So you have a piano that you would like to fix? Wait let’s be a little more specific here, so you have a organ/digital/electric piano or keyboard (not an acoustic mechanical piano) that you have had for a very long time or just recently bought 2nd hand and something is wrong with it. The sound is not working, some keys do not sound, clunky key action, some keys are broken, the piano is out of tune (electronic pianos can’t get tuned there is something wrong with it), the LCD screen has stopped functioning or it’s not turning on? What should you do?
So the great news is there are electronic technicians that are very good and knowledgeable, can offer advise, often come out to you or you can take it to their repair centre, a technician may charge an inspection fee. You can also contact Piano City first and we may be able to advise you on the issue or what you should do. As much as you would like your piano to work again or even hope you could get a 2nd hand piano repaired, you should contact an electrical technician for a quotation and advice first and hopefully they may have the answer you need and it is an easy repair. Although sometimes it may not be worth the hassle for the repair as parts may not be available and the value of the piano/keyboard may be worth less than the cost of the repair, and sometimes when you see signs of problems there may be deeper problems or more problems may arise in future.
If you are looking to purchase a 2nd hand digital piano or keyboard make sure there is nothing wrong with it at all, just stop think maybe the cost to repair is too high, don’t make the purchase if it will require you to service of fix it, the seller should get it repaired prior to sale as you just don’t know how much the repair will cost.
Buying new can give you that peace of mind with warranty provided from the suppliers. On a side note a 2nd hand Digital piano/keyboard that is not too old and still has current warranty, warrantees are usually non transferrable and you will have to research the brand first to see if you can still claim that warranty if there was an issue with the 2nd hand product you bought.
Here are a few of pointers we advise when not to get a piano repaired:
- A digital piano/keyboard parts availability is up to ten years at most, ten years from when the brand had discontinued the product, so if the product age is past this 10 year point, it may be hard to get repaired due to unavailable parts. (keep this point in mind when you also are looking to purchase 2nd hand and find out how old the piano you are purchasing is, not the age of the piano, but how long ago was it discontinued in production and to do that you will need to find out when the NEW next in line model was first introduced to the market.)
- Some piano/keyboards are un-repairable mainly due to unavailable parts.
- Don’t get a piano fixed for more than what it’s worth on the second hand market. There may be a chance you fix it then another problem happens. Contact a technician they can offer advise or even a quote.
- Your piano has been effected with liquid damage, sometimes the liquid may have gone further than you think, you can still get an inspection done by a local technician. (there is usually an inspection fee)
- The piano is very old and not worth anything on the market.
Here are a few of pointers we advise when to get a piano digital repaired:
- The model is still current but it has just gone out of warranty unfortunately you will have to pay the repair, but may still be worth the repair as it will be cheaper than buying a new one.
- The cost is not to expensive to repair and you are happy to do it, for this you will need to contact a local electronic technician, preferably an authorised technician of the branded piano you currently own, because they can organise the correct parts and proper service for your piano. Please contact your local Piano City store for advise on an electronic technician near you for your digital piano/keyboard repair.
- Your digital piano/keyboard is not turning on? This is a power related problem, some pianos have an external power supply that could be faulty, you can purchase this as a part and then your piano will work again, but please contact us in regard to this so we can advise you on the right part or even free testing in out store but you will have to bring your piano/keyboard in. An external power supply will look like a small box with power cable attached to it, if the external power is only a cable connecting to the wall, no black box, then the power supply is internal and you will need to contact a technician for advise on the repair.
- You have an older organ, electone, a type of piano that is irreplaceable and you really need it fixed, although some older electric pianos you can not get the parts for still and you may have to make a decision to let it go.
Can you repair a piano yourself or should you ask the technician to repair it?
We all understand that if you ask a technician there will be money involved for the repair and sometimes a little DIY can solve the issue if you manage to research how to fix the problem. If you are trying to DIY the repair, maybe you watched a repair video or read up on the issue of the piano to attempt to repair the piano yourself. It is your choice in this matter and you may be good at this type of thing or you may cause more damage. Though you could possibly repair your piano, when it comes to new parts that you may require to fix it, you will still need to contact an electronic technician for these parts and they may not be able to supply them to you or choose not to. We at Piano City also can not acquire these electronic parts, new keys or components for you so it may be hard to do a repair yourself if you do require new parts. It is still best to contact your local technician.
So when looking into repairs keep these points in mind, and way up should you repair or just buy a new piano. If you are thinking to buy the 2nd hand piano/keyboard that has no issues and still may be a current model within the 10 year period we explained earlier, then you can make that decision, we understand a 2nd hand piano/keyboard can be a lot cheaper than new, we just advise that you do your research on the product you are buying and make sure it has the key features you need. Buying a new piano has many benefits, and may be just the features and peace of mind you need to think about before you make your final decision or if you received a quote from the electronic technician and realised it’s either unrepairable or too expensive to repair.
Buy a new Digital Piano/keyboard Benefits:
- The technology has improved and is always getting better in reproducing a real acoustic piano.
- Piano action realism (digital piano only)
- Smaller body light to carry, battery operation (some models only)
- Sensor technology
- Sound reproducing – from sample sound to software generated sound
- Sound speaker system clarity in speakers more realistic piano sound
- Sympathetic Resonance
- Bluetooth/USB connectivity – allowing you to connect to an tablet/phone device, download apps that can teach you to play or record/compose your own music.
- Peace of Mind buying new from an authorised dealer will provide a warranty with any new piano, Digital pianos come with up to 5 years warranty, some specific Roland models even offer 10 years warranty.
- Support from Piano City and the brand of the manufacturer on how to use your product.
- Looks brand new, no scratches and everything functioning as it should.
I hope this blog post has helped you and has given you some thought on repairs and to be weary when purchasing from the 2nd hand market. We at Piano City get questioned and asked a lot for repairs of a piano. Many people get repairs done, and technicians are very good in what they do, they even warrant their services (please ask the technician on this to make sure). You are the person to make the final decision on how a repair will benefit you or not. Our points are just advise we have for you when you are thinking about it and trying to make a decision. Come in to one of our stores before you make any decision, it may be well worth to come see the new pianos at one of our stores and have a look at what’s on offer today, understand how far pianos have come, our staff will be happy to demonstrate for you, this may also help before deciding to purchase 2nd hand or to repair or not to repair.