WWMMD: buying a piano

[spunkarella]

I took piano lessons as a kid but didn't stick with them. Last time we visited the ILs, I tinkered around on their baby grand for a couple of hours and really enjoyed it. I am now thinking of getting something for our house for me to play around with. 

I think it would be fun, but I hold no illusions about taking it seriously enough to get really good. I recognize that I have a track record of trying stuff like this out and abandoning it after a short while. 

With that said, I don't want to invest a lot. Here's what we are considering:

Spending $125-$250 on a decent but not great keyboard. Pros: Easy and low maintenance. I could order it using prime, lol. No family/emotional baggage if we don't keep it forever. Cons: It will never sound as good or play like a real piano, and DH is not a fan of the sound or feel (he plays piano well and guitar very well). 

Asking the ILs about DH's late grandmother's piano. It has been in non-climate controlled storage since she passed about 4 years ago, and it was ignored for several years before that. Pros: saving an instrument from neglect, better sound, would look pretty in our living room. Cons: would be a lot more trouble and $$ upfront to get in working order, potential for complicated family feelings if we end up not wanting it later.

[sjh722]

I really dislike a keyboard if you're trying to play it like a piano. $150 doesn't get much. Personally, I would rather have a free or $150 piano from CL than a keyboard.

Could you try a CL piano first, then look into getting the family piano if you stick with it?

[spunkarella]

Y'all are agreeing with DH about the enjoyment of playing a piano vs a keyboard (which is fine! I'm ok with that).

I had the dinkiest yard sale keyboard known to man when I took lessons and I hated practicing on it. I'm sure being a kid also had something to do with it, but DH also thinks I will be more likely to have fun and stick with a real piano.

@domerjen I think I would be willing to keep it just for looks. But part of that depends on what it actually looks like - I have a vague recollection of thinking it was pretty, but I haven't laid eyes on it in a long time.

[Marmee]

I passed on 2 free family pianos in favor of a keyboard (touch sensitive) formy kids to learn on. If any of them get into it (DD2 has played 2.5yrs but I would not say she's into it) I'll buy a piano. Unless you like just owning it as an heirloom indefinitely, I'd wait. And I'd have a professional look at it BEFORE you spend big bucks on piano movers.

Unless it's a Steinway...then just take it & spend the big bucks moving & fixing/tuning it...lol. My family pianos were not worth moving/tuning IMO.

[drloretta]

I made the worst MM decision ever and bought a piano right out of grad school. We still have it, and I tinker with it now. And I'm hoping DD will take lessons soon. So I vote actual piano.

Can you get someone to assess how much it would take to fix the piano?

[shell403b]

I vote actual piano. I did the keyboard route right out of college and it is not the same thing.

I don't know what kind of piano it is, but getting them moved/tuned doesn't cost as much money as you think it might. For comparison, H and I priced new pianos a couple months ago and a floor model on clearance grand was $60,000, and a regular grand was $100,000. One hundred thousand dollars.

I currently have a digital upright and it's ok (it's better than the keyboard--which was also touch-sensitive), but I want a baby grand. H said that one day when we have money saved, we could get it.

[orval]

I got my DS a keyboard to practice on for lessons. Got it on Craigslist for $100 with stand and bench. Nicer model than the $100 ones on Amazon.
I would do a cheap keyboard first to see if you will actually play it (like I am doing for my kid). Then if you do spend the money on the piano. You can always recoup your $ on the keyboard.