How to Buy a Piano (Part 4)

In the last article we said we would wrap this series with Part 4, and we will stop writing these articles with this edition. However, good piano research is a lifetime pursuit. It is difficult to know and understand the complicated business arrangements and backroom deals that have been made. Sometimes these transactions had an impact on the products produced. Other times the business deals were completely transparent with no discernable differences in the company or their pianos. So how is the savvy consumer suppose to approach this intrepid turf?

You may wish to start with this tidbit. A good technician can take a mediocre piano and make it look and sound quite nice. A particularly good technician will likely be able to take the same piano and make it sound and feel wonderful.  Two questions will remain;  1) At what expense will this transformation occur?  What value will the market assign this Cadillac of pianos?  Technicians may influence the ‘voice’ of a piano.  However, its final market value is determined by supply and demand and will reflect the likes and dislikes of the market. Do not expect anyone to be greatly concerned about your purse or whether you lose your investment.

Getting Started

In Part 1 of this series we discussed ideas to help you and any other stakeholders determine what is essential in buying a piano. An older Kawai might have a beautiful touch and tone but is likely to come up short in meeting the practice needs of a concert level pianist. On the other hand, a nine foot concert grand piano might be a marvelous instrument but may be overwhelming, even intimidating to a young beginner. Define your needs, desires, and goals in owning a piano. Be sure to include plans for its future use as well. While we are pretty poor at making predictions, it is fair to say that most pianos will get used differently as time marches on.

Good Design

In Part 2 of this series we discussed the impact of the design of a piano. Much as with automobiles, a good design includes items that will be found in many of the high end pianos. Agraffes may seem like an unnecessary expense but there use insures a much better string termination and therefore a much cleaner tone. Sanding and careful construction when making a keyframe that will rarely be seen by a musician usually indicates care that has been taken in other areas such as notching in the bridge, back scale length, and other critical areas that impact the tone, longevity, and overall health of the piano. Look past the shiny finish and carefully inspect the hammers, shanks, keyframe, and other systems that work together to make your piano sound and play the way it does.

Key Elements

In Part 3 of the series we went further into some key elements which you should give special attention when looking at a piano. The health and condition of the bridge and soundboard will have a great deal to say about the sound your piano will produce. A poorly notched bridge will create a fuzzy termination point that will affect the tone of the piano. I have seen a few bridges that made tuning the piano quite difficult. There are plenty of opinions on the age and condition of soundboards and mine is just one more.

A soundboard resembles a guitar much more than a violin. A violin is carved into shape and changes tone, most often for the better, as it ages. There are a number of technical reasons but it is safe to say that the violin does not utilize a resilient crown to oppose the bridge pushing down on the face. A guitar, however, often uses a rib structure to resist the downward force of the strings pushing on the bridge. (A noted exception is the carved face guitars.) Guitars will often have a period of breaking in or mellowing. But at some point it will loose its resilience and start to sound weak or flabby. This is an area well worth a little research and work to form your opinions before you start your buying process. You will hear a number of different ideas and it would be good to have settled in your mind what you are willing to live with.

Bushings are always important to me as this contributes in a large way to the feel of a piano. Reconditioning, manipulating, and/or changing bushings is a bit time consuming and you will want to consider this cost if it is needed when looking at a specific instrument, especially if it is used or older.

Final Thoughts

It is difficult to wrap up everything in a nice tidy ball and throw it over the net when there are so many details left. I would like to mention at least a few of the manufacturers that I think deserve a good look in the second level of manufacturers. They may not produce cream of the crop instruments but these pianos will give you many hours of service and are quite useful in teaching, learning, and just enjoying the piano.

The first in this group I will mention is Kawai. These are lovely instruments that have a good character, are well designed, and have, at least in the past, been carefully assembled. You will often hear something said against them for using plastic parts. The interesting thing here is that the company that made the most of this in their marketing materials introduced several models the next year with their version of plastic. They went on to use plastic bushings and other parts though they are considered a top tier piano manufacturer. Kawai continues to produce instruments that can provide many years of service as well as enjoyment if properly prepared and serviced.

The second company I will mention is Yamaha. Some will place them in the top echelon of manufacturers and they certainly have made a name in many areas. A number of jazz clubs, recording studios, and venues utilize the brighter sound to penetrate and carry through. My opinions on this powerhouse is it will depend on when it was built and how it has been cared for over the years for used pianos. In recent years I have noticed a trend towards the bigger, bolder sound from there first years that I prefer. There are a number of years and models that are very bright. Due to the choice of hammers and other parts, they can be difficult to maintain and often will cost the owner a bit more for the time it takes to work on them. That said, the Yamaha piano can be one of the finest on the market and a good value as well.

Lastly I will mention the Brodmann piano. This is one of the few Chinese produced pianos that I would keep my eye on. It appears to me that the Chinese manufacturers are going through a maturation process not much different than other Asian markets have experienced. The first models that are introduced represent the country’s first attempts to copy what has taken the Europeans some three hundred fifty years to develop. The pianos are typically not seasoned well, the construction is second class, the and resulting instruments are weak at best. As time passes, the craftsman learn from their mistakes, study history, and start to produce a better quality instrument. This is passed on to the next generation who then builds on the existing knowledge. After a few iterations of this process, the resulting pianos improve greatly and start to meet the standards demanded by the market. China seems to be somewhere in the middle stages of this process. Will they continue? Will their pianos improve? I guess time will tell.

There are many more manufacturers to cover, and much more technical data to review and yet, I need to close this chapter. I strongly suggest you utilize the services of a technician you trust. Will their opinions match yours? Will you see eye to eye? Do your research! My main concern is that a quip created in a marketing or sales meeting for a given manufacturer be used as fact. The truth is most all of the manufacturers try to use something against the others in an attempt to gain market share. As my dear Grandmother was found of saying, “All that glitters is not gold!”

As always, if you have questions, we are glad to help where we can. +1 719 351-2766.