Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Pleyel will end production next month

Not quite accurate, though. Stephen Paulello makes pianos, in France.

I thought they had stopped already a year or so ago?

And I think Chavanne still is making pianos in Toulouse.

Dommage.

Bummer.

Hello, beethoven986-
What accuracy problem are you pointing out, exactly?

Thanks-

I think he's referring to the opening line in the linked article, which states that

"The last piano manufacturer in France – and by far the most famous – will cease production next month, it was announced today."

Larry.

Larry,

OK, thanks.

Regards-

Sadly, yet another example of the decline in the demand for fine pianos.

Robert.

This is sad, but it won't be the first time Pleyel had their production moved. They were made for a time in Germany by Schimmel.

Also, the pianos may be of the highest quality, but they are so very, very expensive. The top end of the market is difficult and on the world stage there really is only Steinway and Yamaha at the top, Fazioli, Bechstein and Bluthner as the sort of connoissuer's alternative, with Fazioli being probably the most famous of these. Bosendorfer was bought by Yamaha as you all know, so that's what saved them. They'd have gone under otherwise, most likely.

There are other fine makes that make concert level instruments, but none of them are really conquering the market. Steinway and Yamaha are the only ones big enough to fund marketing campaigns that reach enough people, and (in the UK at least), they have a team of great technicians making sure that the pianos in the high profile venues are always in top playing condition. It's wonderful that Steinway and Yamaha have that, of course, but it does mean that when a pianist comes across another make of piano that isn't as well kept, they blame the piano rather than the set up, and so the make is rubbished.

The high end of the piano market is an aggressive world, because it's such an expensive product aimed at such an elite market, which is very much the thin end of the wedge. It would be nice if all these wonderful makers could have a place in the world but it seems like they can't.

I have never played a Pleyel, and I had never heard of the brand either, before searching the Internet for French pianos.
Pleyels was an old brand, but Fazioli is not. And yet, Fazioli managed to make a name for itself. All they did was build the best pianos in the world.

So there is a market for expensive high-quality pianos. If Pleyel didn't make it, then they probably weren't good enough.

I know a couple of people who have Pleyel uprights made after the arrangement with Schimmel was terminated. To be honest, they are pretty ordinary instruments which (at least in France) sold at a premium because of their name.

This is an advert, if anybody is interested.

J-C,

You might want to edit your quote out of your post. I reported the ad and they are being pulled.

I would like to have seen that ad. I'm a big boy. I don't need someone watching out for me, thanks.