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I just brought a 52" J strauss and Sons for $5,500. Do deal or not?

*good deal or not.

You're joking right? Strauss is up there on the top ten list of worst pianos ever made.

You already bought the piano.

Doesn't matter if it was a good deal or not.

Strauss and J strauss and Sons are a different brand i think.

Or maybe i am wrong and the sales person lied to me.

J. Strauss and Son and Strauss are different pianos. This Tech is not familiar with all the brands out there. I think a piano that retails for $10,000 and you bought it for $5500 is a great deal. I have played the J. Strauss and Son 52" pianos and I think they blow away most of the 52" pianos on the market today. Don't listen to these nay sayers, who work for particular dealers and try to persuade you to buy pianos from their employers. You did good. Period. Now go and enjoy your new piano

The J. Strauss was a stencil brand sold by East Coast Piano who, I believe is now out of business.

In the past you posted:

"I would check out some national brands like Baldwin. When a piano is made only for one store, if that store decides to close, you will have no help with your piano."

Yet, here you recommend the J. Strauss, a piano made solely for ECP???

And $5500 for a Chinese stencil upright is NOT a good deal.

What experience do you have in the piano industry that you based your opinions on?

I just brought a J strauss and son recently. And I didn't get it from East coast piano. So I don't know what you guys are talking about saying that only East Coast piano sells it. Plus, that place is out of business anyway.

There is a general tone on this forum that asian pianos are no good. Which i think it is terrible to say. I have owned a Samick, (at my parent's place), and a J strauss and son in my own apartment. On top of that, I practice on steinways at school, and a friend of mine owns a steinway baby grand (and he takes really good care of it). I have played extensive on both ends and I have to say both of my pianos are really good.

Apart from the piano industry, I feel like americans and europeans are hating the fact that jobs are being out source to places in china because of their low wages. So they are saying bad things about their products, like their work is sloppy or whatever. There are no unions in china and tons of people without jobs. So workers have to do their best or else they are going to get fired. How are your claims justified?

America and europe are no longer an industrial country, they have become service industries over the last 50 years. However, there are people here who only have production skills trying to hold on to their jobs. (Example, the auto industry. And look where they took detroit.)

I know some of your argue that pianos in Asia are not handmade. Yes, they is true. But that only difference is really in the details. A good dealer will prep your piano well (regulation, voicing, etc), so the difference in details are not a big deal.

The only real importance is the materials being put into the piano. Just find a piano that is made of good materials. I did extensive research on what everything is made of before purchasing.

Of everyone that is speaking about what pianos are good or not, who has really taken apart your own piano to see how everything works? Who really understands the laws of physics to see what components really matters in the working of a piano? Because I have.

Please understand Globalization, corporate propaganda, and marketing. In every industry, there are bad and good products. There is a good deal to be found everywhere. Do not bash on a whole industry.

Wong718,
You have been a member of the forum for 11 days and this is your first post. Your comment, "There is a general tone on this forum that asian pianos are no good." Is a little off the wall. Many of us are supporters and big fans of Yamaha, Kawai, Samick products, Hailun, Brodmann, etc. You might want to hand around just a little longer before you make sweeping generalizations like this.

There are a reported 50-80 piano factories in China today. The huge bulk of these have been building pianos for less than five years. Every major brand, including the big boys, have gone through the storm and stress of learning to work with wood and build consistent instruments. Another big challenge is curing the wood to be successful in Western markets with significantly lower humidity. Most agree that the Chinese are shortening the learning curve by studying the playbooks from those who have gone before. However, it still takes time to get it right. Posters have identified a few Chinese manufacturers who are there with decent performing products and these are touted daily on this forum.

While most folks have a preferrence for either Yamaha or Kawai, I don't know too many on the forum or in the shopping public that do not have respect for both of these companies.

I take pianos apart every day and witness the design, materials, and workmanship. I have been doing it for over 35 years.

Hi Wong718,

Welcome to the forum. New member comments are always welcome, even though some may disagree. Everyone has their own opinion

I do agree with some of your comments. There are several Chinese manufacturers are are doing a fine job with pianos, but there are some that are not so good. From my 30+ years in this business, I don't agree the general tone is against all asian pianos. As Marty pointed out, Kawai & Yamaha, as well as others, are certainly considered very good instruments, from reliable manufacturers. It seems the doubt typically comes from names that aren't so readily recognizable, and/or a "newcomer". There are so many factors to consider. Not only materials, but the skill level of the labor force is extremely important. A company might have a bunch of good materials, but if they're not put together in a skilled manner with solid design requirements, what good are they?

I think everyone who owns a piano and/or sells them should take the time to have a piano action pulled and explained to them as to how it works. It brings a whole new understanding about this amazing instrument! (This is one of the highlights of our annual recitals - the parents are particularly interested in the actual workings of the instruments and they have a whole new appreciation for the complexity of the piano.)

As far as stencil pianos go, (or any others for that matter), any warranty is from the manufacturer, not the dealer. This fact sometimes seems to be forgotten. Granted, a piano needs to be purchased from a dealer authorized to sell the brand for the warranty to be valid.

What it eventually comes down to, is what piano is right for you? Touch, tone, aesthetics, warranty, dealer prep, and of course, price. There are so many factors to consider.

I'm not intending to stir up anyone's ire here, but let's face it, kind words go so much further to encourage new members to stay on the forum and engage in discourse than sarcastic comments right off the bat. Now how about another cup of coffee.....

Nancy is right. I apologize Wong718. Welcome to the forum and sorry for the spanking.

I thought Nancy was talking about Wong's comments; their tone was not exactly endearing. Didn't see anything wrong with what you had to say, Marty.

Oh well, we can all take a lesson from a poor example... if we're smart enough to figure out which one it is.