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#1
07-18-2013, 01:20 PM
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buying a piano
is nothing like buying a guitar... What a pain in the butt. I feel like im walking into a car dealership everytime I step in a piano store...
Anyone have any experience buying pianos? 
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#2
07-18-2013, 01:53 PM
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Up right or baby grand or grand? My Mom had purchased a Baldwin grand that was used just once. Used can be very reasonable if you are so inclined. And today everyone uses the electronic version which leaves the used real thing at somewhat of a bargain. Hope this helps.
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#3
07-18-2013, 09:33 PM
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Can you elaborate on why your experience with piano stores have been so unpleasant? I bought a digital piano a few months ago and had a pleasant pain free experience: no high pressure, bought the exact model I wanted, paid a great price, and got free delivery.
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#4
07-19-2013, 02:22 AM
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Quote:
Without knowing anything about you or your needs, it is difficult to be of much help, just as it would be for someone who only says they need help in buying a guitar or a car. However, there are some basic resources that you might find helpful. 1. The Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer http://www.pianobuyer.com/index.html I think this is probably the single best source of information out there. Everything you wanted to know about pianos, from how they are designed and constructed, different types and builders, what to look for in a used piano, etc. You can buy print copies or search online. Good Stuff! 2. Blue Book of Pianos - not as friendly a site as the one above, but the information included covers VINTAGE PIANOS | ARCHIVES | RATINGS | PIANO AGE | MUSIC | PIANO SHOPPER | SELL A PIANO | PIANO TYPES | PIANO PRICES - Handy! http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/ 3. A forum for the piano world: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ 4. The Piano Technicians Guild - http://www.ptg.org/scripts/4disapi.d...ument&DocID=19 Especially good is the section on Buying A Piano, but there is also great information on piano care, books, an industry directory, etc. The PTG is the organization that certifies a piano tuner/technician - someone who has passed their tests and become a PTG Registered Tuner/Technician knows his stuff! (My Dad was once one of the few Examiners in the Southeast US giving those tests.) That should be enough to get you on the right track as an informed piano buyer, but you still need to be choosy in selecting your dealer. They vary as much as car or guitar dealers. Without knowing anything about the area in which you live or how far you're willing to travel to shop for a piano, it's hard to be of much help here. Within driving distance of Atlanta, I'd recommend Piano Works http://www.pianoworks.com/ as being the classiest, most knowledgeable and helpful of them all, and they offer a w-i-d-e variety of instruments and services. Great people, the kind I enjoy working with! Hope this helps ease the pain of piano shopping. cotten
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#5
07-19-2013, 12:16 PM
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As with any purchase, establishing your budget and priorities always comes first.
I personally swear by Yamaha because that's what I've been playing forever -- and all of their pianos more or less feel the same. Just like with guitars, pianos can feel widely different from one instrument to the next -- but typically within the same brand they more or less feel the same. I would love a Steinway just as I would love a Harley -- but Steinways have been my worst enemy throughout my studying and competing years. The keyboard response just isn't for me. If you are looking for a student piano, you may want to pay attention to the middle pedal. I like having a mute pedal in the middle for apartment practicing. Upright pianos don't often come with a real sostenuto pedal anyway -- and it's not like you will use it very often unless you study a particular repertoire. Some of them have partial dampers or semi soft pedals -- but these are useless in my opinion. Premium upright pianos (like the Yamaha U series) are typically taller -- and they typically have a "better" mechanism. For a serious student, I think premium uprights are worth it. People don't realize how important the mechanism is to develop good technique. If the mechanism is not even, your playing won't be either. Lastly, if you're looking for a grand piano, establish your budget and choose your size. You will pay several thousand dollars for every few inches that you add. In terms of brightness, people often associate differences in tone with the wood of the instrument -- when in fact a good technician can tweak the hammers to make the instrument sound whichever way you want. That's pretty much the thought process I go through when considering a piano. It is an important purchase indeed and I agree with the assessment that it feels like walking into a car dealership. Good luck with your purchase. Exciting times ahead!
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#6
07-19-2013, 12:21 PM
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I bought my wife one for Christmas one year. Now, knowing the cost of a good instrument I was prepared to get shoved into a financial world that I really didn't want to enter but my wife had a particular sound in mind and fell in love with a particular piano that was entirely reasonable. I did my homework before we shopped and the second store we visited turned out to be a very low-pressure place so the whole process turned out to be a pleasure.
Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#7
07-19-2013, 02:45 PM
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Quote:
__________________
Dan Carey (not Crary) A couple of guitars A Merida DG16 Classical Guitar A couple of banjos A Yueqin A Mountain Dulcimer that I built A Hammered Dulcimer that I'm currently building And a fiddle that I built! Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
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