Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum BB or Estonia 210

She (a teenager girl)just loves Estonia and thought BB's tone is too dark. She vetoed Steinway too.

I know her taste may change over time but right now that's her strong opinion...

I think this thread shows over and over again how much personal preference plays in choosing an instrument for oneself.

By same token I have always chosen to buy things on a financially comparative basis. Cost and benefit, at least in the real world, are closely related even though they may make different sense to different people. Without boasting, I have done very well with this in life.

Always think about what makes sense to you and why you would be willing to pay "the price". And only YOU can answer that question.

In fact it always astounds me why so many totally comparable products are offered today at so many variable price points. Often "without" a real benefit.

In my mind you don't become a better competitor by offering similar or same product for more. Prestige yes, but your cost of production, company structure or profit margin may also be higher. And that's not my problem. Unless of course, I'm willing to pay for it....

Agree or disagree as see fit.

IMHO one needs to ask this question and come up with a plausible answer.
At least one that is making sense to YOU, the cheque signer.

Hopefully, at this point at least it will be the piano "of your dreams"

But then, why did you ask the question to us outsiders?
It's of course for YOU to decide - who else??

Good luck!

Norbert

Quindicema,

Just curious what happened in 2006 to the 'good deal' M & H you found, and were comparing to a Estonia or Petrof

M & H possibility in 2006

Oh, yes, yes, yes. I have a good pianist friend who plays extremely well, knows a lot about pianos, but she doesn't play professionally. What did she buy for herself? A brand new Kimball stencil grand for $4,000. She loves that piano as much as her own children, and she wouldn't have wanted anything else, even though she could have afforded much more and was originally all set for something in the low $30k's until she ran across the Kimball one day!

Interesting update on the Kimball brand.....new info to me.

http://www.pianobuyer.com/current-issue/acoustic-brands-kimball.html

http://www.pianobuyer.com/current-issue/acoustic-prices-kimball.html

Assuming your friend's piano was indeed one of the new Kimballs referenced above, she apparently got a smoking deal !!

No, she probably bought it over 10 years ago now. And I still have a recent quote from her in a Facebook Message with the exact price she paid when I flat-out asked her. I would love to play it to see how it's holding up, though! She certainly hasn't been just playing Fur Elise on it for a decade.

But the point being she fell in love with it, and that's what matters in the end!

While this is generally thought true there are different ways "to test the goods"

One can either try one or two pianos or a whole lot.

Wit regards to OP's initial question, he/she specifically spoke of a specific larger size Steinway, Mason and Estonia.

And it should be presumably within these three to come to a conclusion.Incidentally all pianos with outstanding but VERY different sound spectrums [spectra]

Norbert

That's been awhile ago but I believe that I didn'
t move on that BB because I wanted one from the late 20's.

Why do you want one from the 20s?

Hi Quindecima,

My name is Fred Riley of Classic Pianos in Portland. I work closely with Dr. Indrek Laul. If you would like, I could ask that Dr. Lual contact you personally to discuss his L210 model design. Dr. Laul has sent another shipment of grand pianos to Classic Pianos in Portland including the L210 and L225 models. I am currently working with Dr. Laul on a 2017 visit to Portland as well. If you did acquire one of his instruments, I could bring Dr. Laul to your home for a private performance and he could sign the plate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AidZWtpWh6s

I wanted one from the golden age of Piano building as it were. I felt if I had a quality rebuild from that era, late 20's, it would be a big plus. I have researched the M&H to a fairly high degree as pertaining to build quality. The newer M&H is another story with a very nice build quality but chances of me being able to afford one of those is slim and none.

Late twenties/ early thirties. You can't beat them.

Of course the key word in that second sentence is "if."

Regards,