FAQS

The golden era for traditional European-made pianos is deemed to be between 1900 to 1940 and includes prestigious brands such as Steinway & Sons, Bechstein, Blüthner and Bösendorfer. For Japanese-made Yamaha and Kawai pianos, this era falls between 1965 to 1995. Pianos manufactured during the Golden Era are special due to the focus on skilled labour and quality materials, such as steel, brass, chrome and solid timbers. Pianos built during this time were essentially built to last forever. As mass production of pianos became prevalent after 1995, quantity rather than quality of product became the focus, machines overtook skilled labour and inferior, bulk-produced materials, such as chipboard, aluminium, carbon fibre and plastics, began to replace traditional materials.

We accept payment by bank transfer, credit/debit card or cash. Please note that card payments for amounts over $1,000 incur a 1% surcharge.

We do not provide long-term instalment plans or finance for piano purchases. However, we can take an initial deposit followed by 2 or 3 progress payments, provided that the balance is paid in full before the piano leaves our store for delivery to you.

As pianos are high-value items, we do not offer returns for change of mind purchases. If you encounter any issues with your purchase, please contact us immediately and we will work with you to find a suitable solution. Should a return or exchange of piano be deemed necessary by us, you will be responsible for any associated freight costs. In the case of a return, the original purchase price less freight costs will be refunded to you.

We prefer to give personal service to our customers, so we do take online orders. If you see a piano on our website that you wish to purchase, please contact us via text, chat or email with your name, contact phone no. and the piano you would like. We will promptly call you to confirm the purchase details, arrange payment, and schedule delivery.

Buying a cheap piano on sites like Gumtree or eBay is no different from buying a cheap car. Out of 10 pianos listed, 8 will be junk, 1 will be worth the money and 1 will be a bargain! However, to find that bargain, you need to: a) know what you are looking for in the first place; and b) beat everyone else to it! Part of our business is moving pianos for customers and often, we are moving pianos that customers have purchased through Gumtree or Ebay. We see a lot of pianos in poor condition where people have overpaid, then paid for transport, then paid for tuning and still have a piano that isn’t that great. If you are thinking of buying a piano privately, please call us first. We would rather offer you some free advice over the phone than turn up on the day to move or tune a potentially faulty piano. We sell a range of refurbished pianos that come with a warranty, delivery, tuning and stool. Click the button below to view our pianos for sale.

Yes we do! We stock a beautiful selection of premium European pianos from renowned piano manufacturers, Pleyel, C. Bechstein, and W. Hoffmann (by C. Bechstein). Click the buttons below to learn more about these brands and their pianos.

Our secondhand pianos generally range from $2,495 – $9,995 and come with free delivery, tuning, bench and warranty. All are refurbished or restored by us in our specialist piano workshops and regulated and tuned. If purchasing a secondhand piano privately, the price varies greatly from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. In addition, you generally need to allow another $700-$1,000 to transport, tune and service the piano. Beware of cheap pianos if buying privately. It’s the old saying – you get what you pay for! Click the button below to see our Pianos for sale.

As pianos are high-value items, we do not offer returns for change of mind purchases. Please contact us immediately if you encounter any issues with your purchase and we will work with you to find a suitable solution. Should a return or exchange of piano be deemed necessary by us, you will be responsible for any associated freight costs. In the case of a return, the original purchase price less delivery costs will be refunded to you.

If you wish to make an enquiry about selling your piano to us, please text or email some photos of your piano, together with your asking price and your contact details. This will help us to better respond to your enquiry. Photos should include one showing the whole exterior of the piano, one showing the front and keyboard, and one looking at the inside playing mechanism from the top. If there is a serial number inside, a photo of that will also be helpful. Please send to Mob: 0408221272; Email: joe@leaverandson.com.au

Generally, a piano should be tuned every 12 to 18 months. If the piano is being played daily or for extended periods, then more frequent tuning may be required. However, even if the piano is not played regularly, we still recommend that the tuning be left no longer than 2 years. The reason for this is that in most cases, weather variations and differences in humidity can affect the tuning stability of the piano. With Australia's widely fluctuating temperatures, the tuning can drop even if the piano is not being regularly played. If a piano is left for many years without being tuned, the pitch will eventually drop to a point where it either cannot be tuned or needs several tunings to correct.

We have three options in our piano tuning and repair services offering different levels of repair work as part of the service. A few broken string, sticking notes and other common repairs can generally be carried out in your home with one of our longer services. When making a booking, it is good to let us know I there are any problems with how the piano plays, so that we can determine which service might be the best option for you. Our technicians generally assess the piano's condition when they first arrive and will discuss options if they find extra work is required. If major repair work to the piano action (playing mechanism) is necessary, we can generally remove the action and bring it to our workshop for repair. Removal of the entire piano is not often required, unless there are exterior issues that need to be repaired. Please click the button below to see our tuning & repair services.

Most piano tuners say 'No', we say 'Absolutely Yes'! And we have the skills and experience to fix it! Unlike new pianos, which often have plastic components that clip together, older style pianos are made almost entirely from wooden components that are screwed into place. This is a distinct advantage for 2 reasons; the first being that if anything breaks, we can physically remove it, glue it together, screw it together or make another part from scratch. The second reason is that we have a stockpile of over 10,000 spare parts in our piano restoration workshop. We have spent years disassembling old pianos for spare parts. We have found that due to South Australia's harsh summer weather, the plastic components in new pianos often becomes brittle and simply break over time. Older style pianos don't have this issue.

Each restoration job is unique, so must be individually quoted. Aside from our own stock, we restore approximately 15-25 pianos each year for customers across Australia. As a general guide, restoration of the interior workings can typically fall between $1,500 – $5,000. Exterior restoration, eg, French polishing the woodwork, in addition to the interior restoration will usually fall between $4,000 – $8,000. Pianos that need a complete restoration including interior, exterior and structural including re-stringing, will generally be upwards of $8,000.

The first step is to take some photos of your piano, outside and inside (if possible). Send the photos through to us with your name, location, contact details and what you would like to have done. We will have a look and then contact you to discuss the options available to you and associated costs. Once you have decided exactly what you need, we will provide an accurate quote to complete the work. Photos and information can be sent to Joe at joe@leaverandson.com.au or 0408221272.

The length of time needed to restore a piano will depend on the work required and the availability of parts and materials. Generally a piano restoration can take between 2 weeks to 3 months to complete. We will keep you updated throughout the process.

We offer a professional and insured freight service for transport of pianos to and from our workshop for restoration. Freight costs generally ranges from $400-$700 each way, locally. Interstate transport is quoted on a case by case basis.