Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum First Act Junior Grand Piano (ebony polish)

Hello all. I am relatively new to the forum, but would like to provide information as it arrives on one particular First Act piano and my buying experience (from Wal-Mart, of course). I'll keep you posted...

In the meantime, does anyone have any "real" experience playing a First Act?

Oh, by the way, these are the specs I got from walmart.com:

Help your budding pianist practice musical masterpieces on this miniature-size, junior grand piano.

* Classic baby grand piano styling
* All-wood construction
* 30 keys (chromatic tuning)
* Solid wood stool and music stand included
* Piano is 20 inches high

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...0321&sourceid=0100000030660804602498

Woah -

That's cool. Didn't know anyone still made a toy piano. Never tried one, can't comment.. I am sure your toddler will have a ball with it.

Get your zoom H4 and post some audio files please! (that was a joke)

RFLMAO.

Congratulations on your new piano, Paulisme. I am sure it will bring you and your family many years of playing pleasure.

p.s. But it's still cheap.

I hear its grey market. Stay clear...

Jeff Bauer, it's not for my toddler. It's for my wife. I got tired of the high-pressure sales tactics of the local dealers. They tried to charge me $20,000 for a 6' Yamaha! I decided I'd just cut out the dealer and order directly from the Internet. UPS will be by in a few days to deliver it and set it up (I didn't even know they prepped pianos, but I guess that's the New Market for you). Granted, they said they'd only set it up on my porch and wouldn't actually take it out of the "crate" for me, but look at the deal I'm getting! Does anyone know about the tone and touch on these First Acts? If it doesn't work out, Wal-Mart has a good return policy, so I might return it go back and look at the Yamaha.

Update: I sent this email to Wal-Mart, and this is their response. They answered within 30 seconds! Look out dealers, there's no way you can match this level of customer service!


To: Paulisme <thrifteepianoshopr@yahoo.com>
From: Wal-Mart <auto-response@walmart.com>
Subject: RE: First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 15:44:52

What is an "action"?

-----

Please note that this an auto-response from walmart.com. Please do not reply to this message. Also note that even if a human were to happen upon an email response, he would certainly be ill-equipped to answer any piano-related questions, seeing as how we're Wal-Mart, after all.

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To: Wal-Mart <pianos@walmart.com>
From: Paulisme <thrifteepianoshopr@yahoo.com>
Subject: First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 15:44:23

I just ordered the First Act Junior Grand Piano from your website and had a question.

Does the First Act have full Renner action? What about Abel hammers?

UPS will be by in a few days to deliver it and set it up (I didn't even know they prepped pianos, but I guess that's the New Market for you).

Paulisme,

I hope you don't mind me addressing you in such a direct fashion, but I have a very important question, which I think will be of interest to every potential customer here: by any chance, did UPS happened to mentioned, (perhaps in in the small print of your order confirmation) what colour gloves their operatives might be wearing on the day of delivery? If not, perhaps you could send UPS (or perhaps Wal-Mart, or maybe both) a quick e-mail to confirm. After all, it would be a shame to miss any of the minutiae of this most exciting exploit!

Thanks in advance .

-Michael B.

I called UPS and have confirmed that the color of gloves used to service the piano are Off-White. I was hoping for white, but apparently only the higher-end First Acts (30" conservatory models and above) receive White Glove Service. Still, it's far and away a better bargain than what the typical brick & mortar dealers could offer.

Oh, and I should probably give you some details about their Off-White Glove Service:

- Includes home delivery
- Full package tracking at ups.com with the supplied tracking number
- Option of either signing for the piano when it arrives, or they will hide it behind a bush of my choosing
- I get to keep the box

Note that piano dealers usually require the buyer to be home at the time of delivery, which is a huge inconvenience. Then, when they deliver, they insist on entering the house! How pushy is that?

For God's sake don't let them roll it on the pedal lyre!

I know that this micro piano is not for the toddler, but even so, consider the learning opportunties available.

Get the "player" installed on this. That system can be operated via Bluetooth so that your Furby can play Elton John's hits!

Or Billy Joel - I'm not sure of the technical details....

Next year the piano will come out in the Tinkle-Me Elmo edition...

And will someone please call Larry Fine!

Er ... ah ... um I think this model might be defective. The music desk seems to be affixed to the lid of the piano; what happens when you want to open the lid (short stick or full stick?) and let the grand sound float through the whole concert hall?

Moreover, I'm not so sure that that picture truly represents ebony polish; it looks more satin than polish to me. I would be wary of any company posting one model's picture but promising you something else!

If you haven't already ordered it, perhaps you can wait until the upgrade comes out and see if they have corrected the design flaw and clarified the details of the finish.

What's the return policy if you have not yet "uncrated" the instrument?

Best regards!

'What is an action?'




This is the funniest thing I have read in a coon's age.

Something that provokes a re-action, maybe .... ?

UPDATE:

BruceD, I emailed Wal-Mart in regards to the apparent discrepancy between the polished ebony I thought I was getting and the satin ebony which appears in the photo. Here was their response:

To: Paulisme
From: Wal-Mart
Subject: RE: Another First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 23:21:52

Dear Customer,

We believe the finish is Ebony Polish, though there is a possibility that it is actually Ebony Hungarian or Ebony Slovakian.

-----

Please note that this an auto-response from walmart.com. Please do not reply to this message. Also note that even if a human were to happen upon an email response, he would certainly be ill-equipped to answer any piano-related questions, seeing as how we're Wal-Mart, after all.

------------------------------

To: Wal-Mart
From: Paulisme
Subject: Another First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 23:21:23

I have another question about the First Act piano. When I ordered the piano, I was under the impression that the piano had a polished ebony finish, but upon closer inspection, it appears to be in fact a satin ebony finish. Could you confirm which finish this piano comes in?

Speaking as a rural mail carrier-

I could have delivered it cheaper.

I still have my first piano- a Jaymar ca. 1955 I don't remember the exact year, Santa brought it!

Is it worth anything and should I have it rebuilt?

(click on thumbnail to see larger image :rolleyes: )

[img] [img]http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/8382/1000995bo7.th.jpg[/img] [/IMG]

I suspect Paulisme is a sock for Noona...

About $5.00 is my guess - if it darns socks!

Cheers!