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Now that I am looking for a grand I have started to shop around. Upon my last adventure, i played a 5'7" otto meister. Now, I know the piano is chinese, however it is one of the best sounding chinese pianos yet. I have a small budget and have made peace that i will have to settle for a chinese or korean made instrument. The piano had a full tone and schwander action with Roslau strings. Are there any reasons why I shouldent buy this piano? Ive played Pearl rivers, just to humor myself. Just a side story, The dealer told me that pearl rivers were between the quality of a steinway and a yamaha. isint it funny?. Ive also tried Hobart cable, Wyman which might be great for firewood, and nordiska, which was a little out of my price range. The dealer is offering the new Otto Meister for 5500.00!, he says he recieved a container full.


Other than chinese piano bashing, I need feedback. I already own a 52" upright because I am an apartment dweller but since im moving into a house I really want a grand.

I have just tuned A 5'7" otto Meister here on Cape Cod Mass. The piano seems to be a good piano to my supries.Im not partial to Chinese piano's ,but I do like the sound that it does produce.The quality of materials used in manufacture seems good to with this piano.
I dont know what the resale value will be down the road .My customer raves about it.She was also not sure when she made her purchase to.Sometimes you have to do the best you can with the buget you have.

Jody,

To help me in my choice,

Did you mean both the Hobart Cable and Wyman are only good for fire wood or just the Wyman? What did you think of the Hobart?

Is the Hobart Cable name any way "related" to the old Conover Cable name? I grew up in western NC right in the middle of "piano country" out there when there actually WAS a US furniture manufacturing business.

I grew up in the same town as Kohler & Campbell (my mother worked there for a few years doing the hand-rubbed finishes on the grands (because the piano was too wide to go down the line and get the finish sprayed on), went to High School with the owner's daughter of Grand Piano Co. in Morganton (I don't know if they're still in business - it was VERY small even back then) and the Conover Cable was made in ... Conover, NC! Didn't know anything about that one except the quality was up-and-down over the years and it sort of faded. K&C finally just went broke and sold the name in 85-86 but it was a "Decent" piano back then, if a little (opk - a LOT) bright.

p,s,

Chances are - if you own a '74-'76 K&C grand with the original finish, chances are it was hand-done by my mother or my grandmother. Small world, huh?

i thought the wyman was probably good firewood. The hobart cable was ok but at my price i would have to settle with one thats 4"7", way too small.

Laughable.

Odd name - great piano.

Built by Beijing.

Similiar to our regular line of Steigerman pianos.

This particular grand happens to be one of their very best models and has produced many happy reports on this Forum by happy owners before.

Extremely well priced, extremely competitive in today's market.

Norbert

quote:
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The dealer told me that pearl rivers were between the quality of a steinway and a yamaha.
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Dealer's knowledge of pianos does shows in conversation.

HA HA HA HA HA

Loud enough?

Jody, dittos to what Norbert said. Built in Beijing by Xinghai (or Hsinghai, depending on who's doing the translating), the 5'07" is indeed a great sounding instrument. Xinghai was the first piano builder in China to begin to manufacture grand pianos back in the 1950's. As I understand it, German piano designer Lothar Schell played a major role in engineering the scale design of their current lines, and I've found that their tone is much more pleasant and satisfying than many other brands in the same price range (or even slightly higher).

Larry White, whose "The Piano Group" is to my knowledge the sole US distributor for Otto Meister, recently told me that the 5'07" has become one of his most popular models. Speaking from experience and as a professional pianist, I'd even prefer it above Pearl River's Ritmuller.

That's purely subjective opinion; and while build quality may be equivalent, I think the Otto Meister's scale design is makes it superior.

Polka, want to hear a good one?

A while back, a friend of mine visited the local Baldwin dealer and happened to inquire about Charles Walter. The salesperson said,

"Oh, they went out of business! Their pianos are made in China now."

Could it be that piano salespeople are the world's greatest source of heifer dust?

Don't mean to spam your post. Just wanted to know if I would be safe in assuming that pianos shipped to third world countries with the "Xinghai" brand name is more or less the same as Otto meisters? Made in the same factory and of the same if not similar build quality?

Last year I played on Otto Meister grand pianos briefly. I liked them better than anything by Pearl River.
But I had the impression that their keys seemed to be a bit sharp. While playing I thought I might cut myself. But maybe it was just my playing.

I was told that pearl river is a notch above the xinghai pianos.

But maybe not?

I really do hope these pianos are decent quality as there is little else available locally.

To special order a piano into the country is very very costly.
Plus I won't be able to play it beforehand .