Hello:
I am planning on purchasing a piano for my mom. Although I will let her make the final decision as to what sounds good to her, I wanted to educate myself as much as possible in order to limit the selection to choose from (that are in my price range). First, should I buy used or new. I was leaning towards new, b/c I think those would last longer (although I may be mistaken). I understand that most of the new pianos in this range are made by a limited number of manufacturers, I think Samick is a big one. Basically, I am just looking for what to look out for in this price range and how to judge various qualities. Further, are all the new pianos in this price range basically the same with different labels stuck on them. Such as Wurlitzer BY Baldwin. Does Baldwin actually have anything to do with this or is it strictly a marketing tool?
Any opinions or sources for information will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Ted

I recently tuned and played a 13 year old Samick 5'8" grand. It was a very nice piano. For some reason the strings were a little rusty, but the pins were tight and sounded very nice. Samick was making the grands for wurlitzer who was owned by Baldwin who is now owned by the Gibson guitar company. Baldwin is doing some strange things but you can get some good deals on pre Gibson takeover Baldwins. Some are under warrantee and some are not depending on the dealer. I believe that the best deal on a new grand for $7000 or$8000 is still a Samick 5'8".

The local dealer only has a 5'7" or 6'1" Samick; $9,295 and $9,745 respectively. Also, can you tell me what the difference is between the different pianos Samick manufacturers. Such as Samick, Wurlitzer, Chickering, etc.

The Piano Book by Larry Fine is an excellent source of info. The local library should have a copy or you might be able to buy it throught this sight under piano supplies or call 800-545-2022. I was referring to a Samick 5'7" grand in my previous post. You should be able to beat the price you were quoted if you do some looking around. Kawai is also a good piano in that price range. Wurlitzer, and chickering were both bought by Baldwin which went bankrupt and was bought by Gibson Guitar Company as I previously stated. Differences are in construction and materials. Also chinese pianos cost even less. Webwer is an example. Larry's book will explain it to you. Good luck