The Best of Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer

A piano is one of the most expensive consumer purchases many people will ever make. Yet when you shop for a piano, you’ll find that honest, unbiased information about price, quality, features—even country of origin—is mysteriously scarce.

For over 30 years, author, editor, and piano technician Larry Fine has guided piano buyers through the maze of competing claims, strange terminology, and myriad possibilities presented by the piano market—first with the publication, in 1987, of The Piano Book: Buying & Owning a New or Used Piano, and, since 2009, with the twice-yearly magazine, Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer, at www.pianobuyer.com.

The Best of Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer is a collection of the most useful articles we’ve published in the past nine years on buying a new, used, or restored piano or digital piano.

Included in this volume are more than 30 articles on:

• Buying a New Piano
• Buying a Used or Restored Piano
• Buying a High-End Piano
• Buying Pianos for an Institution or Concert Hall
• Caring for a Piano
• Restoring, Selling, or Donating a Piano
• Buying an Electronic Player-Piano System
• Buying a Digital Piano
• Hybrid and Software Pianos
• Piano Benches, Lamps, and Accessories
• Moving a Piano
• How to Acoustically Optimize a Room for a Piano

Plus—Descriptions of More Than 80 Brands of Acoustic, Digital, and Electronic Player Piano

"This exhaustive resource, uniting the work of so many people dedicated to the art of the piano, is an invaluable tool. By simply reading it, one has already moved further down the path to becoming a better pianist." —Frederic Chiu, concert pianist and Yamaha Artist

"... a staggering range of pertinent and valuable topics... you will learn about the piano market in a way that you couldn't do anywhere else. Required reading for anyone buying or owning a piano." —Mario Igrec, RPT MMus, Chief Piano Technician, The Juilliard School, and author, Pianos Inside Out

"A highly informative and practical resource for anyone interested in the world of pianos." —Brian Chung, Senior Vice President, Shigeru Kawai Piano Company

"Larry Fine’s new book, The Best of Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer, is a treasure trove of useful information about buying, maintaining, and eventually disposing of nearly any kind of piano. It is truly the indispensable guide to all things piano." —Steve Brady, RPT, author, Under the Lid: The Art and Craft of the Concert Piano Technician

"An incredibly valuable resource—whether you’re a novice just figuring out how to buy a piano, or a seasoned professional requiring specific information." —Robert Estrin, LivingPianos.com

"Absolutely filled with piano information—from buying to caring for one, rebuilding vs. purchasing new, acoustic vs. digital—plus ratings and profiles for every brand. Great, informative articles by veteran keyboard technicians." —David Betts, RPT, Department Head, Piano Technology, North Bennet Street School

"This book brings together some of the best articles that have appeared in Piano Buyer magazine. I’ve been in this business for more than five decades, and I’ve learned something from all of these authors; you will too." —Delwin D. Fandrich, RPT, Piano Design & Manufacturing Consultant; former Director of Research & Development, Baldwin Piano & Organ Co.

Half-page article about book, with photo of book cover, to trade subscribers of The Music Trades. —The Music Trades magazine

Larry Fine is the author of The Piano Book, and Editor of Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer magazine, for more than 30 years the standard consumer references in the piano business. A Registered Piano Technician, Fine has been involved in the piano industry for more than 40 years. He lives in San Diego, California.