For your convenience: “What to look for when buying a piano”
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Piano Brands
[ Yamaha ][ Kawai ][ Sherlock-Manning ][ Steinway ][ Young Chang ][ Niemeyer ][ Samick ]
Yamaha:
A make preferred by many professional pianists, there is no question that Yamaha pianos are world-class. They make more pianos than anyone else in the world, currently over 200,000 a year. Yamaha was the first piano maker in Japan, established in 1887 by Tarakusu Yamaha. Yamaha pianos typically have a "bright" sound.
Buying tips: While most Yamaha pianos are of excellent quality, buyers are often unaware that many new Yamahas are manufactured in Malaysia and China. These pianos can be perfectly good, but since the price point of new Yamaha pianos is usually quite high, it is important to as a consumer to know what you are paying for.
Older Yamaha pianos generally have higher production standards than many brand-new models as they were not usually manufactured in China or Malaysia.
For information on used Yamaha pianos and the supposed "climate issue," follow these links (they will open in a new window):
Kawai:
Kawai was established in 1927 in Japan by Koichi Kawai and his partners. They produced their first pianos in the U.S.A. in 1988. Kawai pianos produced in the United States have the letter A preceding their serial number.
Kawai are second in Japan only to Yamaha, but are sometimes preferred as they have a mellower, richer sound than Yamaha. Because of this tonal difference, they are often preferred by Steinway users. Kawai now makes Steinway's Boston line of pianos for them.
Sherlock-Mannning:
A brand of pianos well-known to Canadians, Sherlock-Manning Pianos Ltd. was founded in 1902 by J. Frank Sherlock and Wilber N. Manning in London, Ontario. By 1920 Sherlock-Manning had the capacity to produce 1500 pianos per month; that number increased greatly as the firm purchased various other bankrupted, local piano manufacturers. The last piano manufacturer in Canada, Sherlock-Manning continued to make pianos right into the 1990s.
In 2005 the Sherlock-Manning trademark was bought by Pianohouse Burlington Inc. with the intention to build pianos of high quality in honour of the Sherlock-Manning reputation.
Steinway:
Perhaps the most notorious piano company in the world, Steinway & Sons was founded in New York in 1853 by Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg Sr. (Henry E. Steinway Sr.). From the very beginning, this company grew quickly, and developed a reputation for high caliber pianos. Henry's oldest son, C.F. Theodore Steinweg stayed in Germany, where he operated the Grotrian-Steinweg piano company. In 1911 the entire Steinway manufacturing operation was moved to Long Island City, N.Y.
Steinway & Sons pianos have a well-known reputation for fine quality pianos and for setting high standards for their competitors.
Young Chang:
Young Chang was established in 1956 in Seoul, Korea by three Kim brothers, Young, Chang, and Jai-Sup. This was the first musical instrument factory in South Korea. It was originally a factory for assembling Yamaha pianos, but began to produce its own lines in the late 1960s. In 1990 Young Chang purchased Kurzweil Music Systems, who is a major electronic keyboard manufacturer.
Young Chang also produces pianos under the names of Astor, Bechendorff, Cline, Essex, Ibach, Knabe, Nakamura, Wagner, Weber, and Wurlitzer. Essex is a line that Young Chang has made for Steinway, which demonstrates the increase in quality of Korean pianos.
Niemeyer:
Niemeyer pianos are a relatively new make of piano. In less than fifty years, Niemeyer has established itself as a quality piano manufacturer.
Niemeyer has recently developed a reputation as the Steinway coming out of China, and is built with extremely high quality German parts such as Roslau strings, Abel hammers, and a Renner designed action. These are all the same components you will find on the inside of a Steinway.
Niemeyer has a full resonant sound, and is fast becoming the brand of choice among piano teachers and students alike.
You can find more information on Niemeyer pianos on the Canadian Niemeyer Pianos website.
Samick:
Samick was established in Korea in 1958 by Hyo Ick Lee. The Samick factory made pianos for Hyundai under the names Hyundai and Maeari. They also made pianos for D.H. Baldwin, Bernhard Steiner, Otto Altenburg, Horugel, Stegler and Schumann. Samick now produces the Wm. Knabe, Sohmer and Millenium piano lines. The U.S company (Samick Music Corp), and P.T. Samick in Indonesia are both wholly owned by Samick.