Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Ordering a new piano

I don't see anything "disgusting" about it. Because one person can't afford something doesn't make it disgusting for someone who can afford it to buy it. There are plenty of things only wealthy people can afford. No one has more right to own a piano more than someone else just because they're skills are greater. People have the right to own things they can afford for whatever reason they want to. Buying an expensive piano for its appearance only, for status, to place photos on is just as good a reason as any other.

True car lovers have one reason for wanting an expensive car and investors have another reason and neither reason is "better".

In an ideal world, every beginner would start on a "D" Steinway or equivalent. Well, maybe I exaggerate a little. But an awful lot more would be still playing today.

I'm only intermediate, but I appreciate the best - I can afford. I sacrificed with other things like holidays away, small basic car etc.

I had one dealer's tuner say that for my standard I don't need as good a piano as I aspired to. I didn't buy anything there! And he had that attitude with the pianos he prepared - very ordinary.

Of course people can own whatever they want for whatever reason. But what a complete waste of a perfectly good piano !!

Regarding variability between pianos (seen near the beginning of the thread)... I'd heard that Japanese pianos were supposedly very consistent from one piano to the next.

Well, a few years ago, I was temporarily tuning for a local Yamaha dealer. I was in their warehouse, and tuned two Yamaha verticals (about 44-45" home furniture style, forgot exactly which models now) one day. They were brand new pianos and hadn't been on the sales floor yet. (I may have even removed some packing material, I don't remember now, although the pianos were already uncrated.)
In spite of the two Yamahas being the same model number and having consecutive serial numbers, I could detect a tonal difference in some areas between the two pianos.

Am I the only one that has ever noticed something like that?

I prefer to personally play a piano before I buy it. Also pretty much every time I will not be ready to commit to buy on that visit. (However, I did decide to buy a few 1950s Baldwin Hamiltons on the day I looked at them.)

It's only a waste of you assume the only reason to own a piano is to play it. But that's a false assumption IMO.

The selling of pianos, in any type of market, benefits the entire industry and helps to keep the builders building and the piano shop doors open. That's good!

For our retailers in the forum, is it common to work with interior designers who are shopping on behalf of clients? Do they mostly fall into the special order category for specific cabinetry?

To special order, or shoping from floor stock, seems to boil down to the purchasing preference of the one holding the checkbook. In this way it can be very similar to buying a new car. Let's not dismiss either method. It's all good.

I suppose it is similar to the assumptions that we buy food to eat, clothes to wear, cars to drive and houses to live in. If people buy these items for other purposes (or buy them but ultimately don't use them - like the pool in my backyard ), then that's their business. At least some of the wealthy non-players who buy expensive pianos as status symbols have the good sense to install player systems or invite friends over to play their fine instruments. After all - no matter how they are ultimately used - pianos are originally designed and built to be played.

I agree pianos are designed as musical instruments, but I don't think it's fair to say that wealthy people who don't play piano necessarily buy expensive pianos for status. Status is just one possible reason although I think it's just as good a reason as any other and should not be criticized.

Of course status is just one possible reason. I personally don't care why anyone buys anything. After all, consumer spending keeps the economy moving. But I sometimes get annoyed when I see a perfectly good instrument going to waste - no matter who owns it.

While Steinway prides itself on no two pianos being alike, that simply isn't the other case with other brands, either higher or lower on the quality spectrum. No other manufacturer has to bake in the price of flying you out to the factory to sample a piano into the price of their concert grands. You can generally expect consistency among quality pianos of the same make and revision.

So consistent that you would you pay $200,000 for a Steingraeber without playing it first?

It's only going to waste if you think that the only valid use for a piano is making music.

I ordered my piano and it was delivered to the house in the crate. After it was set up the tuner/dealer checked it out and said it didn't need tuning yet (after a trip from New York) and it was about four or five months before he did come back to tune it. Finish was perfect, tone fabulous, and action wonderful. I had waited almost two years for it. But it could have been otherwise. Because of the long wait I had considered canceling and going for another make but the factory rep advised me to be patient and told me that I would be happy with it when it came--and I was and have been since.

As for people buying wonderful instruments, I'm sure some are just for show, and others might be for someone who has plenty of money and little ability but wants the best, or someone who can't play but enjoys others playing when they visit or many sponsor musicals in their home or hire pianists for their parties. So perhaps they don't go entirely unused.

One wealthy lady I knew had two Steinway grands in her home--she was a pianist and on the board of the Metropolitan. She donated a Baldwin Concert Grand to the college at home and I gave the initial program on it as the Guest Artist (only time I received that designation).

But keeping the manufacturers in business is good too!! I knew a person who bought one just to fit his decor. How often it would be played--or even tuned would be problematical.

Ralph

Was this your Mason BB or Estonia?

Since IMHO the only valid use for a piano is making music, then, yes, it is going to waste. I assume that sooner or later the vast majority of pianos are played (when they change hands, for example). It's simply a matter of time. And, of course, there's nothing quite like getting a sweet deal on an an older instrument that is in pristine, "as new" condition !!

I don't have any objection to people buying what they can afford, but it seems foolish to spend $100,000 plus to purchase a piece of furniture if you don't plan to use it for it's intended purpose. I'm very glad for the manufacturers and sales organizations. The whole thing smells of affectation. I personally feel that a concert grand with the top down in a home where nobody ever plays it, and it is covered with photos, gives a negative connotation as the perceived desperate status seeker. Why not paper you walls with 100 bills. Less subtle, but effective. LOL

I'd rather see a fine piano with a brass plaque noting it's generous donor, placed in a community area where it could be enjoyed and played by many. Perhaps even more effective for the status of the donor?

I don't know why anyone involved with pianos, either as a student, teacher, dealer, or just someone who appreciates piano music would be the least bit upset about someone having a nice piano in their home, even if it's rarely played.

If all of a sudden people started buying $100,000 pianos instead of $100,000 rims and wheels for their cars, the world would be a better place--even if it's just for "bling."

When I was shopping for pianos, I found many wonderful instruments that I would have liked, but could not afford. Some of them were of such quality that I would imagine ordering a piano of the same size unseen would not be a big risk, but one never knows how much prep brought those fabulous instruments to the level I found when trying them? I am speaking of brand-new C. Bechstein, Schimmel Konzert, Bluthner, and Bosies in 7 foot or larger sizes. I think you could order one of these and a competent tech could make them delightful. Now, for some of the less expensive piano brands? I don't know. Maybe one of the higher-level Japanese pianos. I keep reading that they are quite consistent from piano to piano, but I have no experience with finding more than one of any of the models I tried. I guess I am basically a try-it-out kind of guy.

Pianoloverus

The BB! I didn't expect them to bring it in the crate but I had about 8 or so students from school there to help lift it. Fabulous and still is. Estonia was not in the crate tho it was supposed to be and I almost refused it but we 'negotiated' and I accepted it. BB weighs about the same as the Estonia tho is Estonia is a bit heavier.

Ralph