1. Age of piano. If it has or has had candlesticks/fretwork or is over 50 yrs old, the chances are it will need much more than just a tuning.  I have seen several ebay purchases and most have been past their prime and not worth restoring.

2. For 'suit beginner' read, 'it's so clapped out and frustrating to play my own kids gave up'.  Be cautious about 'reconditioned'.  This can mean anything from the dust blown off to thousands of pounds spent on a proper job.

3. 'Overstrung/ cross strung'  - means the bass strings cross over the higher note strings.  O/S  is better/more modern than straight strung because (in theory) you can get a longer string in the same amount of space and therefore better tone.

4. 'Underdamper'  On upright pianos, looking into the top reveals whether the piano is 'overdamper' or underdamper.  The dampers are the felt pads that lift off the strings and cut the sound after you play a note.  When you look in at the top an older piano, the less efficient design will have a bar of wood above the hammers (which strike the strings). On a more modern upright the hammers are clearly visible.

5. Wood frame = ancient.   Iron frame = essential.

6. Grand pianos.  'Baby grands' often have a worse tone than a good size upright.

7. Avoid Lindner,Topic or Cameo -failed experiments in piano making.

8. Good acoustic pianos hold their value unlike anything electronic.  By investing more than you really want to in a new/er one, you will probably get a decent amount back if you need to sell.


More comprehensive information can be found if you google the Pianoforte Tuners Association