Table of Contents

   
Foreword by Keith Jarrett

Preface
	Preface to the Fourth Edition   
   
How to Use This Book   
   
CHAPTER 1: How the Piano Works
	Pictorial Description of How Pianos Work   
	The Action   
		How the Action Works in a Vertical Piano   
		How the Action Works in a Grand Piano   
   
CHAPTER 2: Buying a Piano: An Orientation   
	Initial Considerations   
		Proficiency Level   
		Space   
		Money   
		Furniture   
		Should I Buy a Grand or a Vertical Piano?   
		What Size Piano Should I Buy?   
		Should I Buy a New or a Used Piano?   
	Looking For a Piano, or Zen and the Art of Piano Buying   
   
CHAPTER 3: Buying a New Piano   
	Marketing   
	How Pianos Differ in Quality and Features   
		Case and Cabinet Construction, Styling, and Finish   
		Structural and Tuning Stability   
		Scale Design and Strings   
		Bridges and Soundboard   
		Listening to Tone   
		The Action   
		Keys   
		Hammers   
		Pedals and Trapwork   
		Final Preparation   
		Serviceability   
		Warranty   
	Shopping For a New Piano
		The Approach   
		Choosing a Piano Dealer   
		Prices, Sales, and Merchandising
		But Is It a Good Value?
		Does It Hold Its Value?   
		How to Save Money
		Price and Service
		Dealing With Trade-Ins
		Shopping For a New Piano on the Internet   
		Servicing After Delivery   
		Buying a School or Institutional Piano   
   
CHAPTER 4: A Consumer Guide to New and Recently Made Pianos   
	The New Piano Survey   
		The Myth of Objectivity   
		The Survey and Its Limitations   
		How to Use This Guide   
		Need More Help?
	Ratings
		Summary of Brands and Ratings in Alphabetical Order
		Summary of Brands and Ratings in Approximate Descending Order of Quality   
	The Piano Industry Today: An Overview   
	Index to Trade Names
		Stencil Pianos   
	Brand-by-Brand Listings and Reviews
	Electronic Player Piano Systems and Hybrid Acoustic/Digital Pianos
		Commentary and Comparisons   
   
CHAPTER 5: Buying a Used Piano   
	What's Out There
		A Brief History of the Piano
		How Long Does a Piano Last?
		Brief Notes on a Few Old Piano Brands
		Should I Buy a Used, "Gray Market" Yamaha or Kawai Piano?   
		Old Player and Reproducing Pianos   
	How to Find a Used Piano
		Contacting Technicians and Rebuilding Shops
		Repair, Reconditioning, and Rebuilding
		Grand Piano Rebuilding Checklist
		Visiting New Piano Dealers
		Visiting Used Piano Dealers
		Answering Ads
		Hunting Up a Piano
		Shopping on the Internet
		Obtaining a Piano From Friends and Relatives   
	Checking Out the Piano
		Looks, Styling, and Finish
		Opening Up the Piano For Inspection
		Pitch and Tuning
		The Pinblock
		Strings
		Bridges
		Structural Integrity
		Soundboard and Ribs
		The Action
		Keys
		Hammers
		Dampers
		Pedals
		Regulation
		Serial Number
		Closing the Piano
		Used-Piano Checklist   
	How Much Is It Worth?   
		Depreciation Schedule for Pianos
		Prices of Used Pianos   
	After the Sale
		Moving
		Warranty
		Tuning   
	Selling Your Piano   
	Addendum: Buying a Used Steinway or Mason & Hamlin
		Soundboard
		Pinblock
		Action Parts
		Hammers
		Design Changes
		Teflon Bushings
		Verdigris
		Rebuilding Quality   
		List of Steinway Models from 1853 to Present   
		Steinway Dates and Serial Numbers   
		   
CHAPTER 6: Piano Moving and Storage   
	Why Not to Move a Piano Yourself   
	How Pianos are Moved   
	Moving a Piano Around a Room   
	Hiring a Piano Mover for a Local Move   
	Interstate, Long-Distance, and Household Moves   
	International Moving   
	Storage   
	The Effects of Moving and Storage   
   
CHAPTER 7: A Beginner's Guide to Piano Care   
	Tuning   
		What Is Tuning?   
		Why Do Pianos Go Out of Tune?   
		How Often and When Should I Have My Piano Tuned?   
	Humidity and Pianos   
		Relative Humidity   
		Where to Place the Piano   
		Temperature   
		Humidifiers and Climate Control Systems   
	Other Kinds of Piano Service   
		Cleaning and Polishing
		Action Regulating   
		Voicing
	Room Acoustics
	The Piano Technician
	The Long-Range Outlook
	Additional Resources
		Quiet Keys
		The Stanwood Precision TouchDesign System
		Magnetic Balanced Action
		Reduced Size Keyboard for Small Hands
		Mail-Order Sources For Piano Accessories
		Piano & Keyboard Magazine   
	     
Glossary/Index   

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