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From another recent thread...



If only that were the prevailing sentiment! I just finished shopping for a piano, and only half of the dealers I visited had tuned their stock. One whose (new) pianos were reasonably in tune had instruments with obvious regulation issues that they would, of course, address after sale/before delivery...

Could anyone imagine test-driving a new car with underinflated tires, a clogged fuel line, and other miscellaneous mechanical issues, and being asked to consider buying it? Is this just a sign of how tough these times are?

Jmcintyre,

We are fortunate to have 5 dealerships in our local area. Two of them are top notch, the other 3, not so much. The two great ones have principals that are highly proficient technicians and all their floor stock receives regular service. I would think that they have a distinct advantage over the dealerships that have to pay outside contractors for every tuning and regulation.

You are right... to expect someone to be favorably impressed with an out of tune instrument or one that needs regulation, etc. is not very realistic. First impressions are hard, if not impossible, to change.

Your car dealership analogy is a good one. Since many new pianos cost as much as a some cars or maybe more, it would seem that having floor stock that is not in top shape is self defeating.

As with any business, the good dealers work very hard at being a good dealer, it doesn't just happen by itself. It is obvious they inject a lot of enthusiasm, hard work, attention to detail, and pride into their dealerships.

As they say... you reap what you sow.

I have read in several places that at least 50% of new Steinway grand pianos are sold to affluent people as status symbols, to be parked in their living room, and will not be played much if at all.

Which I think is why the local Steinway dealer has many badly prepped new pianos. Most are in tune, but the regulation and voicing are all over the map; The sales people say, "We will regulate it according to your wishes when you buy it".

No thanks, I want to choose a piano according to how it plays and sounds right now. Minor adjustments, fine...major re-regulation and voicing, no.

One thing I hate is stores that have player systems running as background music. How can you test drive pianos, especially casually.

And turning pianos in show rooms during sales hours. Playing disturbs them and they disturb you.

On the used market those pianos that are never played seems at first to be the bargains you want to shop fo, especially if the seller doesn't really have any idea what they are selling and just want to be rid of it. Seems like someone on this forum scored a pretty nice Yamaha C7 that way.

On the other hand if the piano just sat for years with no attention it might not be such a bargain after all.

I'm the type of guy that researches every big purchase to death. Shopping for a piano is probably the most challenging thing I've ever tried to do.