# How to Move a Spinnet Piano? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068 "2009-07-15T01:35:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/1 "2009-07-15T01:35:26Z")
Could two amateurs of average strength (i.e., not body builders) safely move a spinnet piano (without harm to piano or themselves)? About how much does it weigh, anyhow? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/2 "2009-07-15T02:24:31Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Could two amateurs of average strength (i.e., not body builders) safely move a spinnet piano (without harm to piano or themselves)? About how much does it weigh, anyhow? - Jinx 1. Does it have to go up or down stairs or steps? 2. Does it have to go into a truck for the move? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/3 "2009-07-15T05:15:31Z")
Googling on “spinet piano weight” I found [this answer](http://www.concertpitchpiano.com/WhyNotToMoveaPiano.html) to your last question and an object lesson as to why you shouldn’t do it yourself. > [@](#): > > The average spinet or console weighs in at from three hundred to five hundred pounds. > > [snip] > > A young woman asked her father to help her move a piano from one place to another in her house. Her father got a couple of his friends to come along and they brought a dolly. While they were lifting the piano - a full-size vertical – it tipped back too far and got away from them. While it was falling, its upper corner dug down through the wall. The trench it made was deep enough to sever an electric conduit, which shorted and began to burn. The “movers” were unable to stop the fire, which also spread to the floor below, another person’s apartment. After the fire department was done, there was little left of the two apartments … and the piano. If: [ul][li]it’s really a spinet (i.e., only about waist-high) [_]\*\*and \*\*you have the right tools (a good hand truck with good, strong straps, and some pads or heavy blankets) [_]\*\*and \*\* you’re not going up a lot of steps [_] **and** you’re both in very good shape [_]\*\*and \*\* you’re both smarter and more cautious than the average guy,[/ul] you have a good chance of managing it all right. If **any one** of these conditions doesn’t apply, get a professional. Seriously.[/li] The potential downsides to doing it yourself: [ul][li]Damage to the piano, ranging from the merely cosmetic, through serious enough to require repairs costing more than the moving expense, to complete destruction of the instrument.[/li] [li]Damage to other furnishings and/or the house.[/li] [li]Injury to one or more of the movers. Death is not impossible. [/ul][/li]The upside: saving a couple hundred bucks. Your choice. That site concludes… > [@](#): > > So, the task of moving a piano is not just a matter of weight. The asymmetric shape, the fragility of the outer cabinet and inner mechanics, the uneven distribution of parts – all this and more demands not only proper equipment, but also an understanding of the unique dynamics of balance and inertia that pianos pose. > > Attempting to move a piano by yourself may easily result in a costly trip to the doctor for both you and your piano. > > Don’t take chances, hire a professional! ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/4 "2009-07-15T09:11:42Z")
Just to be clear - a spinnet (with a wooden frame and no hammers) is lighter than a piano (with an iron frame and hammers). Also, a spinnet is flat (like a grand piano) and (once the legs are removed) better balanced than a piano (particularly an upright). I have moved upright pianos with three people - two grunts and one to maintain balance. I would at least try the spinnet with two people and a dolly, but would prefer to have a third person. Of course, if this is a valuable or irreplaceable item, get professionals. Si ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/5 "2009-07-15T09:29:42Z")
I moved a spinet back when I was younger (and in a better shape physically), with just myself and two other people. It may be possible with two people, but I’d definitely go with at least three. Actually, having done it before, I’d personally recommend just paying the pros to do it. It’s not a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/6 "2009-07-15T12:17:39Z")
It’s one of those rare combinations of Heavy, Awkward and Delicate. Put me down in the ‘you could, but I’d get the pros to do it.’ Around here, (Toronto, ON) it costs about $300 (CAD) to get a piano or piano-like object moved, and these guys know what they’re doing and have seen it all. Plus, they are insured so that if something goes wrong, the value of the restoration is covered. Yes, I know a spinet is lighter than a piano, but not by a lot, and what it lacks in weight it more than makes up for in delicacy. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/7 "2009-07-15T13:47:35Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Could two amateurs of average strength (i.e., not body builders) safely move a spinnet piano (without harm to piano or themselves)? About how much does it weigh, anyhow? - Jinx Dunno how much in pounds, but I’ve done it and I’m no athlete. They have carry handles in back, peg-looking thingamabobbies back behind the sounding board. Grab one of those plus the leg in front that comes down from the keyboard, partner does same on the opposite site, lift and walk. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/8 "2009-07-15T13:50:45Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > Just to be clear - a spinnet (with a wooden frame and no hammers) is lighter than a piano (with an iron frame and hammers). Also, a spinnet is flat (like a grand piano) and (once the legs are removed) better balanced than a piano (particularly an upright). 😕 Flat like a grand? That’s not what I call a spinnet. ::googles images:: Oh, what I lifted was an upright. This ought to be even lighter. Just lift it and go. ETA: how the heck can it not have hammers? What’s inside it, little mousies with drumsticks? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/9 "2009-07-15T14:18:14Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > 😕 > > Flat like a grand? That’s not what I call a spinnet. > > ::googles images:: > > Oh, what I lifted was an upright. This ought to be even lighter. Just lift it and go. > > ETA: how the heck can it not have hammers? What’s inside it, little mousies with drumsticks? A [_spinet_ is a type of harpsichord](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinet). Thus, it does not have hammers, because the strings are plucked, not struck. I’m actually doubtful the OP is talking about a spinnet. More likely, the OP is talking about a [spinet piano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinet#Spinets_as_pianos) (which indeed is the term used by **Jinx**. This is a type of upright pianoforte, where the hammers are located below the keyboard, and are activated by the keys pulling up on rods that then activate the hammer action. It is the smallest type of piano made. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/10 "2009-07-15T15:07:34Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I’m actually doubtful the OP is talking about a spinnet. More likely, the OP is talking about a [spinet piano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinet#Spinets_as_pianos) (which indeed is the term used by **Jinx**. This is a type of upright pianoforte, where the hammers are located below the keyboard, and are activated by the keys pulling up on rods that then activate the hammer action. It is the smallest type of piano made. Huh. I had never heard the term. A spinet piano will be heavier, then. But the center of gravity will be low (with the lower height), so it may still be manageable by two people with a dolly, if it is not going too far. If you are getting it up the side of a house to the first floor - get more people (or professionals). In fact, just get the pro’s, for the owners piece of mind. Si ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/11 "2009-07-15T15:22:26Z")
Having owned, moved, and played on them, take it from me. It’s a spinet (one “n”) piano. (Note the alternate defs on that wiki page.) If you mean a harpsichord, you’d have to prefix spinet with that word to be clear to a musician. A spinet a small version of an upright piano, lighter and lower than the 100yo traditional tall uprights. Some of them are very good (I have a Baldwin Acrosonic that has served me well for many years for a small room). The hammer action is different from a grand or upright, and is called a “drop action,” designed as a space-saver. Personally, I like the light touch of that kind of action over the traditional grand, which feels ponderous and heavy, especially for quick jazz finger action. Because of the smaller cabinet, the strings are shorter and not as resonant or as deep as a grand in the bass range. An “overstrung” version, like the Baldwin, compromises and has longer strings than most spinets by mounting them in two directions to compress the space occupied. The spinets I know don’t have easily detachable legs, like a grand does. These are vulnerable areas and prone to break off. If you value your instrument, you will get a professional and pay the price gladly. OTOH, if it’s a junker, don’t bother and just play Laurel and Hardy. If it breaks, what have you lost? ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/12 "2009-07-15T15:42:53Z")
Years ago, i had a job which often involved the delivery of audio mixing consoles (big, heavy, fragile and very expensive). Our favoured method was wrap and strap a good strong net around them, providing numerous handholds. The old adage ‘many hands makes light work’ applies here, even in tight spaces you should be able to get two people at each end. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/13 "2009-07-15T16:11:59Z")
Whatever you do, avoid lowering out a window using ropes. You will invariably squash a passer-by. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/14 "2009-07-15T16:16:06Z")
…and trigger a long conversation about whether the squashee was more likely to be hit by lightning. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/15 "2009-07-15T18:50:52Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > They have carry handles in back, peg-looking thingamabobbies back behind the sounding board. Grab one of those plus the leg in front that comes down from the keyboard, partner does same on the opposite site, lift and walk. As **Musicat** observes, you would do well to avoid using the front legs as handles. Instead use one hand on the handle, and the other under the keyboard. The legs on ours unscrew. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/16 "2009-07-15T19:09:58Z")
Dunno about spinnets, but I’ve moved an upright from the floor to the top of a four foot high platform with only myself and 1 other guy. It was done as part of a scene change for a play I was doing 20 some odd years ago. The thing had handles on the back side, so each man had one hand on the handle, the other hand under the bottom. Heave-ho, and up she went. Did it every night for 2-3 weeks, including rehersals and such. No problems. Should be noted that back then, both guys involved regularly did physical work anyway–building scenery, hauling lights, moving furniture, etc., so we were probably stronger than average men, and we were young, too. Really don’t think I want to even think about tossing around pianos like that anymore. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/17 "2009-07-15T19:57:22Z")
In a high school gym class, our teacher had eight or nine of us move a spinet piano from the gym floor to the stage, which was chest high to a tall Indian\*. It was crazy, and it was dangerous, but none of us admitted to being injured. On the other hand, we weren’t doing high fives and acting like we were happy. \*Don’t get all huffy on me. We were all Indians, of Anderson High School, and the gym is called the Wigwam. The town was named for a local chief. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-move-a-spinnet-piano/503068/18 "2009-07-15T23:16:40Z")
It took 4 strong Mexicans and my 6’3" 280lb husband to move ours. My husband severely sprained his back and well, I’m not so sure about the Mexicans, but they did make off with a few hydrocodone they found in my car. Can’t blame 'em.