The Truth About Piano Quality and Manufacturing Sites

Ted provides reassurance that no matter where your piano is manufactured, you are getting a high-quality instrument. The quality of a piano depends on craftsmanship, materials, and technology, not its place of manufacture. Renowned makers worldwide adhere to high standards and innovations, ensuring exceptional performance and durability. Today, modern pianos, whether from Germany, Japan, Indonesia, China or even the U.S., offer superior quality, rich tones, and exquisite responsiveness, making the origin irrelevant. Are you in the marketing for a new piano? Does manufacture location matter to you? Let us know in comments!
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[@jeffeason853]

Another good video Ted. I'm not a brand-snob. I like good value where it can be found. In my experience, the Chinese/Indian markets can build some products that look and perform competitively as other more established and/or name-brands WHEN THEY ARE NEW. I have played some Pearl River pianos that look, feel and sound wonderful WHEN NEW. Where I have a concern is for whether those products will hold up over a long period of time. As I have commented before on keyboards, Donner and Williams keyboards may appear to equal Yamahas when they're new-out-of-the-box. But after 2-3 years they definitely start showing the difference in quality (broken keys, buttons, displays, etc.) so they turn to worthless junk So while I would be comfortable playing a new Pearl River in the showroom - and maybe even impressed with it - I would not be comfortable investing in one as I would be concerned it may not be playable in a few years. "Cost of materials" seems to translate into longevity. Given time, we will see if these 2nd-tier manufacturers improve their durability and reliability - or if they were just a cheap cash grab. It will be interesting to see if Alamo is able to still sell these brands in 10-15 years (or will accept them in trade).

[@miltronix]

Agree! Years ago I worked at a church with an almost new YC. When tuned, regulated and voiced you'd swear it was a S&S... but it never seemed to stay in tune or regulation, or keep its voicing, for very long. No, it wasn't 'banged on' and no, the church had only minor temp & humidity swings. When asked, our tuner-tech just said that situation was a function of its build, design, and parts quality...

[@shanewaelchli212]

Hey I’ve been watching your KZbin channel for many years and recently I got a 1920 sohmer baby grand that I’m restoring and I know you guys do the “what happen to “ videos and I was wondering if you could do one of those on sohmer giving that they used to compete with Steinway back in the day and was the first to invent the baby grand I think it would be pretty interesting and I’d love to hear u guys talk about it and give ur opinion and also learn something !

[@larrygitlin6017]

I love my Fridolin Schimmel 5' 3" baby grand that I have been playing since bought 2 years ago. Its a very fine instrument and enjoy every moment playing it. I agree with your final synopsis.

[@ElikemTheTuner]

I think this is a very important discussion, and it boils down to trust. How much customers trust pianos of Asian origin. I tuned an almost-new Pearl River grand piano some time ago and I was actually impressed with the tone and quality of the instrument.

[@PianoRevisited]

Honda, Toyota and Subaru cars built in Japan have a deserved reputation for higher quality compared with many other brands. I think this has a lot to do with the Japanese culture which strives for perfection. You don't think of this attention to detail when you think of many cars made in America and I can't think of one Chinese product where I say they're the best quality available. I've owned a Jeep, an Explorer, a Mountaineer and Oldsmobile and Pontiac and they were all junk compared to the Toyotas and Subarus I've enjoyed owning and which were far more reliable in the long run. In fact my experience with many products now that are made in China despite having an American badge ( GE for example ) - dehumidifiers, refrigerators eg - don't hold up near as long as when they were made in America thirty or forty years ago. Based on my experience I would not think of buying a Chinese car - why would I consider buying a Chinese made piano when I'm looking for quality that lasts. I just don't trust that the quality will be there.

[@tedbarsalou833]

This! Reminds me of Yugo cars!!

[@PianoRevisited]

@@tedbarsalou833 Yes ! They were trash cans with wheels ! There used to be a Yugo dealer near where I live. They of course went out of business in the last century ! 😀

[@phenixnunlee372]

I feel like this goes to piano are mechanical objects. If you can make them to spec they will be at least good.

[@PianoRevisited]

A piano is not just a mechanical object. The soundboard, pin block and cabinet are all made of wood which comes in many different grades of quality. The soundboard in particular is crucial to the sound of the instrument and where it comes from, what type of wood and how long it is seasoned helps determine longevity. But to your point, even talking about a simple mechanical device such as a pair of nail clippers, Which do you think would more likely provide a lifetime of reliable service: a pair made in China or a pair made in Solingen Germany ?

[@phenixnunlee372]

@@PianoRevisited if the pair made in china use the same grade of steel and the same machines with the same tolerances they would last the same amount of time. The wood quality is determined by how flexible it is which is characterized by the young's modulus. To prevent it from cracking you need to make sure it is conditioned with the proper humidity. The pin block is made of a composite plywood anyways so if they perform the same orienting with same grade of wood it should perform the same. But if an action gets stuck or not is a function of how well they fit together which is making sure of dimensional consistency. No one is super picky where they source the strings from because they know they meet spec.

[@PianoRevisited]

@@phenixnunlee372 Yes what you say is true but the first word of your sentence is " If". The problem is they don't use German steel and they don't mass produce a million pianos a year at a low price point using the finest woods and spending years seasoning it. They're good at making lower quality knock offs. That's what the Chinese do. Compare a Honda generator or Stihl chainsaw to their Chinese knockoffs which are made to look the same but do not perform the same and have no where near the durability. There are many more examples like that. I can't think of one example where the Chinese copy is superior to the original name brand in quality and durability.

[@PianoRevisited]

Yes, you are correct with what you say, however the first word of your sentence starts with that pesky word "If". The problem is the Chinese don't use the same quality. They don't use German steel and when you're mass producing a million pianos a year at a lower price point, you certainly aren't sourcing the finest woods and taking the time to season them properly. I can give you a hundred other examples. How do you think a Stihl chainsaw or Honda generator would compare to their Chinese knock offs that are made to look exactly alike. Well, They're actually famous for being junk. The reason is precisely because materials used are inferior and corners are cut in production. That's the point I'm making. It's the word "If " that's the tricky part.

[@annenominous7220]

Of course it matters. If people care about the conditions people live in, then they are fine with paying a living wage. If people don't care about other people, they are fine paying a slave wage.