Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum I need some advice...Maeari by Hyundai Model #G484

I am hopelessly attempting to purchase a surprise piano for my wife. I know very little about pianos and their values. I do know that whatever piano I will be buying, I will have checked out by a tech.

With that said: I believe I have found a suitable piano that I'd like to purchase. I just don't know if I'm getting ripped off or not???

It's a grand Maeari by Hyundai Model #G484 - Serial #101G0085 (I believe it is 6'10, but I'm not sure). It appears to be in great shape and sounds very good.
- Does anyone have any experience with this piano? Is it considered a top quality piano?
- What would be an acceptable price to pay for this piano in good condition? I know that is an extremely general question - but I'm just looking for a ballpark figure (told it cost 19K new).

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

WOW, I'm learning so much from the forum so far ---- THANKS!

The Maeri G-484 is a 6'1" made by Samick.

It was discontinued in 2000, and they were first sold in 1994.

Korean pianos have historically had poor resale value, and this is now especially the case in light of what is available today.

What you have been told as to the original cost is way out of line. Full list ranged from $11,500 to $13,000 during the years it was available.

Due to the mediocre quality and lack of name recognition, you might consider this piano if it was available for an average cost of $3000, depending on condition. Thanks,

Nick

The G484 is 6'1" grand.The piano was manufactured by Samick for Hyundai which I believe was owned and controlled by Hyundai. Maeari was a stencil for Hyundai though Hyundai marketed pianos with the Hyundai name also. Your serial # is inaccurate though it may be IOI....which would place it at 1995. In 1995 it only retailed for $13,190 so with a modest % discount(maybe 25%) it would put it a bit under 10K new + tax. Now if the seller paid 19K originally,he definitely made that salesman's month back than The piano is nothing special though it has them long bass strings.Depending on what $ your'e about to plunk down on this boat is the question of the hour as for who's getting ripped. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.That will be 2 cents please! .

Great info; I appreciate your insight and helpfulness. He is attempting to sell it for $5,000, which I see now is WAY out of line.

Much thanks!

Well.....maybe not.

While 5K may be a bit steep, for 4Kish, I'd consider it. A 6'1" Samick isn't a bad piano...it's not like you're looking at a Sojin. At that price point(say, less than 4K for a grand), you start hitting real PSO junk.

Condition, condition, condition...those are the first three things I consider when looking at a used piano...

Oh, and to be honest, go back and read some old stuff here from around 2001. Might give you a better feel for this type piano.

You'll find Koreans of this size going for anywhere from 7-10K.

What Korean pianos were selling for in 2001 (or even now) is irrelevant considering what is available on the market today.

I find that many who purchased Korean, and even Japanese pianos in the past, and who settled for models of not the most exacting quality, are finding that they are not up to the standards of some new pianos today which even cost less. Call me, Norbert #2.

I agree with Nick and Jolly as for their value assessment for exactly the reasons stated.I was curious as for what the seller was asking before I condemned the deal completely.But at 5k! Thanx but no thanx!Realistically for you $2500-$3000 if you really like the piano It's verified pristine cond. will justify that lower $.

I always find market niches relevant, because they help establish initial quality. Initial quality has a bearing on longevity.

Now, share your knowledge and inform me what pianos on the market today, are clearly superior to a big Korean of that time period, occupying the same market stratus and costing approximately the same thing in terms of real dollars.

Lastly, we're walking a 4K line, here. The above discussion is academic in terms of the initial poster actually buying a piano. Tell me what you are going to put in his living room, today, for his hard-earned $4000.

And tell me how it will be clearly superior to a piano you've never laid eyes on.

Do you have to buy a grand piano? If not, you can usually buy a much better upright than a grand for your price range.

And be careful buying a piano as a surprise...

You know there was a very lenghty thread a few months back addressing this issue on point. You have addressed a dilemna that many prospective piano buyers are faced with,having that limited pricepoint of 4Kish ?. First of all,the first generation Korean pianos Samick,Young Chang and Sojin did not prove themselves to be a piano of longevity past maybe 20-25 years of constant wear.They definitely did not sustain in that institutional environment of the churches and schools.
In that I deal with mostly preowned pianos,I am constantly confronted with these late 70s-80s South Korean pianos that are due for a full restoration that realistically will never happen. Technically once this piano reaches this conditional stage,one can not afford to own it unless you are a tuner/tech .True the Korean pianos had gotten a bit better in the nineties but their overall life expectancy is still cut short. So....once the action parts wear with premature hard felt,keys that need rebushing,premature loose pins etc.what value is left after 20+ years. Maybe I was premature as for condemning this 1995 Maeari in that if in pristine shape,it would be fine for another 10 or 15 years than what? I am guilty of prematurely condemning these older ones in that I have seen too many Schafer & Sons grands(Samick stencil)in churches ready for the land fill.
It is very true,reiterating Nick's point,as for the pianos back than of this category cost more retail and wholesale than what you can get today in that the better Chinese manufacturers are in every way superior than the first generation Korean both structurally and sound.

Dealers including myself are guilty of downgading these pianos(older Samick,Young Chang etc. because we wrongly relate wholesale pricepoint of the newer better Chinese to these older Korean pianos on a retail level. But in reality ,one can not sell a new better Chinese piano at 4K.

My resolution to this pricing dilemna is a 20+ year old Japanese piano over a abit newer Korean piano at the same relative pricepoint. An artist level older Japanese piano is far superior to a newer Korean piano close to the same realistic pricepoint.
For those that see the light, will justify springing for that extra 2K or ? to get a piano that is brand new rather than 20 years old close to it's terminal irreversable condition.

Was that heavy or what? I'm taking off my attorney beenie now.

The essence of this argument surfaces around here every three or four months, for the last ten years.

Some folks fall on one side, some fall on another.

Me, I nail the money to the wall. If this is what one has, this is what one has. Having ascertained that part of the buying equation, then you just have to determine the best piano you can get for the money being spent.

I don't try to spend up. I think it useless to recommend a vertical to the average person wanting a grand. One takes the parameters given and tries to section out what will work. The main thing I try to remember is...

A good piano is where you find it.

"I am hopelessly attempting to purchase a surprise piano for my wife. I know very little about pianos and their values. I do know that whatever piano I will be buying, I will have checked out by a tech..."

What a nice thing to do. I have read elsewhere that it can be more prudent, since the choice of an instrument is such a personal thing, to make a present of something like a piano-shaped music box or charm for the charm bracelet, and then make your wife find the piano she is happy with.

If you are satisfied with the one you have your eye on, have your tech inspect it. The report will tell you, not only the condition but also the market value. It can be a very good negotiating chip. Sometimes a tech will know of other private sales.

Customers are buying value today, and there some extremely compelling values out there - now more than ever before.

What's available today is also affecting the resale value of used Korean and Japanese pianos. Many sellers of these are holding out for unrealistic prices, unaware of what buyers have to choose from.

And piano shoppers are very happy to shell out a little extra and get something really nice. Happens regularly and predictably.

I’m no where near as knowledgeable about anything to do with pianos as many here on this forum, but I tend to agree with Jolly… once you get down to around 4K the selection of nice pre-owned grand pianos over 5 foot begin to get very limited. Based on my limited experience, Korean and Japanese pianos of this era are fairly decent instruments and should be easily worth 3 or 4K or so (depending on the condition of the individual instrument).

Based on my own experience, I stumbled on to a decent late 1980’s model Japanese made grand piano for about 4K. I really didn’t know what I was doing at the time, but with some regulation and voicing, it has turned out to be an excellent instrument for my purposes, even though the brand was highly criticized my some here on this forum. I have played the heck out of it for about 3 years and it has held up great. Fact is, it sounds and plays so well that I don’t see myself upgrading anytime soon (unless I come across a real bargain on something much better, which I don’t expect will happen).

From what see on the used piano market, fairly decent used pianos over 5 foot don’t seem to get much cheaper than that particular price point.

Of course, on the other hand, I guess you could always increase your budget about 175% or 200% and buy a new Chinese made 6 foot grand.

Just in case anyone wants to hear what my 4K dollar 5’10” Tokai sounds like, I went back and dug up a couple of my old YouTube videos. The piano does have that traditional bright Asian tone, but it seems to go with the kind of music I play mostly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tavs_ZokBRM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVg8YtL9wTM&NR=1

Take care,

Rick