Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Should I sell the Bluethner or the M+H?

Excellent post Derick. You can't put a price on the enjoyment a great piano can bring to your life, let alone multiple great pianos!!

Kenny,

Maybe I am mistaken but I thought I found your BB listed on Pianomart.

Steve

Hi, Derick. How big is the Imperial? Over 9 feet? I know at least two concert pianists with modest houses who have concert grands. For one of them, it takes up almost the entire room, but it's in there, on the diagonal (and the sound doesn't overwhelm).

(I'm not one of them -- although I have a 9 footer, my house is bigger than average. Not that it was easy getting it in here!)

A Bösenforfer Imperial is 9'6" long.

Oh, is that what you mean by, "the cat is out of the bag" ?

Yes

And may I add your comments regarding "German vs. Chinese" are sure to get the fur flying.

I just don't know how to take the German vs. Chinese action parts issue, time will tell. Maybe it isn't even an issue, again time will tell.

The M+H BB I'm selling has a full Renner German action because it was made back in 2001.

I think some people would prefer a meticulously maintained, almost new BB with a full German Renner action and 6 years left on the transferable warranty for much less than the price of a new one.

I don't think there is anything wrong with pointing out details about a piano in my pianomart ad.
Having a German action is significant to some people.
Mentioning this piano has one is entirely appropriate, particularly when the new ones are different.

Let the fur fly.
I don't think I've done anything wrong.

Kenny,

Of course you have done nothing wrong. I think you are taking my comments the wrong way. Frankly I have a hard time understanding M&H's current decision.

I am sorry we live so far apart as I am looking for a new piano and it is my undestanding you have taken very good care of this BB.

Regards,
Steve

Thanks Steve, I was surprised by the decision too.

I trust the company has quality as the priority.
Unfortunately I think many people make decisions on a gut level based, not on science and facts, but on intangibles.

If I was a buyer I might be more prone to go for a piano with a German action. But that's just me.

Kenny,

Your piano does not have a full German Renner action. Mason & Hamlin never used a full German Renner action. When your piano was made, like now, Mason & Hamlin made the action. Some of the parts that went into your action were sourced from Renner, but the action was made by Mason & Hamlin in their Haverhill factory. Other parts, were sourced from companies other than Renner, and other parts were made by Mason & Hamlin. Just like now.
Pianos that use full German Renner actions would include Estonia, your Bluthner and among others, some Chinese pianos such as certain models of Perzina. These actions are made in the Renner Stuttgart factory to the manufacturers specs. Your Bluthner would have Abel hammers, however.

Another company that sources some parts from Renner, but makes their own action would be Hamburg Steinway.

So, even if people would prefer a Mason & Hamlin with a full German renner action, or a Hamburg Steinway with a full Renner action, they will not be able to have one, unless they buy a Mason & Hamlin or Steinway, and have an entirely new action made for it by Renner.

Thanks Keith.
More information is good.

I'll go update my ad.
This forum is great.
The flow of information is so important, and is nearly impossible without such a forum as this.

Well said.

If you want to be accurate, you would say your piano has a Mason & Hamlin action using many renner parts. It is not a renner action. It is a Mason & Hamlin action.

However, considering how many sales people and technicians who rebuild pianos will mistakenly ( benefit of the doubt that they don't know any better )tell people the same thing you are saying, I don't think it is a big deal. I am just pointing out the distinctions here because this is one of the few places in the universe where anyone is interested in this sort of information.

Thanks Keith!

Kenny, have you considered a consignment with a dealer?

A friend of mine reluctantly consigned his Steinway M, after trying for about a year to sell privately. After only a few weeks on the dealer's floor in San Francisco, it sold.

He received his asking price, even with whatever the dealer tacked on top for their commission.

It took just over a year to sell my Bechstein C privately, and my friend's rapid success makes me wonder if I should have tried consigning.

As for the question of which to sell, keep the one you like better!

TTYL
David

Kenny wrote (a while ago...)

Quote

It doesn’t make sense to have two fancy pianos when there are other sensible uses for funds that are tied up.

Oh Boy. If that logic holds, few of us would have the pianos we love.

Kenny, whoever says it doesn't make sense must believe that music appreciation can be measured in dollars. It can't. Don't sell one because it's "sensible".

That said, if you simply MUST, then sell one to your next door neighbor, with playing rights.

Instead buy one more and have three!

After all, how can anyone own just one piano?