Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Pianist Magazine "Must Visit Piano Shops in the USA"

Just noticed this:

https://www.pianistmagazine.com/news/must-visit-piano-shops-in-the-usa/

Fun that 3 of the 4 shops listed have active members on the forum. Have visited all and enjoyed my time there!

Nice article, I've been to Pianoforte. Surprised they didn't mention Pianoland, they always have a wide range of interesting used pianos they're selling and rebuilding.

While it's been a while since I've been there, I am so glad to see Cunningham Piano ("... one of America's oldest and most respected ...") on the list of the four "Must Visit Piano Shops in the USA." Congratulations, Rich, and your team.

Regards,

Nice to see Both Sam and Rich's shop on the list.

Congrats gentlemen.

If only the nearest of these was closer than a 10 hour drive for me. 😕

Bummer, no West Coast shops!

Congrats to PianoWorks, PianoForte and Cunningham! I was very happy to see this.

Congratulations as well! Nice job!

Friends:

The above shops are very worthy and well-chosen, but certainly not the Chicago concern. It's not within hailing distance of the other shops. However, James Reeder's shop in Lansing, Michigan, IS worthy to stand with the others.
Hope that the above is not too blunt but I could say more, more in praise of Rich, of Keith, and of Sam, and of Mr. Reeder. There is a big difference between a slick retailer charging top dollar and shops that CAN and DO support artists with painstaking work.
Of course, one could name a small number of truly superb boutique shops. One thinks of Ed McMorrow, of Peter Grey, of Dale Erwin, and the fabulous Jim Iallegio, all of whom have enviable reputations.
Neither of these lists is definitive but the above certainly represent the creme de la creme.

Not intended to incite violence, demonstrations, or crushing rejoinders.

Karl Watson,
Staten Island, NY
(born in rural Michigan)

I think we should keep in mind that the author of the article, Ellie Palmer, is not necessarily a "known quantity" nor do we know what her qualifications are nor how she did her research.
I think we should keep in mind that the author of the article, Ellie Palmer, is not necessarily a "known quantity" nor do we know how she did her research.

Her bio: on Pianist

I'm Ellie - Online Editor for Pianist! I graduated from Leeds College of Music before joining up with the Pianist team. I'm thrilled to be able to share my expertise with you and hopefully help you improve your playing. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me through my email above.


Regards,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Karl. I haven't been to any of these shops, but I was surprised not to see some others, maybe only because I have my own list of destination shops I'd like to visit. Beethoven Pianos comes to mind, but it may be changing since Carl Demler passed... As with the other shops you mentioned, we all have our own critieria for visiting. For example, I'd be probably more interested in stomping around in Beethoven's warehouse than the showroom! Same as I'd probably choose Cunningham's factory over their showroom! (and nothing wrong with showrooms, of course). I have relatives in Lansing, so I'll have to add Reeder's shop to my list for next time I'm up that way.

But yeah, "criteria." Without specifying why these are "must see," it's sort of meaningless (not that I disagree with the choices...three are on my own list). Highlighting the four this way tacitly suggests that others are not worth seeing! For example, is there nothing on the west coast worth seeing?

My gut feeling, and as BruceD sort of hints, I suspect that these are just 4 places the author enjoyed visiting. Clearly, she's on the mark with some of her picks, but perhaps in totality it's a little misleading.

Funny aside...

I almost checked PianoCraft off the other day. As I posted elsewhere, I need caster cups for my project console. When I was waiting for my Baldwin M to be delivered years ago, I just bought some cups at a nearby shop, but the other day I almost leapt into my car and bolted across town to PianoCraft. I've been wanting to go, and also remembered they carry the new Baldwins.

Then it occurred to me that they're by appointment, iirc, certainly in this Covid-19 season. And yeah, "covid" in general. I think that's fueling my cabin fever. The other reality check was that it's 45 minutes each way (not including traffic and construction, of which there's a surprisingly large amount these days).

So, I did the "sensible" thing and ordered some online.

btw, it also occurred to me that PianoCraft may not sell something as mundane as caster cups, but I guess I just wanted an excuse to go. To get out of the house. Normalcy... sigh.

Anyway, one of these days.

Please feel free to make an appointment or call me with any piano needs you may have or just to talk pianos. Yes, we have always been by appointment and are quite strict now with covid but we are also very accommodating and it would be great to have you visit.

Retsacnal - You've never been to PianoCraft?
You've got to be kidding, it's so close!
(I mean, you have to deal with Keith, but the pianos are pretty darned nice)

I was at PianoCraft with SiFi for a piano recital and met Keith!

It is nice to see shops that do serious rebuilding listed.

Larry Fines publications never seem to give innovative rebuilders any coverage any more. Perhaps because we don't advertise?

Wait.... is this true? I have been trying to make an appointment with Keith for YEARS but he will never set one up for me. Next time I will try telling him I need caster cups. Maybe THAT will do it. 😂😀

Thanks, Keith.

I actually missed a couple opportunities to visit in the last year or so. One was the concert Tyrone mentioned. I don’t recall why, but if it was on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, then I was teaching the last two semesters. The other was a DC PTG meeting hosted at your shop. I think those are usually Monday’s, but I only go if the tech session sounds interesting. They seem to alternate between the Yamaha and Steinway dealers. In this case I wanted to go specifically because it was at Pianocraft, but again there was some conflict. Probably a staff meeting or research seminar. It’s a pretty long slog over, especially at rush hour, so I tend to drive over mid afternoon and find a coffee shop or somewhere to work until the meeting time. If I can’t get away at a reasonable time, I don’t go.

Yeah, crazy I know. I don’t know why, but until recently I thought his place was closer to Baltimore, but it’s definitely in suburban DC. Still, it’s a long haul. 45 minutes if traffic is light (which is rare). It’s usually closer to 90, and that’s just one way.

Caster cups are important! Weight capacity and dispersal; plastic, wood or glass; color; sound dampening properties; color; etc. They really merit a sub forum of their own, if not an entire website.

www.castercupworld.com