How important are piano warranties when it comes to buying a piano? Is it safe to just assume you’ll be covered if you have a problem? Artisans have been building pianos since the 18th Century and – with every new design – comes improvements in stability, tone and quality. There have been countless developments over the years and you never hear about a piano “falling apart,” so why should you care about the piano’s warranty?
The wood around these bushings would change shape with changes in temperature and humidity. The Teflon bushings would not. This created unwanted action noise and maintenance problems over time.
Though it’s true that piano designs have become more refined, more reliable and more powerful over the years, not all manufacturing developments have turned out to be improvements. Some have actually caused significant problems for piano owners in the long term. An excellent example of this is Steinway’s decision to incorporate a synthetic polymer called “Teflon” into their piano actions. You might be familiar with Teflon if you’ve purchased cooking pans with a non-stick coating. The plastic “non-stick” coating on those pans is called Teflon. Steinway thought it would allow for smoother action movement and better overall durability. In practice, however, the Teflon bushings became brittle over time and had to be replaced with traditional bushings at great cost to Steinway piano owners. This infamous story is now one of the great cautionary tales in The Piano Business.
Of course, this is just one example. Here are some other surprisingly common problems that make modern piano owners glad they have a warranty protecting them:
- Major Tuning Instability – All new pianos need some time before they settle in and begin to hold their tuning. A piano needs to acclimate to its new environment, but – after a year or two – it should settle into a bi-annual routine (Learn more about a piano’s tuning needs in this blog.) However, if a seasoned piano falls out of tune immediately after – or within a few weeks of – tuning, then you either have some major environmental problems that need to be addressed or your piano has a tuning stability problem. (Read this blog to discover what causes a piano to go out of tune.) If the later is the case, you definitely have a warranty issue.
- Deterioration of Soundboard and Bridges – Soundboard cracks are more common than you might think and they often happen when the piano’s environment is less than ideal (too hot, too dry or both). Most of the time, these cracks aren’t a big deal. However, if your technician starts to see major cracks – especially if those cracks make noise when you play the piano – you might have a warranty issue. Additionally, bridge cracks or loosening bridge pins, could also be covered under your piano’s warranty.
- Rim Delamination – This is an rare, but catastrophic problem most commonly found in entry-level, mass-produced pianos. …but this is definitely a warranty issue.
- Excessive String Breakage – In the first 10 years of a piano’s life, it’s common to break a string every now and then, but if several strings break in a short period of time – especially if you see more than two break at the same time – you might have a warranty problem.
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Here you can see a defect in Steinway’s tubular brass action rail. The crack runs along several inches of the rail. This could cause action alignment and longevity problems.
Design Defects – Occasionally, piano builders experiment with new materials (like Teflon) or new designs and those new materials cause problems over time. These are considered “defects in materials” and will be covered under the piano’s warranty.
- Construction Failures – This is also very rare – especially on mid-range or high-end pianos – but performance failures caused by poor construction techniques or bad workmanship are also covered under a piano’s warranty.
Keep in mind that a piano has over 12,000 parts, and about 7000 of them are moving parts so, there is always a chance – no matter how prominent the brand name – that your piano could have (or develop) a warranty issue. That is why we feel it’s very important to buy a piano with a warranty.
How Long Should The Warranty Be?
Most modern piano builders, including Yamaha, Bosendorfer, Baldwin and many more give 10-year parts and labor warranties with their pianos. This just shows how confident they are in their build quality and materials.
Oddly enough, however, some prominent brands – like Steinway & Sons – only offer a 5-year warranty on their pianos. The best way I’ve found to explain this, without denigrating Steinway pianos, is that Steinway views their pianos’ warranties as “courtesy” features rather than necessary components of a fine piano purchase. Some Steinway dealers have even called focusing on a piano’s 10-year warranty “selling the sizzle instead of the steak,” but – considering the large investment required to own a Steinway piano – I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Steinway buyers to demand the same warranty protection nearly every other high-quality piano brand offers their customers. I do find it interesting that Steinway’s two OEM brands, Boston (made by Kawai) and Essex (made by Pearl River), each carry a Ten Year Warranty. It’s alarming that Steinway would want (or need?) to limit their liability in this way.
How Do I Get Warranty Service?
If your piano is an established brand with factory distribution offices in the United States (such as Yamaha, Bösendorfer, Steinway, Kawai, etc.), then all you have to do is contact the dealership from which you purchased your piano and they will work with the factory distribution office to address your warranty issues.
If, however, the manufacturer that built your piano does NOT have a US office (Pearl River, Schimmel, Grotrian, Steingraeber, Petrof, Sauter, Hailun, and many others), they will rely on independent distributors to service your warranty claim. These distributors have full control over which warranty claims they will honor and which ones they don’t. Depending on the distributor, getting warranty service for these brands may be more challenging.
This is one of the reasons why I always recommend purchasing a piano from an established name brand. This is the only way to ensure that you’ll get the service and support you deserve. I also recommend taking some time to research piano dealers before making your purchase. They, too, can affect your after-the-sale experience. Check their reviews. Read up on their history. Make sure you select a piano dealer that will take care of you before, during and after the sale. Good dealers and established piano manufacturers have a vested interest in protecting their reputation – and that means giving good service to their clients!
What About Digital Piano Warranties?
Digital piano repairs should be made by factory-authorized repair technicians. They can be rare so – before you buy – make sure a local technician can service your digital piano.
When you buy a new digital piano, it will come with some kind of manufacturer’s warranty. Depending on the manufacturer and the quality level of their instruments, the warranty can vary quite a bit. Some warranties include parts and labor, but only if you take the piano to an authorized service center. Some warranties include In-Home Service. Some only offer 1-3 years coverage. Some can go as high as 10-years! Some won’t cover schools or churches. Some cover everything. Some require you to jump through a ton of “hoops” and wait for the factory to respond. With digital pianos, it’s very much a “Wild West” mentality when it comes to warranties. When selecting a digital piano, keep in mind that the price you are paying may be lower than another, more familiar, brand, but you might be sacrificing critical after-the-sale protections that will cost you a lot of money in the long-run. Make sure your digital piano comes with a decent, multi-year warranty that can be serviced locally – either by the company from which you purchased the piano – or by a trained technician that will come to your home. Here are some example digital piano warranties I have come across:
- Roland HP/LX/GP Models: Ten Years Parts and Labor; In-Home Service
- Yamaha Clavinova Models: Five Years Parts and Labor; In-Home Service
- Kawai CN, CA, CS, CP, NV Models: Five Years Parts and Labor; In-Home Service if there is a tech in the area. If not, you will need to ship it to Kawai at your expense.
- Korg: 1-5 years depending on model and if you register the product within 90 days.
- Dynatone: Three Years Parts and Labor
- Suzuki: One Year Parts and Labor
- Donner: One Year Parts and Labor
- Williams: One Year Parts and Labor if you contact Williams directly.
In some cases when the technician cannot get the parts needed to repair your digital piano, the manufacturer will offer to send a replacement if you are willing to pay for shipping. The replacement could be a “refurbished” model or one that was sold and returned for some reason.
What About Used Pianos Warranties?
When you buy a used piano from another family, friend, church or school, there is no warranty because manufacturers’ warranties cannot be transferred from the original owner to the second-hand owner. Even some used piano dealerships – especially those far away from you – will refuse to cover all or part of a warranty claim after the sale. With most used pianos, it is up to the seller as to whether they will warrant the used piano or not. My advice is that you buy your piano (new, used, digital, hybrid or player) from a very reputable and long-serving piano retailer with a guaranteed warranty policy in writing. The last thing any used piano buyer wants is to discover the piano store (s)he bought from won’t cover the repair as promised or has closed and left him or her with no warranty coverage at all.
Should I Pay Extra for Piano Warranties?
Companies like Guitar Center offer extended warranties that cover a bit more than the manufacturer does, but at unbelievable prices. Notice they never mention the (included) manufacturer’s 10-year warranty.
When buying a new piano, digital piano, hybrid or player, the manufacturer will always include some kind of warranty. There is never any need to pay extra for an in-house warranty. If a dealer asks you to pay extra for warranty coverage, beware! This means you will have significant after-the-sale trouble if you don’t pay their convenience fee. …and that’s really what an in-house warranty is: a convenience. You are entitled to warranty coverage at no extra charge. Don’t fall for that old scam! Companies like Guitar Center are famous for this. They offer an optional “Pro Coverage” that covers “drops, spills or cracks” for an astronomical fee, but they never mention the manufacturer’s 10-year parts and labor in-home warranty. I am not sure how you can drop or crack a piano – and I think we all know to keep liquids away, but I am pretty sure that paying $570 for something you already get for free is a complete scam. In this case, they don’t even stock the piano in any of their 300+ stores… so buying a piano from a guitar store may not be the best idea anyway. Read this blog for more information.
Piano warranties aren’t just about peace of mind. They indicate the quality, care and service you can expect from a piano manufacturer or piano dealer. It’s one of many clues you can use to determine who will take care of you and your family the way you deserve. Don’t just assume you’ll get coverage with any instrument you purchase. Find out what “hoops” (if any) you have to jump through to get help when you need it. Make sure the people you’re doing business with are honest, stable and reputable. Get the best value – not always the lowest price – and you’ll enjoy decades of happy music making!
