Thanksgiving with family

Family performance.  Trio with Hana on viola, Ian on upright bass, and Haley does the arrangement and accompanies on piano.  #MusicalEducation

 With 2 days of "practice" from intro to performance, this was an excellent FIRST effort for all involved!!  

Buying a Piano

Shopping for a piano is not for the faint of heart.  We started down this path about a month ago when Haley's piano teacher pegged her to have *real* talent and explained the necessity of a "real acoustic piano."

Acoustic pianos are important because they offer a musical experience unmatched by even the best digital pianos for the aspiring professional. We have a digital piano (a Yamaha Clavinova), and while it is good for a back-up practice piano, it has become insufficient for our pre-professional.

What an honor to have someone so talented invested in the success of our daughter!

So, with the support of my mother, we set out to find our baby girl the very best piano that we could buy (within our budgetary limits, of course).

I spent about 12 hours doing internet research.

First you have to set your budget.  

Pianos range from $2000 to over $100,000.  So there's an option for every price point.

Then you decide new vs. used.  New has the advantage of being "new."  So a purchase is solid and you know what you're getting.  Disadvantages of 'new' is the necessity of "extra" tuning sessions as the piano 'settles'.  Tunings can cost about $150 per session.

However a major advantage of buying new is...you don't have to worry about bringing a piano technician along with you to double-check the mechanism, sound board, and overall condition of the instrument.  It has a warranty, and all parts are new.  Knowing this, is a huge stress relief!  Imagine spending $5K on a used piano only to discover that the soundboard is faulty...and it's only *worth* $1500?!!

Then you decide grand (horizontal) vs. upright (vertical).  

Considering your floor space, and the size of your room, one type may be clearly more beneficial.  The key consideration is the length of the strings.  The longer the strings, the richer the sound.  And any "real" student should endeavor to obtain the longest, richest strings possible.

Typically a great quality upright can be purchased for the same price of a mediocre grand.  So if money is an issue (and when is it NOT?) you can get longer strings (and better quality) with an upright in the entry price-points.  Starting price of a great upright may be about $4500, while same quality in a grand might start at $10K.  But for $10K, you can get a super spectacular upright....

When purchasing an upright for a serious student, you want to avoid spinets and consoles.  They are too short, their strings too short, and do not create deep/rich sound.  The smallest upright for consideration should be 44" and is considered a studio.  

However, if you're interested in purchasing a used piano, you may find a great deal on a good grand...or even find older "high-end" upright for a great price.  But, if you go 'used'...you'll need to have a piano tech in your pocket to make sure your purchase is solid.  And piano techs are not free...

We decided to focus on brand new uprights that were 44" or taller.  We didn't want a piano made in China.  Our piano instructor was with us and tested the mechanisms, responsiveness, volume, brightness, tightness, heaviness of the keys...and the overall "feel" of the piano.  And we wanted the price to be right around $5,000.  

I will admit that when our daughter tried a 50 year old Mason Hamlin (an American top-of-the-line upright that retails new at over $20,000 but was on sale used for about $5K) and said "it sounds old, and slightly out of tune..." I was impressed that she actually had an opinion.  Of course this piano is for HER, and we want her to be excited about it...and WANT to play it.

We moved on to a used K.Kawai grand ($5900), to which my daughter's evaluation was:  "it's too legato...when I play staccato, it doesn't seem to register...the sound is too sustained"

Okay.

What about this used Yamaha grand ($7500)?  "Well, it doesn't react.  See, I'm playing the A...and you can't even hear the A note that I'm playing..."

Alrighty then.  (Glad to be "off the hook" from choosing a grand)

Time to consult with the her professional piano teacher that, by this point, had met us at the gallery.

And he agreed.  The bass on the used K.Kawai grand wasn't "rich" enough. The mechanism on the Yamaha grand was "too loose...".  The used Mason Hamlin upright was "too old" and the "voice" of the piano was not bright enough to capture the interest of the child..."

And so forth, and so on....

So we left and went to our next stop, which happened to be a Yamaha and Kawai dealership.

Honestly, during my internet research, I had become partial to the Kawai and the Yamaha.  There are thousands of piano brands and even MORE models of said brands.  The decision is daunting!!

I was hoping that we'd find a Yamaha U1 or Kawai K5 (both about $9K) for a "great deal" within our budget.  I was even willing to consider a used instrument (if I could get comfortable with uncertainty regarding the possibility of future "issues/problems" down the road) if the price was right on one of these "higher-end" entry professional uprights....

We essentially "ruled out" based on price:
C. Bechstein ($20K for upright)
Steinway & Sons ($23K for upright)
Bosendorfer ($46,440)
Mason Hamlin ($20303)
Sauter ($25446)
Seiter ($20200)

We dreamed about obtaining a Japanese (i.e. NOT an Indonesian or Chinese) Kawai or Yamaha - which come in between $8-14K.  There ARE other Kawais and Yamahas that are good...but their countries of origin are less clear.  And in our attempts to stick with European, American, or Japanese-made instruments...

...we were limited to the upper-end of the "middle range" of Kawais and Yamahas.

Our top contenders were:
Kawai K2 vs Yamaha P22 vs Yamaha B3
Kawai K3 vs Yamaha P66
Kawai K5 vs Yamaha U1

When we arrived to the Yamaha/Kawai dealership we had the opportunity to choose between every piano on our preconstructed "list" which I complied based on my internet research.  

We saw a Yamaha U3 (step above a U1) retail new at $11000, used for about $5500.  Good deal, right?  But the piano teacher was not impressed with the "stickiness" of the keys...

We saw a Yamaha U1 new (retail $10,199 for "sale" at $9873).  Nice piano, but over budget.  The Yamaha P22 seemed nice enough to me (at about $5500) but the piano teacher said:  "this is something for an elementary school auditorium."  We did not see any Kawai K5s.  But the piano teacher fell in love with a Kawai K3.

Kawai K3 is made in Japan.  Retail $9119 for "sale" at $6964 (+tax/delivery).  The "lesser" Kawai K2 was only 45" tall, but was $6262 (on "sale" for $4782).  I was pushing for the K2.  Afterall, are those 3 inches *really* worth over two thousand dollars?

To which the piano teacher responded...."but it's 3 inches on *each* string..."

So I guess that's a "yes."

We realized that the K2 is NOT made in Japan.  And, per the piano teacher...."the mechanism on the K2 is unstable and the keys get stuck quite a bit.  The sound is not subtle and rich, and they give technicians lots of trouble."

So it came down to a Yamaha B3 (which is made in Indonesia and is therefore sub-optimal because quality is inconsistent between instruments), a Yamaha U1 (which was way more expensive, and "overpriced" than it needed to be based on performance structure)....

...and a Kawai K3.

After 5 hours, 2 piano galleries, 10 hours of internet research, and 2 hours of conversation with the piano teacher and others, input from Haley, considerations of size, cost, and value....

....we chose a brand-new, upright, polished ebony Kawai K3 which retails at $9119.  It's 48" tall, made in Japan, and has a 10 year transferable warranty, delivery included, and half-off tuning for 2 years.  Sold to us for less than $6400 total (tax included).  Making this a fantastic deal!! 





Congratulations Haley!  Thank you Piano Teacher!!  And thank you Grandma Holla!  Every-time she plays beautiful music on her piano, she'll think of you.  One day, when HER child begins piano lessons on this instrument...she'll remember this day.  And every-time we applaud her musical successes and accomplishments...we'll thank you all over again!



A couple of wonderful websites for information include:

The Blue Book of Pianos - while the prices may not be totally up-to-date they have a comprehensive list of options and their relative price to each other.
http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/pin.htm 

http://www.pianoworld.com - offers forum-like feedback and real-life advice and comparisons and information for shoppers and musicians.

http://www.pianobuyer.com/publication.html - is a very useful guide and instructional that offers practical information that is essential to choosing a piano.