Hello all. I am relatively new to the forum, but would like to provide information as it arrives on one particular First Act piano and my buying experience (from Wal-Mart, of course). I'll keep you posted...

In the meantime, does anyone have any "real" experience playing a First Act?

Oh, by the way, these are the specs I got from walmart.com:

Help your budding pianist practice musical masterpieces on this miniature-size, junior grand piano.

* Classic baby grand piano styling
* All-wood construction
* 30 keys (chromatic tuning)
* Solid wood stool and music stand included
* Piano is 20 inches high

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...030660804602498

Woah -

That's cool. Didn't know anyone still made a toy piano. Never tried one, can't comment.. I am sure your toddler will have a ball with it.

Get your zoom H4 and post some audio files please! (that was a joke)

RFLMAO.

Congratulations on your new piano, Paulisme. I am sure it will bring you and your family many years of playing pleasure.

p.s. But it's still cheap.

I hear its grey market. Stay clear...

Jeff Bauer, it's not for my toddler. It's for my wife. I got tired of the high-pressure sales tactics of the local dealers. They tried to charge me $20,000 for a 6' Yamaha! I decided I'd just cut out the dealer and order directly from the Internet. UPS will be by in a few days to deliver it and set it up (I didn't even know they prepped pianos, but I guess that's the New Market for you). Granted, they said they'd only set it up on my porch and wouldn't actually take it out of the "crate" for me, but look at the deal I'm getting! Does anyone know about the tone and touch on these First Acts? If it doesn't work out, Wal-Mart has a good return policy, so I might return it go back and look at the Yamaha.

Update: I sent this email to Wal-Mart, and this is their response. They answered within 30 seconds! Look out dealers, there's no way you can match this level of customer service!


To: Paulisme
From: Wal-Mart
Subject: RE: First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 15:44:52

What is an "action"?

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Please note that this an auto-response from walmart.com. Please do not reply to this message. Also note that even if a human were to happen upon an email response, he would certainly be ill-equipped to answer any piano-related questions, seeing as how we're Wal-Mart, after all.

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To: Wal-Mart
From: Paulisme
Subject: First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 15:44:23

I just ordered the First Act Junior Grand Piano from your website and had a question.

Does the First Act have full Renner action? What about Abel hammers?

UPS will be by in a few days to deliver it and set it up (I didn't even know they prepped pianos, but I guess that's the New Market for you).

Paulisme,

I hope you don't mind me addressing you in such a direct fashion, but I have a very important question, which I think will be of interest to every potential customer here: by any chance, did UPS happened to mentioned, (perhaps in in the small print of your order confirmation) what colour gloves[/b] their operatives might be wearing on the day of delivery? If not, perhaps you could send UPS (or perhaps Wal-Mart, or maybe both) a quick e-mail to confirm. After all, it would be a shame to miss any of the minutiae of this most exciting exploit!

Thanks in advance .

-Michael B.

I called UPS and have confirmed that the color of gloves used to service the piano are Off-White. I was hoping for white, but apparently only the higher-end First Acts (30" conservatory models and above) receive White Glove Service. Still, it's far and away a better bargain than what the typical brick & mortar dealers could offer.

Oh, and I should probably give you some details about their Off-White Glove Service:

- Includes home delivery
- Full package tracking at ups.com with the supplied tracking number
- Option of either signing for the piano when it arrives, or they will hide it behind a bush of my choosing
- I get to keep the box

Note that piano dealers usually require the buyer to be home at the time of delivery, which is a huge inconvenience. Then, when they deliver, they insist on entering the house! How pushy is that?

For God's sake don't let them roll it on the pedal lyre!

I know that this micro piano is not for the toddler, but even so, consider the learning opportunties available.

Get the "player" installed on this. That system can be operated via Bluetooth so that your Furby can play Elton John's hits!

Or Billy Joel - I'm not sure of the technical details....

Next year the piano will come out in the Tinkle-Me Elmo edition...

And will someone please call Larry Fine!

Er ... ah ... um I think this model might be defective. The music desk seems to be affixed to the lid of the piano; what happens when you want to open the lid (short stick or full stick?) and let the grand sound float through the whole concert hall?

Moreover, I'm not so sure that that picture truly represents ebony polish; it looks more satin than polish to me. I would be wary of any company posting one model's picture but promising you something else!

If you haven't already ordered it, perhaps you can wait until the upgrade comes out and see if they have corrected the design flaw and clarified the details of the finish.

What's the return policy if you have not yet "uncrated" the instrument?

Best regards!

'What is an action?'




This is the funniest thing I have read in a coon's age.

Something that provokes a re-action, maybe .... ?

UPDATE:

BruceD, I emailed Wal-Mart in regards to the apparent discrepancy between the polished ebony I thought I was getting and the satin ebony which appears in the photo. Here was their response:

To: Paulisme
From: Wal-Mart
Subject: RE: Another First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 23:21:52

Dear Customer,

We believe the finish is Ebony Polish, though there is a possibility that it is actually Ebony Hungarian or Ebony Slovakian.

-----

Please note that this an auto-response from walmart.com. Please do not reply to this message. Also note that even if a human were to happen upon an email response, he would certainly be ill-equipped to answer any piano-related questions, seeing as how we're Wal-Mart, after all.

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To: Wal-Mart
From: Paulisme
Subject: Another First Act Q
Sent: June 16, 2007 23:21:23

I have another question about the First Act piano. When I ordered the piano, I was under the impression that the piano had a polished ebony finish, but upon closer inspection, it appears to be in fact a satin ebony finish. Could you confirm which finish this piano comes in?

Speaking as a rural mail carrier-

I could have delivered it cheaper.

I still have my first piano- a Jaymar ca. 1955 I don't remember the exact year, Santa brought it!

Is it worth anything and should I have it rebuilt?

(click on thumbnail to see larger image :rolleyes: )

[IMG] [/IMG]

I suspect Paulisme is a sock for Noona...

About $5.00 is my guess - if it darns socks!

Cheers!

Lady's and Gents, This thread has been brought to my attention. I am the Mass Marketing Manager for the Mass Merchant Division of First Act Corp. USA which distributes these pianos that you all seem to think are (well let's not go into that). The individual posting here as paulisme is, in fact a real person, and is in fact purchasing exactly the piano he has described. I would respectfully request that the members of this forum (and the moderators) put an end to the unfair comments and speculation. Thanks you!

BS#1

Thanks to the advanced design of the First Act Junior Grand Piano, that won't be a problem, as the piano itself was cleverly built without a lyre and pedals. I suspect that is because of the superior sustain of this scale design, rendering pedals unnecessary.

Hello Avid Piano Shoppers!

First of all, I would like to thank mdsdurango for his kind words and careful followup of the order to First Act placed by a certain paulisme who has kindly posted about the experience of shopping First Act Superstore through one of our many distributors.

I assure you that all efforts will be taken to provide the superior product advertised, and that the First Act brand will be the piano delivered.

Now, I must address the peanut gallery of skeptics on this forum whose scurrilous attacts are nothing more than unprovable internet rubbish perpetrated by Europhiles tauting such nonsensical advice such as playing a piano before you buy as gospel truth.

Well, to those people (including the insideous Piano*Dad - whose laughing and rolling around on the floor is quite annoying to me) I have only one answer:

$99.95!!!

Thanks right, folks! By providing top quality grands from our undisclosed manufacturers (that's right - our prices are so low, we can't even tell you where we get them!) We are cutting out the traditional middle man of the industry and passing the savings on to you!

Also, new scale designs from our crack team of piano designers led by Mr. Fell Dandrich has eliminated the need for the full compliment of 88 keys! With robust bass octaves and twinkly upper registers, the First Act is truly "First Class" (Fine left it out of 1B by accident - he will address this in next year's supplement, I assure you)

And now, I have work to do and orders to take, so I must leave you all. ORDER THE FIRST ACT NOW!!! After all, you would not want to be the second on your block to play the First Act.

Respectfully, Gerry Fillston - President, First Act Piano Corp.

Well, it's about time YOU showed up!

Even though Gerry is hard on the 'Europhiles,' I have a sneaking suspicion that he might have 290cm of European piano in his home .

-Michael B.

OperaTenor and all you croutons in PianoWorld (you know who you are)- I am frankly nauseated by your sophmoric and childish speculation based on no fact. I will have none of this immorality-get a life.

For heaven's sake we've digressed now to where we are picking on a respected maker of children's musical ivestments- is our next generation of pianists now cannon fodder?

Feh. Like I care.

Fathertopianist,

Thank you for your kindness. The sole reason for my existance is to spread beautiful music in our world of darkness and to provide beautiful instruments for those who might otherwise go without.

Oops, got to go - four more First Act orders just came rolling in!

Sincerely, Gerry Fillston - President, First Act Piano Corp.

In the interest of sticking to the facts, Gerry, with only 30 keys on the First Act, shouldn't you change your description to "robust bass octave" rather than "octaves"?

My dear, dear Monica,

You are a smart one, aren't you.

It just so happens that I may have Mr. Dandrich address this personally on the forum. Once again, the skeptics emerge and try to throw cold water on my hot fire. Alas, as I am not an engineer, only a humble servant of music and the piano industry, and I really can't tell you how these things work. I assure you, however, upon speaking with Mr. Dandrich, the octave issue that you have raised - and it's subsiquent implication of my credibility will be fully addressed.

I suppose you even play the piano using your pinkie! Anyone who studied piano properly knows that this is "uberhaupt nicht" the way to play. I rest my case.

Nice try, Monica.

With a certain glint in my eye, Gerry Fillston - President, FAPC

Oh, Monica, that is so petty. Why must you throw mud on this fine starter piano. Gerry was very up-front about its limitations in his disclosures.