Gavin Patterson, Buying-guide writer
My guides start with a tape measure, or at least with the numbers you'd use one for. Width, depth, the height of the keys on the stand the seller ships, the room a bench needs once someone is sitting on it. A console piano that looks perfect in the photo can still be six inches too wide for the wall you had in mind.
The other half of my job is bundles. Two listings with nearly the same name can be very different deals: one ships with a stand, a bench, a three-pedal unit and headphones, the other with a sustain pedal the size of a matchbox. I go through the "in the box" list and the photos item by item, then compare the total with buying the parts separately.
I also write about care and moving: gig bags, cases, stairs, and what owners say broke on the way.
A guide of mine has done its job when you know the piano fits through the door and against the wall before the delivery van turns up.
Areas of expertise
- Console or portable: picking the format
- Room space, stands and bench height
- What a bundle really puts in the box
- Moving, cases and everyday care
How I work
- I compare the dimensions in the listing with the ones in the manual, and when they disagree, the guide says so.
- I list what each bundle actually includes before saying whether it is good value.
- I read owner reviews for delivery and assembly trouble: missing screws, crushed boxes, stands that need two people.
- If the stand or bench is sold separately, the price I talk about includes it.
Articles by Gavin Patterson
Written
Piano buying guidesConsole or Portable Digital Piano: Choosing a Format
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Piano buying guidesPlanning Room Space and a Bench for a Digital Piano
How much room does a digital piano need? Measure width, depth, bench space, the delivery route and cables before the piano arrives at home.
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Piano buying guidesDigital Piano Bundles and Accessories: What Is Included?
Digital piano bundles: list every item in the box, check the stand, bench, pedal and headphones, and see which extras are worth paying for.
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Piano buying guidesCaring for and Moving a Digital Piano
Digital piano care and moving: cleaning the keys, cables and power, and how to move a portable or console piano without damage to it or you.
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Weighted, hammer-action or semi-weighted keys: what each phrase in a listing means, why it matters for lessons and how to compare pianos fairly.
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Quiet digital piano practice: headphone jacks, plug sizes, speaker muting and key noise, so you can play late without waking the house.
Read the guideHow we compare and rate the pianos is explained on How we rate. The rest of the team: Our editors.