Are you finding difficulty in choosing the right piano for your kids and/or own use?
Over the years, we have seen and received many customers’ queries on which piano they should buy.
While there are many references and guides online that give you tips and advices before buying a piano, some can be very technical.
As you search for pianos, especially via online, you may start to get confused about where you should begin with the range of brands, types, models and prices out there.

This is our Setapak showroom
To aid your decision in selecting a piano, here are 4 simple buying tips:
First and foremost is to consider your budget before choosing a piano.
Many buyers who came to buy from us were overly stressed about the cost of investing in a piano. Hence, we suggest setting a comfortable figure that you can afford before you start searching for a piano.
Define your budget range:
- MYR6000 – MYR8000 (upright)
- Max. up to MYR15000 (upright, upright grand)
- MYR30000 – MYR40000 (grand piano)
Most budget users may start off with digital pianos* as a good option but we do not recommend it if you are using it for grades (examinations)**.
* entry level digital pianos mostly do not come with weighted keys (limitation) – which is required during practising fingering techniques.
** consider buying a used (reconditioned) piano instead of brand new ones.
You need to clearly define your purpose of buying a piano. And also to decide if piano brand is important to you.
Below are our suggestions to help you consider your buying purpose:
- For beginner students practising piano lessons – Choose professional-grade uprights that are suitable for examinations. Pros: It will be a one-time investment and possible no future upgrade.
- For leisure or as hobby – Buy any acoustic pianos that fits your budget. You may also consider buying for portability (e.g digital pianos).
- For competition or an upgrade from existing old piano – Choose a grand piano or if space is an issue, choose an upright grand.
- For institutions and commercial retails – Depending on your budget, a grand piano is more ideal for the purpose. Consider having an above 6ft grand if it will be placed in a large spaced area.
- For music teachers – A professional-grade upright or a grand piano (if space permits).
- As furniture display – Any model that suits the user’s taste, personal style, budget and room space. A custom paint job may be required.
- Add-on feature such as silent or a self-playing (disklavier, anytime, or pianodisc) device.
Piano specifications are very user centric where each individual has their own preference when it comes to selecting a piano.
At the end of the day, it will come down to these 2 elements:
- Tonal – dynamic (ranging from soft to expressive), warm to bright, clarity, etc
- Touch – responsive, light to heavy
Hence, choose a piano you love playing all day long without getting bored.
In order to ensure you’re getting the best out of it, we have a 1-on-1 piano assessment session to guide you along if you know nothing about playing a piano during your visit to Setapak showroom.
We are happy to provide our honest and technical feedbacks about the piano’s overall performance and condition, if you’re far away geographically or couldn’t make it to showroom. Please do no hesitate to contact us for more details.
ALL musical instruments need maintenance.
Aging “wear and tear” from use and technical breakdown may occur during the course of playing.
Moreover, there are 5000 moving mechanical parts within the piano itself.
Hence, buying from a reliable seller is paramount and very important.
Be assured that with over 30 years of experience in the piano restoration industry, we are able to continuously improve our after-sales support with even greater customer satisfactions.
We hope that these 4 simple tips will give you more confidence when dealing with buying a piano for your own purpose and pleasure.
Stay tuned for more tips on piano matters in the future.
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