{"id":3883,"date":"2020-10-17T13:43:56","date_gmt":"2020-10-17T13:43:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pianoadoption.com\/free-pianos\/?page_id=3883"},"modified":"2025-12-28T17:30:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T22:30:54","slug":"frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pianoadoption.com\/free-pianos\/frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"Many of the following series of questions were asked of Larry Fine; author of ‘The Piano Book\u2019. He has been credited on every question he helped answer.\r\n\r\nPiano Adoption.com highly recommends ‘The Piano Book\u2019 to anyone planning to own a piano.\r\n\r\nTo learn more about Larry Fine & The Piano Book click here!<\/a>\r\n\r\n \r\n

FAQ About Pianos<\/h3>\r\n
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If a piano technician says a piano is not tunable, does that mean the piano should be disposed of? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Not necessarily. It depends on why the piano is not tunable, how much it would cost to fix it, and how much the piano is worth. Sometimes the tuning pins can be tightened at minimal expense. In other cases, the piano needs to be restrung with larger tuning pins, or the pinblock needs to be replaced, possibly costing thousands of dollars. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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If the soundboard is cracked, does that mean the piano is junk? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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No. Soundboards have a tendency to dry out, shrink, and crack as they age, especially in environments that have pronounced seasonal variations in humidity. The shrinkage results in a loss of crown, or curvature, from the soundboard, which can be detrimental to the tone. But the cracks themselves are usually harmless unless they are accompanied by buzzing sounds or other problems. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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What is the soundboard? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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The soundboard is a large, thin sheet of wood, usually quarter-sawn spruce, that turns the vibrations of the strings into sound that we can hear by amplifying the vibrations and broadcasting them through the air. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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What does it cost to tune a piano? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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It varies a lot by locale and by the experience and reputation of the technician, but seems to be somewhere between $100 and $200 in most cases. Note that this is just for basic tuning, not including any repairs or adjustments that may also be needed. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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When do I need to tune my piano & how often should it be tuned? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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It depends on the sensitivity of your instrument to humidity changes, the use it gets, the variability of your climate, on your own sensitivity to out-of-tuneness, and on your budget. Most people find that one to three times per year is about right. Those who play several hours a day or use the piano for professional purposes may want to have it tuned more often. Concert pianos are usually tuned, or the tuning touched up, before every performance. It\u2019s best not to have the piano tuned until climate changes (such as turning the heat on or off in the house) have occurred plus another couple of weeks for the piano to acclimate. Otherwise, the careful tuning you paid for may be quickly undone. However, throughout much of the central and northern United States, this situation is difficult or impossible to avoid entirely, as the indoor humidity changes are extreme and nearly constant. Controlling the humidity in the house or near the piano can help a lot in this regard. That can be done with whole-house humidification, a room humidifier, or a climate control system installed in the piano by a technician. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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What does RPT stand for? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Registered Piano Technician, a membership category of the Piano Technicians Guild. A person with RPT after his or her name has passed a series of examinations that test for basic (not necessarily advanced) competency in piano tuning and technical work, and in a general understanding of piano technology. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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FAQ\u2019s for those who wish to donate their piano<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
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Does Piano Adoption.com provide receipts of donation for tax deductions? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Because we don’t actually accept the piano donation ourselves we are unable to provide a receipt. This would need to be obtained from the person or organization that received your donated piano.<\/div>\r\n
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Does Piano Adoption allow organs to be listed on the website <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Yes we do allow organs on our site.<\/div>\r\n
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What types of pianos are accepted on this website? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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We accept all pianos! If you have a strange case we would recommend listing the piano anyway. If there are any issues we will contact you.<\/div>\r\n
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I want to give away my piano on Piano Adoption but I want to insure I am not giving away a piano that is junk, what should I do? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Then you should have the piano inspected by a piano technician before offering it to others. The technician can advise you as to the condition of the piano and for whom it might be appropriate. You can pass that information along to prospective takers. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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If my piano is \u2018junk\u2019, what should I do with it? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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First determine if it might be appropriate for a piano restorer or a beginning technician who needs a piano on which to practice repairs. If not, and it really needs to be discarded, then call piano movers or contractors who clean out basements, attics, and the like, and get estimates of how much it would cost to remove the piano and take it to the dump or landfill. Note that in addition to the cost of hauling the piano away, the landfill may also charge a fee based on weight or volume. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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How do I cancel my listing? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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To cancel your listing simply login to your account. All account functions are in your account when logged in to the website.<\/div>\r\n
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FAQ\u2019s for those who wish to receive a free piano<\/h3>\r\n
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What do I do if the person giving away their piano didn’t include the correct contact information in their listing? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Unfortunately there isn’t anything we can do if the person giving away their piano didn’t include the correct contact information when listing their piano. Best advice is check back daily and “refresh” your browser to see any recent changes to their listing.<\/div>\r\n
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How Could Someone Scam Me with a “Free” Piano?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Scammers will always find a way to take advantage of people. Using a free piano as bait to draw someone in. Maybe the scammer offers to pay half the moving, then asks you to pay them half of the cost. Seems legit, right? As a rule of thumb…\u00a0 is the piano is too good to be free then it probably is. No one gives away a $10,000 piano. On the other hand, you also have to watch out for the ones that are not so obvious, like an ID Verified listing, for example. Yes, it is possible a scammer is using a stolen credit card, and yes this has happened in the past! Your best bet is to ALWAYS hire your own piano movers<\/a>, and piano technicians<\/a> yourself! NEVER give money to someone offering something for free, EVER!!!<\/div>\r\n
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Why would anyone give their piano away? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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I\u2019m really not sure, but I suppose one might give away a piano that is no longer needed if it has minimal monetary value, or as a philanthropic act. If the piano is not worth much because it needs a lot of work, and the owner doesn\u2019t want to spend the money to have the work done, the owner might feel that the only way to get rid of the piano is to give it away \u2013 and let the new owner pay for the moving and the repair. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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Can all pianos be saved from the landfill? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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No. Some are too far gone to be worth saving. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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Am I better off to buy a cheap piano instead of getting one for free? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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It depends on your needs and on the relative merits of the new and old pianos you are considering. There aren\u2019t any generalizations that can be made. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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Would it be out of line to ask that a piano technician go check out the piano even though the piano is free? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Not only is it not out of line, it is imperative that you do so. \u201cFree\u201d pianos are not really free. You have to pay to move them, to tune and repair them, and if they don\u2019t work out, possibly to have them taken to the dump. They can be a great deal . . . or they can turn out to be very expensive. You can avoid much trouble and unpleasant surprises by having the piano professionally inspected before agreeing to take it. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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Would it be out of line to ask to contact the technician who has been servicing the piano and ask questions about the piano\u2019s condition & service history? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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That\u2019s a great idea. Just be aware that it\u2019s possible the technician may feel some kind of loyalty to the current owner and may not want to tell you the complete truth. Nevertheless, the technician is not likely to out-and-out lie to you, especially if you let him or her know you will be calling them to service the piano in the future! Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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If I do not have the time or <\/span>m<\/span>oney to have a piano checked out by a piano technician. Are there any quick and simple things I could check on the piano to minimize the risk of getting a piano that is junk? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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You probably shouldn\u2019t take the piano until you have the time and money to do it right, and there aren\u2019t many quick and simple things to look for. However, here are a few: A water line inside the bottom of a vertical piano (the piano was in a flood); sawdust under a piano (termites); numerous rusty or broken strings, or many new, replaced strings amid broken and missing ones (a string-breakage problem); heavy rust in general; many notes that don\u2019t play (action worn out, parts breaking, glue joints coming apart); piano is so far out of tune that individual notes each sound like several notes are playing at once (piano may be untunable). Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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If the piano I am getting \u2018needs work\u2019 & I invest the money into the piano, shouldn\u2019t I be able to recoup the money if I sell the piano? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Unfortunately, it is not always so. It depends on the nature and cost of the work and on the value of the piano. The question to ask is whether the work to be done increases the value of the piano, and if so, by how much. Basic maintenance work like tuning and action regulation will not usually increase the value of the piano, whereas major work like restringing or replacing the soundboard will. (Of course, you should have the basic maintenance work done anyway or else the piano may be unpleasant to play and may deteriorate.) You should also ask about the value of a new piano of the same brand or of a brand similar in quality, stature, or reputation. That\u2019s because the value of a used piano will generally be tied to, and limited by, the cost of a comparable new one. You will usually recoup the cost of any good work you do on a piano like a Steinway because of its high value (both new and used), but for many other brands, your ability to recoup your expenses will be limited. That\u2019s one reason why, except for sentimental or historical reasons, most older pianos are not completely restored. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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If I can play the piano & it sounds ok, just out of tune, is that enough to say it is a decent piano for free? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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No. Pianos can have serious problems that are not obvious just from playing. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n
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I am just looking for a piano for my kids to play with, should I be concerned about the condition & tuning and everything? <\/span><\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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If you would like your kids to develop a good musical ear and not get frustrated by notes that don\u2019t work or sound right, then you should be concerned with the condition of the piano. It\u2019s possible to be concerned without being overly fussy. Larry Fine<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n