How to Buy a Pre-Owned Steinway Online

A restored Steinway isn't tied to a local showroom. The shop you buy from can be a thousand miles away. What matters is how much that shop can show you before you pay and how it stands behind the piano after it arrives. This guide walks through the process one step at a time, using pianos currently on our site as examples.

Can You Really Buy a Steinway Without Visiting the Shop?

Yes, as long as you're buying a restored instrument from a shop that documents its work, lets you see and hear the piano remotely, ships carefully, and backs the piano with a written warranty. Distance doesn't make a piano riskier; a vague seller does.

New Steinways are a different case. Steinway's own website steers new-piano buyers to its showrooms and authorized dealers, so buying new usually starts with a local visit. A pre-owned Steinway has already left that channel, which is why an independent restoration shop can sell it to a buyer in any state. For more on what sets these instruments apart, see The Steinway Difference.

It also helps to know who you're dealing with. Riverton Restorations is a restoration studio in Lehi, Utah, and an extension of Riverton Music, which has served musicians and families since 1968; you can read more about Riverton Restorations before you reach out.

Step 1: Decide What You Need Before You Browse

Room and Size

Measure first. Allow for the piano itself, the bench, the open lid, and room to walk around it. Our essay Choosing a Grand for the Room You Have covers what to weigh before you fall for a particular size, and Steinway Model M vs O vs A vs B compares the four most common home grands by length, sound, and room fit. If floor space is tight, an upright may be the better answer.

Budget

Set a range from real asking prices rather than rumors. On our site today, uprights start at $17,900 for a restored 1974 Steinway Model 45 that came to us from a university music school, and grands start in the mid-$50,000s. For a fuller look at what drives value, from model and age to the depth of the restoration, read How Much Is a Pre-Owned Steinway Worth?.

Restored or Original Condition

Most pre-owned Steinways have had some level of restoration, from light reconditioning to a complete rebuild. A few are recent enough to need none; our 2023 Steinway Model O is offered in original condition, and its listing notes that its parts did not need major repairs or replacement. The words "restored" and "rebuilt" don't have a single industry definition, so it's worth knowing the difference before you compare listings. Our guide Piano Restoration vs. Rebuilding: What's the Difference? explains the terms, and What Fully Restored Should Mean When You Buy sets out the standard we think the word "fully" should meet.

Step 2: Read the Listing Like a Technician Would

When you can't sit at the piano, the listing is your first inspection. Read it for facts, not adjectives. A useful listing gives you:

• Identity: maker, model, year, length or height, finish, and the serial number if it's shown.
• Price context: the asking price and, where the shop shows it, the maker's current new price for that model. Our 1894 Model A's listing, for instance, shows a Manufacturer's New Price of $173,100.
• Condition label: whether the piano is recently restored or in original condition.
• Itemized work: which parts were replaced, which were kept, and the names of the parts installed.
• Who did the work, and when: the shop, the factory, or both.
• Status: whether the piano is still available.

Here is how four of our listings answer those questions.

Our restored 1985 Steinway Model B shows what a detailed work list looks like. The structure was rebuilt with new strings and a new Bolduc pinblock and bridge cap, the plate was regilded, and the piano has new damper felts, new agraffes, Mapes bass strings, and diamond tuning pins, with the touch weight corrected. Just as important, the listing says the original hammers were kept. A good work list tells you what stayed as well as what changed. If you're weighing a B specifically, our article on Steinway Model B Price puts that figure in context.

Our 1925 Model M restored by Steinway & Sons went through a complete restoration at the maker in 2018. When the factory did the work, the year and the source are the key facts to confirm.

Our 1979 Model M with a certificate of authentication was completely rebuilt in 2009 with all-Steinway & Sons parts, and the certificate comes from Steinway & Sons. When the work is older, ask how the piano has been maintained since.

Our restored 1894 Steinway Model A shows divided work. We restored it with authentic Steinway hammers, shanks, repetitions, and flanges, and its belly was rebuilt at the Steinway & Sons factory in New York. When more than one shop touched a piano, the listing should say which did what.

If a listing leaves a question open, ask it in writing. For the thinking behind how we decide what to replace and what to keep, see our essays Is There a Right Way to Rebuild a Piano? and On the Soul of a Rebuilt Steinway.

Step 3: See and Hear the Piano Live

Photos can show a finish, but they can't show how a piano sounds or responds. A live video call with the shop comes closer. Before the call, write down what you want to see and hear:

• A slow walk around the whole case, including the lid, legs, and music desk.
• The plate and serial number, if they're visible.
• Close-ups of the action and hammers, if the staff can show them.
• Scales and chords played softly, at medium volume, and loudly, across the full keyboard.
• Repeated notes and fast passages, to hear how the action responds.
• Any cosmetic marks the shop knows about.

Ask questions as you go, especially about anything the work list didn't answer. Your laptop or phone speaker won't reproduce a Steinway faithfully, so listen for evenness from note to note and for buzzes or dead spots rather than judging the overall tone. Every piano on our site can be shown this way.

If you'd like a third opinion, you can also hire an independent piano technician near the shop to inspect the piano before it ships. That's your choice, not a requirement.

Step 4: Confirm Warranty, Shipping, and Paperwork

Warranty

Every piano we sell carries a 5-year warranty covering manufacturer-level repairs, whether you buy in person or from across the country. Some listings add their own warranty wording; our restored Steinway K-52 upright, for example, notes a full five-year parts-and-labor warranty. With any seller, read the warranty before you pay: what it covers, when it starts, and how a claim works once the piano is in your home.

Shipping

Our pianos ship nationwide, and we arrange delivery with white-glove care. A piano is heavy and easily damaged by rough handling, so the mover matters as much as the restoration. Our essay White-Glove Delivery, From Studio to Home describes how we think about that last stage. Timing and cost depend on your address, so ask about both when you inquire.

Payment and Paperwork

Before money changes hands, get a clear written agreement with the shop. It should cover the price, exactly what's included (bench, delivery, and anything else you've discussed), the delivery address, and when the warranty begins. If something was promised on the phone or the video call, make sure it's in writing too.

Step 5: Delivery Day and the First Weeks at Home

Good delivery is more than getting the piano through the door. The crew should think about where it will stand: away from heating vents, direct sun, and drafty exterior doors, on a floor that can carry it, with enough light to play by. Plan the route through your home in advance, and clear it.

After any move, a piano needs time to adjust to its new room's temperature and humidity, and it's normal practice to tune it once it has settled. Keep the room's climate steady, and keep an eye on humidity through the seasons. If anything feels off in those first weeks, call the shop that sold it. That's what the warranty is for.

Real Instruments You Can Shop Remotely Right Now

These six pianos were available on our site when this guide was published. Inventory changes, so check each listing for current status.

Red Flags When Buying a Steinway Sight-Unseen

Most sellers are honest, but a remote purchase leaves less room for surprises. Be cautious if you see any of these:

• No work list. "Fully restored" with no itemized work behind it tells you nothing.
• No written warranty, or one that ends when the truck leaves the seller's door.
• No live look. A seller who won't show the piano on video, or won't answer questions about parts and the serial number, is asking you to buy on faith.
• A price that doesn't fit the description. A "restored" Steinway priced like an unrestored one usually means the restoration was light, or the description is generous.

Pressing a seller on these points isn't rude. A good shop expects the questions and is glad to answer them.

FAQ

Can you buy a pre-owned Steinway piano online?

Yes. You choose a piano from the listings, confirm the details with the shop, sign a written agreement, and the piano is delivered to your home. Nothing in the process requires you to be in the same state.

Is it safe to buy a Steinway from out of state?

It's as safe as the seller's documentation and accountability. An itemized work list, a live look at the piano, a written warranty, and careful delivery protect you whether the shop is across town or across the country.

Do you offer a live, interactive video walkthrough before I buy?

Yes, for every piano on our site. Step 3 above lists what to ask to see and hear on the call.

How does nationwide Steinway shipping work?

Step 4 above covers nationwide shipping, white-glove delivery, and what to confirm before your piano ships.

What warranty do I get if I buy remotely?

The same one a local buyer gets; see Warranty under Step 4 above.

What should I ask for before paying for a piano I have not played in person?

Three things: the itemized work list, a live look and listen, and the price, delivery, and warranty terms in writing. Steps 2 through 4 cover each one.

Can I buy a restored Steinway without visiting Utah?

Yes; Can You Really Buy a Steinway Without Visiting the Shop? above explains why a visit is optional.

Find Your Pre-Owned Steinway

When you're ready to start, browse our pre-owned Steinway pianos; each listing spells out the work done, and you can send an inquiry from any listing page. A live, interactive video walkthrough is available upon request, where you can hear the piano and ask questions directly to the restoration staff. Every piano ships nationwide with white-glove delivery and carries a 5-year warranty. If you already own a piano and want to know its value or condition before you upgrade, you can request a full piano appraisal.