I've had one standing in my garage for more than 12 years. It was working OK and played regularly before it went into the garage, and has been covered with carpet for protection ever since.
So now it has to go. I've uncovered it and it seems to be still working but some notes are (as expected) out of tune. A bit of research shows it's not a particularly rare or sought after make.
Does anyone have experience of getting rid of one or any suggestions as to the easiest method? Someone suggested giving it to a school or old folks place but I expect they'd need to jump through H&S hoops for it, as well as transport difficulties. I guess Freecycle will be the ultimate answer, or the local council (which would cost).
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Just play it incessantly and sing equally out of tune for a few hours early on Sunday morning. One of your neighbours will almost certainly give you a hand to get rid of it.
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>> I guess Freecycle will be the ultimate answer
Deffo, or Gumtree.
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Just say you are not expecting any notes for it...:-)
People love getting a bargain for a song.
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Or advertise it as "Joanna, with nice legs, free to collector".
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Offer it to your nearest RAF station, the officer's mess is always on the look out for them.
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Is it a iron framed one or a wooden frame? We tried giving one away when we last moved. Because it had a wooden frame for the strings nobody really wanted it because it would be next to impossible to tune it. Wooden framed ones obviously cheaper.
We did get someone to take it away who was going to give tuning it a go. After much perseverance he declared it impossible and wondered if we wanted it back (no good to him) or get rid of it. A real shame we had to get rid of it because it belonged to my wife's grandmother.
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If you have a spare half hour...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJwuHJyxkp0
or alternatively, sell it to a local Morris Marina Owner's Club and get them to drop a car on it.
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The Council contractors will take it for £50.
It's now on Freegle and Streetlife (and, I think, Twitter). One enquiry so far, bloke wants to come round next week for a gander.
Preparing it has been a useful task as I now have a car load for the tip. The most interesting find was a mouse skeleton, seemed to be mid-walking. I did successfully clear a small invasion of the critters a few years back with traps and poison, and wondered where all the bodies were...
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There was a brief fashion in the sixties for smashing up surplus pianos with sledgehammers. Teams of muscle men used to compete to see who could demolish a concert grand quickest.
My parents had a mahogany Broadwood concert grand, which they bought very cheap. My father paid some admiralty woodworkers to scour and revarnish it in their own time. My mother played it a bit, but she was a modest soul and I suspect thought it too magnificent for her.
It was undoubtedly the most beautiful piano I've ever seen. I can't remember what we got for it at auction. Not all that much I think. It was a bit big for most houses and really needed a room to itself.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Fri 24 Apr 15 at 13:52
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>> It was a bit big for most houses and really needed a room to itself.
Had a couple of sticky keys I seem to remember, and the tuner said it didn't have the best sound.
But that shining red mahogany, the legs and pedal-drop, when it had been fettled by those skilled finishers... the thing was gorgeous, it positively glowed.
The parents bought it in neglected condition at a clearance sale in a Pembrokeshire or Cardiganshire 'castle' or big country house. Could have been Picton Castle.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sat 25 Apr 15 at 19:03
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>> If you have a spare half hour...
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>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJwuHJyxkp0
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>> or alternatively, sell it to a local Morris Marina Owner's Club and get them to
>> drop a car on it.
>>
If you live at the top of a hill with a number of steps ask some Laurel and Hardy types to move it for you.
Last edited by: gmac on Fri 24 Apr 15 at 13:56
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The reckon the best time to get shut of a Joanna is September when the kids start taking up instrument playing. But you probably want rid before then.
Mother had a Beckstein, which is supposedly a really good make. Dad liked to tickle the ivories and had a baby grand as well. Bought for his Brother who was a very competent player. (Even gets a mention here :
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/finance-obituaries/8062534/Sir-Trevor-Holdsworth.html
Beckstein serial numbers giving details on tinternet. Apparently at some point in its long life it had a makeover so establishing its provenance was difficult. Only had 1 serious inquiry and it went for £300 collected. It had been valued at £1200. Glad to get rid.
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Donate it to a trebouchet piano-hurling demonstration:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZxCEkGk6HI
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>> Any news of note ?
Well he is not making a song and dance of it.
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It's not gone yet. You'd have thought it would have struck a chord with someone by now, I was half hoping it'd go right off the scale. I'm all keyed up wondering what tomorrow will bring, could be a sharp shock or a flat day. Maybe giving stuff away isn't my forte.
Danielle contacted me and said she needed one for her little sis, and would it fit in the back of a hatchback?
Some bloke said he';d like to look at it next week, I'm guessing from the lack of enthusiasm he's a dealer.
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Not at all helpful for you, but interesting I think; the nearest shopping mall to where I live has old pianos distributed around it for free use. Its not uncommon here.
Its kind of legitimised piano busking, its rather nice. No. 2 daughter (10yrs) often wanders off down there to play - she likes the audience.
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>> the nearest shopping mall to where I live has old pianos distributed around it for free use. Its not uncommon here.
I've seen that somewhere too FMR. In London I think, Covent Garden perhaps, but can't remember for sure. Jolly good stuff that, in any case. Economical and creative, good for everyone except the few who hate piano music (there's one here I seem to remember).
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>> >> the nearest shopping mall to where I live has old pianos distributed around it
>> for free use. Its not uncommon here.
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>> I've seen that somewhere too FMR. In London
St Pancras.
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Now who is getting crotchety ?
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>> Now who is getting crotchety ?
Trust you to put a damper on things hk.
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>> Donate it to a trebouchet piano-hurling demonstration:
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZxCEkGk6HI
And a fine effort that was too, a burning joanna no less.
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I'd quite like to have done that to my Espace. I did fantasise about shooting it like a clay pigeon. Actually, with that method, you could burn it, launch it and shoot it.
Just thinking about that makes me feel better.
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We donate unwanted furniture to the British Heart Foundation or other charities. Many of them have a free uplift service. We recently bought two new sofas, the old ones were picked up the day before the new stuff was delivered.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 25 Apr 15 at 18:49
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A few months before my last-but-one house move, I thought I should make plans to offload my ancient, tatty but in-tune upright piano after 5 years' service as it wouldn't have fitted in the new place.
I advertised it on Gumtree for the same 20 quid I had paid for it; I had half-a-dozen calls the same evening. The first callers, two Eastern European fellows, turned up with a van, handed over the cash, picked it up (250kg!) and carried it out of the door in two minutes flat. It was almost too easy.
In their van already was a fairly large sideboard, a three-piece suite and a roll of patterned carpet. They told me they were furnishing their home in the English style, on the cheap. Fair play to them.
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Getting rid of a piano - Runfer D'Hills
