I'm looking into buying a silent Diapason or Wurlitzer, they're 3k and 3500 respectively. I don't recognize either manufacturers so I'm wondering if they're reliable or decent for this price? Both are used pianos.

Cheers
Foxes

Edit: I've just learned from the Wurlitzer wikipedia page that Wurlitzer was bought by Baldwin, so does that mean this Wurlitzer (made in 2001) is actually a Baldwin merely bearing the Wurlitzer name?

Hi, Foxes.

If you search the archives or Google, you will find lots of info on the Wurlitzer and some info on the Diapason.

In my opinion, and experience, a no-name brand, or a brand with a less than stellar reputation, may well be a decent musical instrument. It may well be serviceable, hold a tuning well and sound and play well. However, when it comes to selling or trading up, there is a huge disadvantage to the current owner.

Though some here will tell you to run as fast as you can from either brand, I say to evaluate the brands on their merits and how much you like the tone, touch, appearance and price. If you can get them at a really low price (due to the brand recognition and reputation of each) it may be a nice instrument for your purposes. If you are looking for an investment, keep looking.

Good luck!

Rick

Rick has a point. What can it hurt to try them? I confess, I would rather see you looking at better--- and newer--- models. Are these "good" makes? It would be hard to say so.

I have worn a groove in my monitor saying these words, but I'm going to say them again: never buy a used piano without having a qualified technician, employed by you alone, inspect it for condition. This is the only way to learn the real truth.

I'm happy to add my good wishes to Rick's.

Hello Foxes,

Diapason is a name that was used by Kawai in the 1970's and again for a short time in the 1990's. AFAIK, these pianos were renamed Kawai pianos, but I am not 100% sure on that.

Wurlitzer went through several changes in its last years and was produced by Baldwin in the early 1990's, and models were built by Young Chang and Samick for several years as well. It is difficult to give a sense of the piano because of this.

Obviously, neither piano is new and the systems in them were retrofitted. Do you know what system was fit into these pianos?