Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum C.Bechstein vs. Bechstein

I think it's a bad move from a consumer viewpoint, by cashing in on a well-respected name being applied to a product which in few ways resembles the product that earned the reputation. This will undoubtedly cause confusion for piano shoppers. I also think it's an open invitation for deception on the part of unscrupulous salespeople, who might point to the two nearly identical marques and proclaim them "practically the same thing" despite the many differences.

lb gave me recently a lecture here about that "damn arrogant German-imperialistic-hegemonistic world domination" type of thinking and the hang up about their own - and widely spread - assumption of "superiority" in anything they make.

It's for you good folks here now to finally accept this message and start some serious re-thinking accordingly.....

norbert

I hate to take sides, but I have to chime in here and simply make the comment that, based on all I've observed so far,...


Germans DO build the best pianos to be found anywhere in the world!!! The highest performance, the most meticulous workmanship, and the finest selection of materials. As far as pianos goes, they are simply the best.

I don't know about any other products they make (heck, mechanically a Toyota is statistically more reliable than a Mercedes).

But as for pianos, very few does it better.

-AKindWord

Actually, a case could probably be made that the Japanese-built pianos are, from a mechanical viewpoint, statistically more reliable than German-built pianos (at least in the first two or three decades). I don't remember seeing anyone complain about their new Japanese-made Yamaha or Kawai have sticky keys, but I have heard such complains even for high-end German pianos. BUT, those who pursue a "performance piano" generally won't let a slightly inferior "mechanical reliability factor" put them off. There is MUCH MORE to a piano than mechanical reliability.

That's just my casual observation. Technicians who survice Japanese pianos and German pianos, do you see a STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT discrepency between the MECHANICAL RELIABILITY of the two?

lb:

Fair question!

No,I would NOT take anything on that claims to be specifically "German".....but is not.

Totally, lock-stock&barrell,true, blue, arrogant and all!

To do this,would not only serve to degrade the genuine stuff
I actually have here [am also getting other lines in... ] but also happens to go against my very own [arrogant...] 'blood lines'.

[On top of this, I do believe - perhaps erroneously - that my customers are actually special,intelligent and smart enough to hear,touch and feel the difference.]

Just imagine,you're a good'ol Yank living and operating a motorcycle dealership somewhere in Sweden and sell "Hurley Davidson" that only you know are made in China ??

P.S. None of the genuine German makers I know are getting anything done in China except more dealers for themselves.

Unless you tell us otherwise.

I hope this anwsers for now and I'm glad we're talking again somewhat.....er...

.......decently!

[half-way..... ]

norbert
[quit smoking....for now!]

I was waiting for your post, what did the Bechstein factory rep say?

You are an authorized Bechstein dealer and you thought that an apparently Korean-made piano on your floor was made in Germany?

Is Samick telling its Bechstein dealers to conceal the Korean origin of these pianos?
Or worse, actually telling the dealers these do not come from Korea?
If a customer asked you, "What country is this piano made in?" are you free to say, "Korea" ?




Sorry to put you on the spot here, and I understand as a dealer you are in a delicate situation and have to be careful what you say into this microphone, but if we civilians could read on Samick's own website that Samick is putting the Bechstien name on Korean pianos I sure hope they are telling the truth to the Bechstein dealers.

Please tell my suspicions are unfounded and that only the truth is getting to the customers.

I'm also worried about Bechstein putting their name on a lower quality product. How do they think that a single letter can make a difference - in the eyes of the buyer - between the top quality piano and a lesser one?
This is only going to confuse people and do no good to Bechstein's image.
They should simply use another name on the Asian-made pianos and they could add the "designed by Bechstein" label or whatever.
At least, that's the way I see it...

Calin

Does Samick lurk here?
Do they care?

Maybe we should write some e-mails about this to Bechstein...

What do you people think?

Calin

I did Calin ... to both companies. Hopefully they will respond soon.

JP

Kenny - Sorry for the delay in responding, but we held a offsite event and I have been very busy for the last few days.

I spoke with my rep and he confirmed my initial response: both Bechstein and C. Bechstein are made in Germany, and will continue to be made in Germany. There are no plans to move production.

Hope this helped clear up the confusion. In addition, I will be glad to convey any further questions directly to Bechstein and post the responses here. Misinformation and confusion are not good for anyone, so I will be glad to help.

Incorrigible you are, Lb.

Manitou - Pianist - Technician

Lb:

We did agree on something.

But could still both be right .

[What beer we're gonna open then? ]

norbert

Here's my take of it:

Bechstein 'experimented' with the idea of actually building a fullfledged model grand in Korea.

Samick most likely pushed for that.

So...there 'testing the waters' a bit with perhaps one "Erlkoenig" [prototype] model.

Which was introduced [quietly!] during last NAMM.

To see [and read... ] how things are being taken by the rest of the piano world.

And present the 'result' later in an animated discussion between two 'loggerhead' cultures in another one of those table top smashing meetings.....

Stay tuned for the story to unfold.....as time goes by!

norbert

Norbert

[What beer we're gonna open then? ]

We'll have to make it Budweiser, there is no political problem with that one, who can say that it wasn't developed and originated right here in the U.S.A.?

lb

Whether made in Korea or not does it not seem unwise to try to trick the public by omitting the "C" on pianos made to a different standard than the original? Is it not like ommitting the "and Sons" from Steinway's name on certain pianos made to a lower price point?

Budweiser was originally developed in the old old town of 'Budweis', now proudly belonging to the Czech Republic.....

But I'm not hung up on those small details.

Good things are like people.

It doesn't matter where they're from....

.....but where they're * going *.

norbert