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Hello! I was just in Atlanta this weekend when I made the spontaneous purchase of Perri Knizes' "Grand Obsession"! Last night I was enjoying a delightful sandwich while reading through until I came across chapter 6, PIANO WORLD. I had to give it a shot

That previous day, I had made a trip to the mall here in savannah, Ga. I've been looking for a small baby grand that would aid me in my pursuit of a muical education. Although I've heard horrible things about the George Steck GS-42 4'8", I enjoyed playing it! Perhaps it is the comparison of countless out of tune uprights and lower end electric pianos I've experienced in the past but I felt it played very well! The charm of a baby grand doesnt hurt either. The dealer told me it lists around 13000 - 14000 and with a 25% discount roughly (ballpark as he wasn't sure) 8,000.00
Although I would be willing to pay this price, does anyone know if I should negotiate a lower one or if I could find it cheaper else where? Your thougts would be wonderful!

Welcome to the forum, SigurRos!

I don't have my 2008-2009 annual supplement to the Piano Book handy, so I can't comment on the price of the Steck piano. (You should probably order a copy of the book if you don't already have it.) I will say that most of us on the forum recommend playing a wide variety of pianos at as many dealerships as is practical before making a decision, but then again we tend to be pretty obsessive here.

I would also recommend going a little longer if at all possible. It's hard to get a satisfying bass out of a sub-five foot grand. I personally would rather buy a used longer grand for $8K than a 4'8" new grand... but that's just my opinion. ymmv.

SigurRos,

You may not find much enthusiasm here for a 4'8" grand. Most of the pros here (that would be the pros who know what they are doing as opposed to the pros who know what they are selling ) would tell you that the belly of a 4'8" is so small that it compromises the scale design past the point of acceptability. Of course that doesn't matter if you like this category of pianos.

In terms of price, the dealer is pulling your leg. The MSRP on that piano should not be anything remotely close to what you have been told. The target for negotiating should be 5k or less. Atlanta is a big enough market that you should find competitive prices. Others in your size and price class would be Otto Meister and Pearl River. They are similarly-sized pianos and have MSRP's of less than 8k.

My own recommendation would be to find a Hailun 151. It's 5' even, plays well and sounds nice. It would cost less than what you were quoted on the Steck. BTW, what horrible things had you read about the George Steck?

Hi,

Welcome to Piano World and the piano forum!

George Steck is produced by a Korean company (Sejung) and is built in China. It is one of very many entry level pianos built in Asia. There are many other builders and a seemingly endless list of various names. You may have heard the name "Story & Clark" and associate it with one of the proud American builders. It is no longer. It is also and entry level Asian instrument produced by Samick. It is the same with Everett or Gulbransen. It goes on and on. They are called "stencils." Some are better than others.

Don't get me wrong, I am not putting these pianos down in any way. They serve a very important role in bringing surprisingly good instruments into the home at very affordable prices.

First of all, take a deep breath, and don't rush into things. What you were offered is not going to vanish. In fact, it is too high. I rarely get into specific pricing, but, in this case let me offer that the small, entry level grands, all hover around $10K for a list price. That is where the Geo. Steck falls, not at $13-14K. With the soft market, you can find that much greater discounts are available, also.

For $8K you should find instruments in the 5'-6" to 5'-8" range and you would get much better sound. Consider shopping around. Check out all the dealers and see what they have to offer. There will be a wealth of instruments being offered in your price range. Shopping is half the fun. Is is only surpassed by the excitement of the delivery of a new piano. Well maybe not as good as... but, we all know that.

One of the best things you could do is get a copy of "The Piano Book" and the "2008-2009 Supplement" by Larry Fine. There is a link at the right side of this page or you might find them at a local bookseller. It is a wealth of information and the supplement will help you to understand the pricing you will see at the stores. Forget the "tag" price and let the bargaining begin.

Hang around in the piano forum. You just never know what will pop up. So much can be learned in here as you learned from Peri.

Again, there is no need to open your checkbook quite yet and Welcome to the Wonderful World of Acoustic Piano!

Thank you! I will look into the Hailun 151 as well as the piano handbook. I've heard negative things considering that it is not american made. I'm still currently in the process of understanding quality and make so I'm just formulating an idea from others opinions at the moment

! I just reserved a copy at my local B&N. I will be back

Okay. I made a trip to the same store today to try a few different names. I did notice the lack of tone in the bass keys. I was pointed in the direction of the 3" longer Cable-Nelson CN 151. The sound was excellent for the price range. The bass sounded great but the mid-treble sounded slightly mellow for my taste but he said that would become brighter with age. The retail is cheaper then the Steck but he said he couldn't come down as low because it was a yamaha product. The action wasn't as smooth as the Steck either. It was rather stiff for my taste. They had a ABSOLUTELY beautiful used yamaha. 4'11" as well I think. Very pretty for just under 10 grand. What are your thoughts on the Cable-Nelson as I don't see them listed in the Piano Book

SigurRos08,

Did you also get the "Supplement?" That is where you will find the most up-to-date pricing and the latest info on the various companies.

These prices are from the Larry Fine "2008-2009 Supplement" for pianos with a polished ebony finish:

Sejung (Steck)--(GS)52----5'-0"----$10,910 *
Cable-Nelson----CN151----4'-11"----$10,190
Yamaha---------GB1------4'-11"-----$11,790
Hailun-----------HG151----4'-11.5"---$ 9,900

* Comparison to the next larger size. The (GS)42 is listed at $9,910.

Let me be graceful, but, I think the salesman is blowing smoke. These are the approximate "tag" prices for new instruments. From there you should be able to bargain 25-40% off.

Please, please, oh please, check out some other dealerships.

Another thing to negotiate is to have delivery and 1-2 tunings included.

I looked up the 4'8" George Steck in the current Larry Fine supplement. It is included with the Sejung pianos, and in polished ebony the price is $9910. Even allowing for some increase (although piano prices lately have been going the other way), the list price of $13-14K quoted by the dealer seems WAY off. I would look around, both for other brands and other dealers. You might end up coming back to this store, but you would be an educated consumer, and presumably by then would have the Larry Fine supplement to guide you.

No I did not get the supplement! I will though. I am looking up different dealerships close by.

4'8", its too small, get at least a 5'3", or 5'10" is optimal

Hi,

Get the Henry F Miller 5'3 and it is an EXCELLENT quality entry level piano. It is NOT made by Pearl River but at much higher quality manufacturer. I bought mine brand new for 5400.00 delivered. DP

MSRP? For those who are interested, the following is quoted from Larry Fine's Supplement on page 113 of the 2008 Edition:

"Some terms used in this guide require special explanation and disclaimers:

List Price
The list price is usually a starting point for negotiation, not a final sales price. The term "list price," as used in this Supplement, is a "standard" or "normalized" list price computed from the published wholesale price according to a formula commonly used in the industry. Some manufacturers use a different formula, however, for their own "manufacturer's suggested retail price" (MSRP) usually one that raises the price above "standard" list by ten to fifty percent so that their dealers can advertise a larger "discount" without losing profit. Because the formula for MSRP varies from one company to another, price-shopping by comparing discounts from the MSRP may result in a faulty price comparison. To provide a level playing field for comparing prices, all prices in this guide are computed according to a uniform "standard" formula, even though it may differ from the manfacturers' own suggested retail prices. Where my list prices and those of a manufacturer differ, then, no dishonesty should be inferred; we simply employ different formulas."

Additional explanation of Mr. Fine's "Actual Selling or "Street" Price" is located on page 115, and goes into more detail.

I agree Larry Fine's publication is a good "guide" for the consumer.

There are still plenty of piano dealers who conduct their business dealings with clients in a fair manner. Contrary to the all too popular belief, not all piano dealers are greedy and dishonest, most are just trying to make an honest living and give good customer service.

I see that piano on the internet for just under $4000.00.