to move it, can’t possible be that much.
