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Bravo !

No you are not prejudiced. All you say is very correct.

This is something today's modern New Yorkers will never appreciate. Money, money, money... That is what they worship.

Hey Norbert, how come you left the Burgetts off your list? Surely they rank up there with Dr. Laul.

I guess I do not need really to ask why you omitted them, having reviewed the list of brands you sell. . . . You probably have not had the chance to talk with them. They are incredible, and devoted to their brand and to the goal of keeping North American piano manufacturing alive.

I guess we will have to wait and see what happens with Steinway. But that was always true. Mason and Hamlin might end up the only North American-made piano. I would not like to see that happen, I have to say--Steinway could become great again. And our continent needs to keep up its glorious piano traditions. I do think the Burgetts are doing a great job, but it would be nice to keep Steinway here too.

What about Walter Pianos?

I agree. The difference in point-of-view between the European piano industry owners and that of Steinway couldn't be more different.

Mason & Hamlin and Walters are philosophically closer to the Europeans that to Steinway.

[I am not a dealer for, nor a consultant to any of the companies mentioned in this thread.]

I'm going to do a "Karnack" the magnificent prediction. All pre buyout Steinway piano prices
will skyrocket(and used ones too!) ...

So, in the midst of all this doom and gloom speculation, are there any official statements on what's going to happen?

...cough, cough... WALTER!!!!!... cough, cough.....

Don't know about New Yorkers.

But those money worshipppers will have a harder time to do so when there's none left.

But then I can't really tell what people do in this economy..

Norbert

cough*cough*Ravencroft*cough*cough

Somehow, with all this talk about money grubbing banksters, I feel the need to apologize for the fact that my dad works for a certain big financial company

So he's a criminal?

True - but (per Larry Fine) "Currently, only four to six [Ravenscroft] pianos are produced yearly, with pricing beginning at $230,000 for a model 220, and up to $550,000 for a model 275 with "all the extras," including titanium string terminations, exotic veneers, intarsia, artwork, and inlays of precious stones." Probably wonderful instruments, but hardly an option for the vast majority of piano buyers......

and what about Astin-Weight?? *cough, cough*

Sorry for my omissions. This thread is a terrific reminder that there are great American made pianos out there!

But just not enough of them !!

I don't know much about the other brands, but Bostons are overpriced for what they are. IMO, so are Steinways (not everyone will agree). Many people/institutions buy Steinway based on the name alone. Now that Steinway "sold out" I'd be surprised if the quality stays the same. The Steinway name won't carry as much heft as it used to. In the age of digital pianos, the acoustic piano makers that survive will be the ones who can make a quality piano at an affordable price.

There may be another one coming soon.

Steve - That's just too much of a teaser to not beg for some inside info! You gotta tell us more or face the throngs of crazed villagers rampaging with torches.

Steinway didn't just suddenly "sell out." It's been a public company for years, and when a company is public, it must respond to the wishes of its many shareholders.

As for the suggestion that the only makers to survive will be those that make "a quality piano at an affordable price," a couple of points:

If by "survive," you mean, "sell many thousands of pianos," we're already there. The largest volume auto sellers are going to be Toyota, Hyundai,and Tata Motors, and the largest volume piano sellers are going to be Yamaha, Kawai, and one or more of the Chinese makers. Corollas are great if you want a Corolla or if that's the most expensive car you can afford.

In the meantime, I hear that a number of the top tier makers are producing all the pianos they can comfortably produce. They're going to survive precisely because enough buyers to keep them productively busy know the difference between a Hyundai and a Ferrari and would prefer a Ferrari, thank you very much.

Whether Steinway continues to occupy the market niche it now occupies will be entirely up to Steinway's new owners. My own guess is that they're looking to burnish and monetize an already valuable prestige brand name, and you can't meet that goal if product performance slips.

No one will buy a Ferrari (at a customary Ferrari price) that performs like a Hyundai. But enough are willing to buy cars that perform at or above Ferrari's current performance standards.

Moving back to pianos - Steinway specifically, I agree, with one important qualifier - How many buyers can determine if the "Ferrari" they are looking to purchase performs like a "Hyundai?"

Jonathan

Some, though surely not all. Same is true for car buyers.

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