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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4
Junior Member
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4 |
Ok, our church is getting ready to purchase a grand piano in the St. Louis, MO area and the 3 pianos that we are looking at are the: KCM 600 (Kohler & Campbell)$12K, WKG58 (Knobe) 18K both of these pianos come from Mid West Music Center in Chesterfield, MO, and a 6'1" Pramberger (Sign. series), 15K from Piano Distributors in Fairview, IL. I've done a little research and it really gets confusing as name have been sold and brands change...oi. So my questions, is which one is the better quality and most for the money? Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated!
Last edited by championjeremy; 03/15/12 11:09 AM.
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,559
7000 Post Club Member
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Joined: May 2006
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How large is the space in which the piano will be placed? Will the piano be miked or just used acoustically? Have you read through the entries in the pianobuyer about each instrument, and buying for an institution?
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4
Junior Member
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OP
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4 |
It will set on the platform of the stage, so about a 6'1" is as big as we can go without it looking to overpowering on the stage. The piano will most likely be miked and I have not read the entries in the pianobuyer or institution. Have just looked through the entries on this forum
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,559
7000 Post Club Member
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7000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2006
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The ad for the pianobuyer is currently linked at left and has some good info you can read for free.
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4
Junior Member
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OP
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Yes, sorry, I have read this. Bits and pieces, I have. It was good background infomation on the different brands.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 649
500 Post Club Member
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500 Post Club Member
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Welcome to the forum, Championjeremy. I'm reading two questions here: are the prices mentioned good value for the piano and which piano will serve best in a church setting. Am I right? Here's my opinion, for the little bit it's worth. The Wm. Knabe is the best buy, in terms of discount. It's discounted over 20% from Pianobuyer's SMP (suggested maximum price). The Kohler & Campbell is discounted less than 10% and the Pramberger is a tick over SMP. If you haven't read Pianobuyer's pricing guide, you need to. Here's a link: http://www.pianobuyer.com/fall11/brand-index.htmlPLEASE read the introduction. The link is at the top of the page. You won't get the complete picture without the introduction. Of the three pianos mentioned, I would lean toward the Knabe or the K&C. The Pramberger signature line is a cut below. You would need to move up to the Pramberger platinum series, but it'll cost as much as the Knabe. I guess I'm saying that the K&C at the right price would be your best bang for your buck, but the quoted price is too high. Now to the second question: What'll work best in a church setting. I'm not the one to answer. You need the advice of a tech who services these pianos. I'm sure one will speak up soon. Other suggestions: Have you considered Hailun 178, Brodmann PE-187, Ritmuller GH188 or Weber AW60? These appear to be among the best of the Chinese pianos. They're well spoken of here. You'll get pretty good value with these pianos. The Brodmann and the Ritmuller are both 6'2", so they might be be a tad large. The Hailun is 5'10 and the Weber is 6'1". Weber's AW57 is 5'9", if you think 6'1" is too much. The question is how will they serve in a church? Anyway, I'll back out here and let others tell you why I'm completely out to lunch. Best of luck. Charles
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 4
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OP
Junior Member
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Charles, Thanks for the input, it was helpful. I kinda had a feeling that the Pramberger was a cut below, but wasn't too sure. The buyers guide definitely helped. So to sum up what I'm hearing, the Knabe is a decent deal? I just want to make sure we're getting a good quality instrument.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 649
500 Post Club Member
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500 Post Club Member
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The Knabe is priced about 22% below SMP. Pianobuyer says you should be looking for 10-30% off in this economy, depending on your local market. $18K seems a fair price - if you like the piano. Demand free delivery and a tuning or two. I would imagine it would serve your church well, but I would rather hear a tech experienced with Knabes say that.
That said, do note that Knabe, K&C and Pramberger are ALL made by Samick. The K&C KCM600 and the pramberger JP series are roughly equal in quality to the Knabe, according to PB. When I compared prices, I looked at the KCM600 in the polished ebony finish, their cheapest finish. If it's another finish, you need to check the price in Pianobuyer.
I still suggest you check out the other pianos I mentioned, especially the Hailun 178. It's a very popular, well-regarded piano and its SMP is only $15144 compared to $23000 for the Knabe. If your church is anything like mine, it's watching every dime and that's a big price difference.
Charles
ps: Okay, techs and dealers. I could use some help here. I'm sure the OP deserves some more informed advice that I can offer.
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