Summary

• Bechstein Model V Grand Piano for Sale
• Made in 1900
• Casework is fair – dents/dings/scratches etc
• Cheap Bechstein grand in fully working condition

Details

Comments:

Despite being in only fair physical condition this Bechstein grand piano has good musical qualities. The case has many dents and significant scratches. Small parts of veneer are lifting in places. The ivory keys are mostly in very good condition with only 2 or 3 suffering minor damage. However, the entire set of ivory keys appears to have been made up of slightly non-matching ivory keytops at some point in the past. Also, some have not been put on straight and so despite this piano being in good musical condition I would suggest that the next owner should consider having a new set of keytops installed – a full set of keytops can be had for only around £30 or so and then you would only need to pay the labour costs of a piano technician to install them.

I think this piano was probably restored about 20 or 30 years ago as the strings are in good condition and the blue felt is relatively good considering the age of the piano.

The lid prop (length of wood that props up the main, large lid of the piano) has a screw missing – this is obviously only a very minor issue but it’s always best to mention these things. The lyre also a has a bolt missing and this is a similarly minor issue. Some hinges have screws missing.

The soundboard seems to be in very good condition. The action feels nice apart from the aforementioned wonky keytops. Some old grand piano actions can be quite noisy. This one is relatively quiet which is a real plus point. Whatever minor noises that are present can be dealt with through some general action regulation that your local piano technician would be able to take care of. I would recommend that the action be regulated in order to ensure it is even and “tight” across the whole keyboard.

The piano still has its original legs and lyre. The legs seem structurally fine but have some cracks and scuffs to the decorative external pieces (see photos).

The tone of the piano is surprisingly good compared to its physical appearance. It has good resonance and a clear sound. The treble is clear and bright all the way to top and the bass is strong and warm like a high quality grand should be – not like a “thuddy” cheap baby grand.

There is absolutely no sign of any cracks in the metal plate in the 2 areas where cracks often occur with Bechstein grands of this period.

So overall this Bechstein grand piano is a musician’s instrument. Appearance is not its strength. Musical quality is it’s strength. Some action regulation, a good tuning and maybe some voicing should mean this piano will be a bargain for the right customer.

Please see below for photos and further comments.