Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Fair Price For New Yamaha C3 ??

I have started my piano search in earnest and I need some pricing help.

I found a new Yamaha C3 which I like and I am trying to determine a fair price, any help is greatly appreciated.

What kind of prices have you been seeing for a new one? Private messages are fine.

Many thanks,
Steve

Current Yamaha MSRP is $46,999. Traditional discounting often runs 20-30% off of actual list. Distressed situations can go deeper.

I would aim for 40-45% off the MSRP.

Hmmm...

One might be able to get a much better rated piano for the same money.

That's what I'm thinking.

Let's see........

$46,999 less a 30% discount = $32,899

Now take 25% off of that figure.......

Just messing around with some math.

= $24,674

Hi Rich,

What did you have in mind?

John

Stevester, Rich is going to sell you a 6 foot Bosendorfer at $24,674. Call him now!

Stevester -- In the midst of all the noise and sarcasm, Rich is offering you solid advice (even if you were able to achieve a 50% discount from the MSRP of $47K). Think Estonia 190 or, for a few dollars more, Mason & Hamlin A. If all you can achieve is a 30% discount, think Mason & Hamlin AA.

Some good suggestions. I just purchased a Shigeru Kawai Sk-2 for significantly less than $47000 (less than $30k actually) and although taste is ultimately subjective it would be very difficult to argue against the opinion that the Shigeru is a far superior instrument to the Yamaha C3.

Not really. Rich is just using his teflon raincoat to mess with Yamaha again, and this time Furtwangler's come along for the ride.

Deerwood,

As scandalous as it might seem, there are those who prefer the total Yamaha C package to that of the Mason or the Estonia. What Mason and Estonia fans might knock as bright and thin, Yamaha fans would describe as fundamental clarity. What Mason and Estonia fans might lovingly describe as thick and full, Yamaha fans might refer to as bloated and muddy.

I have no idea of Stevester's taste, but I know that Yamaha has sold a few C series over the years.

I know Rich well, if all goes according to plan I will be visiting him on Thursday. I already promised him I would stop by before buying anything.

I certainly appreciate all of the input and I would be most grateful for additional information. PW is a gold mine of great information.

Regards to the list.

Steve

"Not really. Rich is just using his teflon raincoat to mess with Yamaha again, and this time Furtwangler's come along for the ride."

Hey - I ain't goin' for no ride with no stranger wearin' no raincoat! My mama didn't raise no fool.

"Hey - I ain't goin' for no ride with no stranger wearin' no raincoat! My mama didn't raise no fool."



You're in great form for 7:30 on a Monday morning!

Rich is not alone.

Many people today discover pianos that "rate higher" for themselves than Yamaha - for same or even less money.

This is not to disrespect Yamaha which has undoubtfully still one of the largest names in the industry.

In fact, it serves other makers well that Yamaha which of course does make excellent pianos, wishes to continously remain on the higher end price scale.

But this can and perhaps also will be its nemesis.

Fact is, that in the midst of so many new develpments and improvements by several makers in the industry you cannot simply stand in the market place and pretend times are as they once were.

It's a fierce race out there and value-packed products for consumers are becomong the norm rather than the exception for most shoppers in today's market.

In fact a recent poster here glowingly reported about his Steinway budget shopping.

Even top makers such as Steingraeber come regularly up with new designs and ideas such as tha Aliquot system or carbon-fibere soundboards.

If prices go up - so must quality or at least comparative value.

In the absence of that, you live on borrowed time.

Times have never been better for shoppers than today.

Norbert

Gulp....Everyone knows and can't dispute the precision and quality of the Japanese pianos,especially Yamaha. Upon glancing at my most recent Ancott book which lists all the MSRP yearly for all the various piano manufacturers, the retail price of the C3 increased near 50%.This USUALLY increases the wholesale price accordingly. If Marty's figures are accurate,which of course they are. I think....that is partially what Rich was elluding to.

pianobroker,

That is what worries me and that is why I started this thread, I am not sure what is going on. I look at this as a solid piano with a good track record but I am not sure about current pricing. Everything has to be kept in proper perspective. If Yamaha is going to hold to a major price increase and dealers are going to follow suit then customers such as myself are going to have to look at other options, this piano may be out of my price range when just a few years ago it would have been an easy decision.

In one year? How could that be??

The Fine MSRP only increased by 6% between the 2007-08 and 2008-09 editions..

I think what he is referring to is a phenomenon that I witnessed myself. I used to visit my local Yamaha dealer and the posted MSRP for a C3 was always around the $34k area. Then, all of a sudden I noticed that the MSRP had jumped into the $40k's - like $42k or $44k or something.

I remember thinking to myself "Geez, did Yamaha take that big a price increase or is this guy just inflating the MSRP to make the discount look larger?"

I was aware that the "Street" price had remained about the same, however. So, no matter the MSRP - it is the actual price the consumer pays that is relevant, and that is best determined and negotiated by comparing prices among dealers, I think. Lord knows there are enough Yamaha dealers in most metro areas to be able to do that - at least there are around here - 3 different ones within 20 minutes' drive.

But even an increase from 34K to 44K would be less than 30%. To get a 50% increase the MSRP would have to be 51K.