Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Yamaha C1, thoughts?

This much is obvious but again a moot point. The funding is the parent’s and the parent makes the decision wise or not.

Unlikely to change the mind of an autocrat Steve, Pianobuyer publications notwithstanding.



It is the sense of entitlement to form an opinion of how someone else’ money is to be spent that I find galling in the extreme.

I would agree with you, BUT....

As I understand from the topic, the man who is spending money doesen't know anything about pianos and rely on opinion of one teacher that "X company is the best and the rest is not worth" and is treating this as his final and best statement.

It's not the way a piano on which somebody else will be playing should be bought. This is kinda like your father would choose a wife for you without asking do you like her or not...

All we need to do, I think, is do some education.
Yamaha is excellent about their marketing and dozens of systems in pianos, but the point that systems doesn't play.

Maybe he should go with his father to big piano store and play on some other brands and speak with seller or technicians?

BTW, one I found comparison of 10k Samick piano and Yamaha GB (or something like this, the cheapest grand from them) and Yamaha did so many saving even on hammers that a lot chepaer Samick won the test easily. So, in my opinion, while buying cheap pianos doesn't mean that well known brand will be much better than Korean ar any other.

And, when people are educated, they have more fun with choosing the instrument, seeing and hearing the differences and enjoying playing on different kind of instruments.

Steven,

Could you elaborate on that? I'm trying to get a mental fix on th type of consumer Norbert is describing -- the one who welcomes Chinese products into his home and takes pride in their origin. For example, he mentions students. Chinese nationals in the US for study enter via student visas. They may well be from wealthy families, but it would be highly unusual for them to acquire a grand piano during a student stay for the obvious reason that their stay here is conditional upon remaining a student. Also student life and grand pianos don't mix. Chinese worker fathers who are in the US for job reasons and have left the family behind are generally here by means of work visas which are controlled in part by their employers. Their stay here is based on their employers' posting them here. Generally, they do not acquire expensive pianos during their stay, particularly Chinese ones.

Truly wealthy Chinese can literally buy their way into permanent residency in the US by showing assets that prove conclusively that they will not become welfare clients during their stay. But even in that instance, in my experience resistance to Chinese goods is high, and attraction to goods from elsewhere that are perceived to be of higher prestige and quality is equally high. I'm not endorsing that repulsion and attraction. It's just what I've noticed in my own experience. It doesn't come from any sort of objective evaluation, simply from a distaste.

I'm not up to speed on Canadian immigration and I have no idea why Chiense immigrants would enter Canada for different reasons that they enter California, but I would like to learn about it.

It always amazes me how quick generalizations are being made from one part of the continent to another.

Chinese immigrants have a very long history in Canada, they have contributed immensely to the development of our country.
By the way, a large group is born here and indistinguishable from any other.

Hong Kong immigrants came to B.C. en masse in the 70's and 80's as have Taiwanese and now it's mostly Mainland Chinese.

It's a very mixed group and no "general statement" applies to all of them.
Perhaps the super rich prefer certain products, but that's not all we have.

Regardless of what specific background they may be, all are driven to give their kids the best they can afford, be they super rich or *not*

In addition, most recognize a good deal when they see one. [me too, by the way... ]

So there is without doubt a diversification of what is being bought these days involving all kinds of makes and products.

And then there always is ["was"] the zillions of grey-market pianos many now wish they wouldn't have bought.

Nobody taking them even into trade these days..

One doesn't have to calculate national statistics to realize it's a very different world out there.

The only good thing being that soon the great American Baldwin will enjoy a tremendous come back - just don't ask me "why"

Norbert

Most ignorant post I have read on PianoWorld so far. Maybe if you open your mind a little you will understand a bit more. I bet you think all Blacks are criminals and Asians only know how to copy others. What else are you ignorant of?

No, I'm not ignorant. You have no idea what it's like to deal with my dad and trust me, however stupid and un-human this may sound the way he just "brushes" off people that he think are irrelevant makes you want to throw a shoe at him. The way he thinks he can control all family matters and child futures is infuriating. He was the one who demolished my sisters dream and I'm pretty sure you have no idea how that feels.

By all means, I do know I am a spoiled child in this matter. I understand that there are many people in this world who cannot afford even a Yamaha B1. But the difference is that I am not them, my dad CAN afford it and he knows how important piano is to me. I enjoy music and everything about the piano.

I hope you understand that you may think I'm a spoiled, stubborn child that has been rubbed off of by his parent. But I think it is to soon for you to judge who or what I am.
You know litle about me and nothing about my family history. So please don't make rash assumptions like that about me again.

I am sorry about this message, I just don't like it when people judge me to soon.

Um Jason, I think that adak was referring to turandot.

Huh? I was replying to Silverwood Pianos wasn't I?
Sorry, I'm still not all that familiar with this forums functions. I was trying to reply to the user Silverwood Pianos.

Norbert,

On Feb. 20th of this year, I received an e-mail from a piano retailer in Surrey, BC commenting on the market reception for his Chinese pianos. There was no request for confidentiality from the sender. The e-mail came from his store account to my personal e-mai accountl. The retailer purported to be you. Here is his comment:

"Personally I start loosing interest in the Ritmueller-Brodmann crowd, prices are never low enough and its becoming a pissing contest. [white or non-Chinese crowd mostly…"

I had not requested the information. I did however reply with a commentt that the sender should resolve the differences between that comment and his frequent public pronouncements that Chinese immigrants were embracing their home country's piano products. The sender did not reply.

I'd like to repeat that suggestion. I'd also like you to come to a realization that generations of Chinese emigrants who made their home in Canada decades ago should be properly referred to as Canadians, not as immigrants. That does not mean that they devalue their cultural heritage. It simply puts them on equal footing with other Canadiann citizens, including you.

Oh I forgot to mention something,
In Edmonton, piano selections are very limited. Don's Warehouse pianos have a wider selection but still limited.

Anyone know any piano stores close to Edmonton that have wide selection?

This is repugnant. The contents of private email should never be disclosed in public conversation.

"...Just count your blessings. If my parents were buying me a piano, I would take whatever brand they insist on and not argue...."

Well, Jason, I might argue harder in your behalf, if by luck or what-have-you (bribed teacher testimony, pig-headed prejudice--- who knows, it could be anything; it could be his horoscope), anyway, if by bad luck your dad had gotten his mind set on a really bad piano. But, that is not the case; your luck is good. I'm sorry about your sister, I can see that what happened hurts you. It may be of slight consolation that since I am old-and-wore-out, I have found out that life is a lot longer than I imagined when I was young, as you are. It may not be too late for your sister to find her dream again (these things are very strong). And in the end, you may have the piano that you long for.

If you can be patient for a few years with your dad's gift, maybe you will have something of value to trade in, which will help you move up the piano food chain. That is how most of us do it. If you work it right, you will make your dad proud that your accomplishments have let you outgrow this very nice and generous gift. By the time you move up, you will have also had time to persuade him that you know a lot about pianos--- as well as a lot about playing.

More love and appreciation--- these make a person open up. Less fighting--- it makes people afraid, and closes their goodwill toward you.

Well anyway, good luck.

Jason, you should focus on the music that you love, and the fact that your father, however narrow minded he seems, must also love you, or he would not be buying a grand piano. So in the end, don't worry about the small things. They don't matter. While you are in shopping mode, small differences between models and brands seem like a canyon, but once at home and you have that new piano smell, when you focus on the music itself, none of it matters.

Work with your dad, and keep us posted which piano you end up with; and post pictures.

To publish a pm is really something else and I thought Turandot as long time writer would be somewhat above that.

What he forget to say is that mine were simple responses to his many [unsolicited] mails to me, perhaps in an effort to at least have one friendly supporter remaining on site.

Having said that, the whole thread gives evidence of how things start to become contested "for just pennies" out there.

Those who [still] believe I'm here to fight it out for Chinese makers better be left in that illusion.

Fact is is that when you move up the ranks into more expensive, more "special" pianos, things do change a little bit.

Longer smiles and better players too. Nobody ego-ridden,wanting to "fight it out to the end", argumentative even when there's no argument, publishing pm's or doing other nasty stuff. The only frustration or question asked: "when does piano arrive?"

Which brings smiles back to the grind.

Confession offered - hopefully accepted.

Now let's hear from Tur - before I publish one of his pm's...

Norbert

This thread is really going places.

To the OP, just get the Yamaha, you are damn lucky to be getting a grand piano from your parents, and Yamaha makes great pianos, so enjoy it, that is really all there is to say.

I honestly don't like what I'm reading in this thread... It has reached a point of critical mass in my view and is on the verge of getting out of hand (if it hasn't already).

As far as turandot posting private emails from others to make his point, I suppose that is his prerogative, for better or worse.

My advice to everyone is to be careful what you write and send to someone over the internet; it may well come back to haunt you or be used against you at some point.

This thread is closed.