As somebody heavily invested in the world of music, Instruments are always or particular interest because they are useful in the creation of music.
This post in particular discusses the lifespan of pianos. I took the liberty of researching both digital and acoustic pianos in order to figure out the lifespans of both.
With that said, what is the lifespan of a piano?
On average, a well maintained acoustic piano can last 40 to 50 years, while a well maintained digital piano can last between 20 to 50 years.
The lifespan largely depends on the quality of the parts used to make the piano. High end pianos with good and tough parts can withstand wear and tear for reasonably longer. Low end pianos with average parts are more susceptible to wear and tear and won’t last very long.
Factors that affect the life span of a piano
Tuning
The life span of a piano greatly depends on how often it is tuned to account for weather changes. On average a piano should be tuned atleast twice a year.
Once in spring and once in the fall, or summer then the winter.
The fact is that; changes in weather especially with regard to humidity will greatly affect your piano.
Tuning helps your piano stretch its strings helping it hold its tune well in readiness for any future tuning.
Other people tend to tune their pianos before each major session, this can be helpful but twice a year can be just as effective.
Tuning your piano is a factor that will greatly influence the life span of your piano.
Humidity
Humidity is a big deal when it comes to most instruments and the piano is no exclusion. Pianos like most don’t like temperature extremes.
This means that too hot and too cold is a no-no. The humidity has to be just right.
Pianos are made of wood which is great material for the production of sound but it is also very responsive to changes in temperature. For example, too much water in the atmosphere can cause the wood to expand and contract.
In such situations the felts can become hard, keys and action parts can swell which can easily result in sticking and sluggish notes.
Furthermore, tuning pins can loosen and steel strings can become rusty.
Therefore some of the tips below are good cautionary measures to take:
– Don’t place your piano near heat sources like stoves, heating vents etc.
– Be aware of how sunlight tends to travel over your home during the course of a day because too much exposure to sunlight can greatly negatively affect your piano.
– Use various humidity control systems because they can increase the lifespan of your piano as well as protect its parts.
Regulation
You may have come across the term “regulation” when researching pianos.
So what does regulation actually mean ?
Regulation is approximately 37 key adjustments per key of a pianos action mechanism in order to enable it to play to a certain specification.
Like the definition suggests, this is not at all an easy process.
Regulation is important because it can return your piano to sound as good as it sounded when you first bought it.
You may be thinking, why go through the trouble of regulation when I can just tune my piano?
Well… the truth is, even if you’ve been tuning the piano regularly, you’ll eventually start to notice that the piano loses its feel compared to how it felt when it was first purchased.
This is true for most pianos that are heavily and regularly used. Also general wear and tear due to exposure to varying temperatures can also cause the piano to lose its tune-feel which is why regulation is almost always a necessity.
Regulation is another factor that positively contributes to the life span of a piano.
Frequency of use
Another key thing that determines the lifespan of a piano is how frequently it is used. If it is used heavily then it will obviously wear out more quickly.
Pianos that are used continously and constantly can last as little as 10 to 15 years while a piano that is used less frequent can last for longer.
Therefore, if you’re looking to purchase a piano and aren’t sure how long lasting it will be…it’s good to choose a piano that will be able to withstand your use-preferences.
Depending on the quality of the parts of the piano. Some pianos are suitable for substantial playing while others aren’t.
So get a piano that is suited to the intended use you have planned for it.
Quality
When it comes to almost all instruments, quality is everything.
You essentially want to go for a higher quality piano that is made up of good and durable parts that won’t succumb to wear and tear easily.
Lower quality pianos made with low end material won’t last very long even more so when they are used substantially.
On the other hand, High quality pianos made with high end material parts will last substantially longer.
Good measures
Dehumidifiers
Pianos like most instruments don’t do well if they are exposed to humidity which is why using Dehumidifiers can be a good way to preserve your piano as well as add some extra life to it.
Pianos being wood and metal instruments are a sensitive to changes in temperature and atmosphere.
Excess humidity can easily cause the wood to expand, contract and rot.
Metal is also likely to rust when it exposed to too much humidity.
Controlled environments
The truth is, you obviously can’t alter the weather at will, but you can basically store your instrument in a controlled environment so it is kept away from harm.
You can use a room as a controlled environment but you have to ensure that it is first of all a dry place that is not too hot or too cold and doesn’t have too much humidity.
