The Many Flavors of Grand

I wasn’t quite prepared to see a huge showroom of grand pianos at Rick Jones Pianos, Inc., when I went for my first look today. I was given a “tour” by very knowledgeable Paul Yarish, RPT (Registered Piano Technician) and then turned loose to play whichever ones I wanted to play.

It probably would have been better to do a blind testing, that is with the name obscured. I once again proved what a snob I am, gravitating to the Steinways, which inevitably are the most expensive.

I grew up playing a Baldwin Acrosonic spinet, a respectable piano which is now 50 years old and probably isn’t worth much more than the $700 my parents paid for it so long ago.

After playing the Kawais at Chautauqua, I know there is a big difference in the action and sound of every piano. I don’t like the crispness of the lower-end models.

But I did play a Kawai model NX-40 on sale for $17,000 that was quite nice. I also played a Boston GP-193 for $18,000 which was also more than acceptable. But the piano that stood out was a Steinway Model A for $42,000. Fortunately it was already sold to someone in Connecticut. But in actuality I can’t even consider spending this kind of money on a musical instrument.

So I walked away from Rick Jones Pianos without making a down payment on anything and now understanding why it is so important to play the piano before buying it.

The good news is I have a lead on a Steinway Model S that is being sold privately by someone who needs to get rid of it in the next 2 years before moving to Florida. He is asking a mere $12,000, which now is starting to sound like a real steal. It came highly recommended by the piano tuner of my friend Bill, who is currently my teacher. I have an appointment to see this piano on Friday.

I’m having some difficulty explaining to my husband why an investment in a piano is every bit as good or better than an investment in a new car. I reminded him that his Prius came with a price tag of $26,000. Paul Yarish reminded me that my husband’s Prius will be long gone when my grand piano still commands its purchase price or has even appreciated in value. So I am thinking of buying a piano as an investment – financially as well as in my future happiness.