We see a lot of second hand pianos on a weekly basis as we often part exchange customer's pianos when they purchase a new one, move old pianos from one house to another or take them away when they are beyond repair.

We have recently taken away an old piano for a customer who purchased a new upright piano and have some good examples of typical problems or pitfalls to look out for when considering buying a second hand piano.

Loose Pins

If you look at the picture to the left you can see dotted chalk marks above the tuning pins.  These are common indications that the piano has loose pins.  Tuners often leave these marks for future tunings and other tuners to warn them about the pins being loose.  This is definitely something to avoid if you are considering buying the piano as it will cause you nothing but problems in the future.  There are methods to try and fix or tame these problems but there is never a complete solution.

Sometimes you can knock the pins back in place to try and create more friction.  Other methods include using a product called 'Pin Tight' which effectively locks the pins into place, or using a larger tuning pin to fill up the now larger hole.

Another method sometimes used is wedging veneer into the hole to try and make the gap smaller and try and make the pin 'bite' against the veneer and stay in place (see image below - middle pins have veneer wedged in).  All these methods are temporary (bodge) solutions which at best will extend the life of the piano by a few months.

Split Soundboard

Another common problem with particularly older pianos are cracks or splits in the soundboard as show in the image below.  Splits can cause many problems.  They can cause the piano to vibrate and ake 'buzzing' noises when playing and they also deteriorate the quality of sound as what was originally one piece of wood resonating now has a split or crack in it!  Although cracks and splits can sometimes cause no problems at all it is alway wise to steer away from pianos with these problems when looking at buying a used piano.

Of course none of our second hand pianos have these problems.  We only source the best quality second hand pianos, and every used piano we sell has been through our workshop and always comes with a guarantee.  We don't want to have to come round your house to fix a problem (of course we will if we need to!) so only sell the best quality to ensure you will not run into these problems!

We're pleased to announce the arrival of another fantastic piano teacher called Vinny!  Vinny will be teaching piano in our Cobham shop on Saturdays.  If you are looking for piano lessons why not give Vinny a call on 07756 501046 or email him on vinnysmith51@live.co.uk to discuss your new lessons.

Being a performing musician, Vinny is a great pianist who is extremely versatile and teaches all styles of piano from classical to jazz and pop to rock.  He can teach little ones right through to 'not so little ones' and if you are looking to go through your piano exam grades he can help you study, or if you would prefer to play just for fun this is also an option.

Vinny is offering FREE PIANO TASTER Lessons to anyone who is interested so to book your first free piano lesson, call Vinny Smith on 07756 501046.

I am writing from a hotel room in Frankfurt, Germany to fill you in on the new range of grand pianos launched by Kawai pianos this week at the Music Messe show in Frankfurt. We mentioned the Kawai GX grand pianos back in January following thr NAMM show in California but could not confirm any details... Well after a lovely evening of food, drink and of course entertainment we can now confirm more details on the fantastic new GX range of grand pianos.

The GX range will replace the already ready fantastic Kawai RX range of grand pianos and models will be replaced subsequently, the RX1 will become GX1, the RX2 will become GX2, RX3 will be GX3 and so on.

The main features if this new range of grand pianos are:

• Thicker rim - the GX range of Kawai grand pianos features a much thicker rim than its predecessor meaning the piano has a fuller and more brilliant tone.
• Slightly improved cabinet design
• Most importantly is the touch - the GX grand pianos are the only pianos to have a key length similar to a concert grand... They have extended the length of the key overall, which means the pivot point of the key is further back allowing for much more dynamic control. 

Have you ever thought about trying your hand at DJ-ing?  Maybe you've got a birthday party coming up and you want something a little more than just your iPod on shuffle?!

Well look no further, the Numark Mixtrack Pro is your answer.  This clever piece of kit is all you need to get the party started and playing continuously until the last party popper has been pulled or last guest has passed out!

I've been a DJ for the last 13 years and up until about 3 years ago used CD's everywhere I went.  I'd turn up at the venue and have to cart hundreds of CDs in cases, wallets with big and heavy CD players in order to provide the entertainment.  That is, of course until I purchased one of these Mixtrack Pro little gadgets myself...  I was a little aprehensive at first, especially the thought of having to rely on a laptop for my whole night of entertainment but I have to say in the 3 years I have owned it, not once has it ever crashed on me and this little bad boy gets thrown in the car, stored in "not-ideal" conditions and has even been covered in many pints of beer (not my own I must add!).

I would happily recommend this product to almost anyone.  It is simple to use, it can play straight off your iTunes library, you can customise the software as much (or as little) as you like and it just works!

For all the budding bedroom DJ's and party throwers looking for something to show off with then this is also a great choice.  Here are just a few reasons why the Numark Mixtrack Pro is such a good device.

• The Mixtrack Pro controller comes complete with DJ software as part of the bundle - the software is easy to use and straightforward.
• You can monitor (listen to) the next track on headphones whilst the current track is playing
• You can automatically 'sync' the tracks together so the beats are the same, making a seamless mix between the songs
• Continuous play mode allows you to create your playlists and then leave it and it will automatically fade between songs
• The price is just £179

You've heard of a left handed drum kit and a left handed guitar?  Well now there's a left handed piano.  Kawai pianos, the specialist piano manufacturer renowned for its innovation and creative thinking have announced the launch of a brand new concept - the left-handed piano.  It's true that left handed people are generally stronger with their left hand than their right so it is more difficult when learning the piano when the majority of melodies and rhythms are played using the right hand.  After an extensive study and hours of research Kawai have found a solution to this problem.  They created a number of prototypes and invited left handed pianists to test the concept with a surprising amount of approval for the idea.

Many left handed pianists found that by effectively swapping the keyboard round so the bass notes run from right to left instead of left to right.  Bottom A is now at the far right of the keyboard with high C obviously being at the far left.  They have also reversed the pedals so the sustain pedal is on the left and soft pedal on the right - again because left handed people are also generally stronger in their left leg.

Due for release at the Frankfurt music show in 2 weeks time, Kawai have announced the new left handed piano will only intially be available as a K2 upright alternative in black polyester.  They hope to increase the range by the end of the year to the other upright models and there are even talks about developing the concept into their new range of GX grand pianos.  They will also release other cabinet finishes but initially it will just be black polish. 

We hope to take delivery of our first Kawai K2LH-MEP upright piano by the end of April.  For more information on this great concept call us on 01628 771400 or email sales@sheargold.com 

We have had lots of enquiries over the last few weeks from schools, colleges and other educational institutions with regards to buying a new piano, replacing their existing pianos or swapping their very tired digital pianos.  Pianos are fundamental in any classroom or music department whether it's for teaching theory, group singing or even piano lessons and recitals.  Many of the schools we supply also have grand pianos in their main hall or music department and the schools use the pianos during drama performances, concerts and recitals.  

How to fund the cost of your new school piano

We all know that school budgets are limited and sometimes it can seem almost impossible to think that you could replace your broken, tired old piano with a sparkly new one where all the notes work!  Well we have some great ideas to help raise the finances to get you there.

Sponsor a piano key

This scheme has been rather successful for many of the schools that we work with.  It is a very simple but effective scheme that breaks the cost of your new piano in bitesize chunks... Once you have decided on the piano(s) you would like to go for we take the cost of the piano and divide it into 88 (the number of notes on a piano).  The school then ask parents, teachers, local businesses and sponsors to donate and 'sponsor a key'.  

For example: You decide to buy a piano that costs £4,400. £4,400 divided by 88 is £50.  You would then ask for sponsors of £50.

There are many ways to promote this scheme.  The school can add the idea to the newsletter that is sent to parents asking them to help sponsor the piano and enhance their children's musical learning, you can approach local businesses that you may have worked with before in return for a mention or advert in your next concert.  We can also create you a donation page on our website where people can visit to track the progress of the scheme and even sponsor a key online.  

Once you have raised the balance we can arrange delivery and quite often it is great to hold a 'key signing ceremony' where you invite children, parents, teachers and sponsors to come and physically sign the key they have sponsored.  It is a great event that could finish with a performance on your new piano and is great at building community spirit.

Rent out your facility

Some of the schools we have supplied pianos to have sought the finance to purchase the piano with the agreement that they will raise the money afterwards.  For example the bursar will agree to lend you the money for the piano if you have created a 'business plan' where you can raise money through concerts and use the ticket money to pay back the 'loan'.  Many of the schools rent out their facilities outside of term time to amateur dramatics groups and local piano teachers looking to hold piano pupil concerts etc.  This is a good way of raising finances to fund the cost of the piano.

Spread the cost

We are very fortunate as one of the UK's largest piano dealers to be able to offer payment plans to help ease the financial burden of buying a new piano for educational purposes.  Depending on the piano and situation, here at Sheargolds we can sometimes offer the option of spreading the cost of your new piano over 12 months and sometimes more.  This makes it much easier to get the piano into your facility in the shortest timeframe so you can replace your 'broken' piano and carry on with your day to day tasks without the worry of whether the hammers will hold out on your old piano!  

If you are looking at purchasing a new piano, replacing your existing pianos or digital pianos or for more information on any of these schemes please call Steven Palmer on 01932 866577.

I am writing in response to an article posted on MI-Pro, a trade website, about music in schools dying and how it has changed.  It talks about how music in schools can be rather boring and how it needs to be more motivating and would like to invite parents, pupils and teachers to add your comments and feelings about this issue.  The full article is posted here.

Tim Slater mentions his days of school music lessons being quite boring learning about Beethoven and Benjamin Britten until one day his music teacher brought in his electric guitar and taught them about the different parts of the guitar whilst plugging it in and giving a rendition of David Bowie's Rebel Rebel.  That is his most memorable part of music lessons during school.  It's true that music in a lot of schools can be very tedious and it's understandable that the Government were talking of taking music off the syllabus as a compulsory subject but what do you expect when you are learning about classical composers, clapping rhythms to a pre-recorded educational lesson tape and singing random songs that you've never heard of!

I was very luck when it came to music lessons as my school has always been known for its music department, and particularly the music teacher.  The school was always known for the music department and its various bands, whether it be the concert band or jazz orchestra and played many concerts and events during my time there from Henley Regatta and Local Radio Events to Christmas Concerts in the local church and playing for the local charity fund raisers.  The other thing that proved the success of the department was the size of the bands themselves that were some 40+ strong members from Year 7 through to Year 12 and 13 sixth formers.

Where else in a school environment would you find such a mix of age groups and children of different backgrounds?  I think music is extremely important for developing social skills as well as personal skills.  Talking from experience, I was an extremely timid 12 year old Year 7 who was scared of just about anyone I didn't know!  I remember going to my first Junior Band Practice, clarinet in hand at lunchtime and eating my lunch whilst 2 Year 9 girls were happily chatting and giggling on the other side of the room.  Being the scared fool I was, I thought they were laughing about me so decided to skip Junior band practice!  Anyway, a long story short after finally plucking the courage to go back to band practice, years later I ended up being the speaker of the entire group when the Concert Band & Jazz Orchestra visited Goslar in Germany.  I had to stand in front of all my band friends as well as our German audiences and introduce the band, in German!  Who would've thought that could have happened.... so social development is a big part in music lessons at school.

I still regularly speak with my school music teacher, and in fact play in a 60's cover band with him, so whatever he did must have worked!  He is always keen to tell me of the new ways he develops his lesson plans where now he will split a class into smaller groups of 4 or 5 and they decide between them on a pop song to learn.  That group then spend the term working through the different parts of the song together and finally perform in front of the class at the end of term.  It's a great scheme and has proven very successful both in the encouragement of music in them and also developing their social skills as they don't pick their own group and are almost 'forced' to work together with other class members they may have not chosen themselves.

All in all I believe music is fundamental in the development of people in school.  It helps encourage interaction between different ages, nationalities and backgrounds - we just need more school music teachers to change from the traditional (and somewhat boring) methods introducing some modern twists that will help engage more pupils and hopefully help them enjoy music.

Harrods close piano department

Harrods has always been a prestigious department store known for many things throughout the World for its luxurious items and prestigious branding.  Another very important part of the business had always been its music department, which had been part of the Harrods DNA since the beginning.  So it is on a very sad day that they announced the closure of this department, apparently due to a downturn in piano sales and the fact that unfortunately "pianos do not sell as well as handbags" according to a member of Harrods' staff.  It is a shame that the UK's most iconic department store has chosen to shut down its music department but we disagree with the fact that piano sales have plummeted so significantly.

Pianos are very specialist instruments and to sell these instruments the company selling them needs to have extremely knowledgable staff who not only sell the pianos but can offer the complete back up service after the main sale.  Harrods piano department did not do this.  They did not offer their own piano delivery service, they did not organise their own tunings and didn't even deal with part exchanges or second hand pianos.  It is very difficult to run a successful piano department without all of these aftersales services.  

Here at Sheargolds we DO offer part exchange, we DO sell second hand pianos and offer a complete package of aftersales service.  We can organise piano tunings, repairs and regulation.  If you move house we can organise the safe transportation of your piano and if you are having work done in your house we can organise piano storage to ensure your piano is protected during any building work.  So for a complete one-stop shop for pianos and piano services experience the difference of Sheargolds.  Call our Surrey showroom on 01932 866577.

Sheargolds is based in Cobham, Surrey, just a short drive down the A3.  We supply many customers in and around the Knightsbridge and London area and many families visit our showroom and make a day of their trip.  Cobham is a very picturesque village with many local restaurants, boutiques and cafes.  Our customers visit the showroom to select a new piano, often pop into town for a spot of lunch and then go for a walk in Painshill Park or one of the many walks in the local area. 

Visit our piano showroom at 162 Anyards Road, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 2LH

Last weekend was the annual Sheargold Christmas Concert and it was a fantastic event.  Well done to all the performers and our group effort of Jingle Bells went down rather well!  We'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Musical New Year!

Here at Sheargolds, we're always looking for new and exciting ways to show off our products.  Images on websites are boring now and everybody has a website with a few product images and a bit of blurb.  We've gone one step further...

We've just launched a range of DJ and Recording equipment in the Maidenhead shop and created a little video to show people what you can do with it!  There's no point just having a picture of an audio interface because you just think "great, now what can I do with it?!"  So we've shown you! 

We originally set out to re-vamp our music on hold, just to update it with new product information but then got sidetracked and ended up creating a full length song with our own words!  We 'borrowed' Bill Withers' Lovely Day and created our own lyrics to come up with a rather witty and somewhat tongue-in-cheek version.  The entire song was recorded in store using recording equipment and instruments that we also stock.  The video was also filmed in-store by the 2 of us and just adds a bit of fun to what we do!  Just think of the old Halifax adverts!!!

Equipment

We recorded everything through the very modest Yamaha Audiogram 3 onto a laptop loaded with the Cubase software that comes with the interface.  We used a Kawai CA65 for the piano, bass and strings, a Vintage electric guitar and the new Yamaha DTX-400K electronic drum kit for the instruments and vocals were recorded through a Takstar Condensor mic using a Quiklok pop shield.  Monitoring was taken care of by AKG K99 headphones and the rather awesome M-Audio BX5 powered monitors.  I can't believe the amount of punch these small speakers carry!

Just watch this space for future tracks and videos!  Any suggestions would be most welcome!