🎹Yamaha vs Kawai vs Samick Pianos | Indonesian Pianos | Pianos of the World Mini-Series - EP. 03 🎹

[@michelprimeau4531]

I didn't know that ED Seiler was made in Indonesia. The ED Seiler is very impressive. It tells a lot of the labor skill.

[@vickigreene4288]

Thank you for this! I lived in Indonesia for 5 years with the Oil and Gas industry. The people are wonderful and hardworking. Great country. Quite westernized of course in the cities. I imagine the piano industry is the same where the company has their managers and supervisors living and working there as expats while using the national labor force in the trenches, and slowly training them up to management positions. As soon as they make an upright with a nice solid spruce soundboard with some good reviews I’m getting one to support the country that was so good to me back in the day.

[@MerriamPianos]

You're very welcome! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your insights! This is great. The calibre of Indonesian pianos and manufacturing is exceptional these days! There are many exceptional pianos coming out of the country's factories. :)

[@silviomp]

I always feel smarter after watching your videos. Thank you for sharing your experience and your knowledge.

[@dkinney1000]

At Samick Indonesia in 2006, I spent a week at the factory to see how new ideas and technologies might integrate into existing infrastructure, working alongside the R&D department. While there, I demonstrated to iron frame workers how to refine and harden the bearing surface of the capo bar in grand pianos. Two workers continued on after my demonstration on a frame set alongside mine. I returned in the morning to find the workmanship was indistinguishable from mine, such was the care and skill the workers had at the time. It taught me a valuable lesson: human minds and hands are the same everywhere and the key is motivation.

[@MerriamPianos]

That is a wonderful story! Thank you so much for sharing! I definitely agree with the sentiment. This is one of the exciting things about the world of pianos. No matter where you go on the globe, there are people that are incredibly passionate about this beautiful instrument. :)

[@dkinney1000]

@@MerriamPianos 💜

[@mbjohnson93]

Great video, very informative. Stu is a master wizard of piano knowledge. Although, I lived in Indonesia for two years. It was VERY rare to find a native Indonesian that spoke fluent English.

[@dkinney1000]

But not so rare to find an Indonesian with amazing skills.

[@mbjohnson93]

@@dkinney1000 Very true. Extremely talented people.

[@teresiaditha169]

I am from Indonesia and just bought Kawai GL-20 last week and yes it was made here. I was very happy because it quite cuts the tax costs. and FYI Indonesia factory now also makes the GL-50. Actually I was also quite hesitating when I know the piano isn't made in Japan. But all dealers here and people from the Kawai factory always say that they have the same quality as the Japanese made one.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi Teresia! Congratulations on your Kawai GL20! It is a fantastic baby grand with a wonderfully warm voice and responsive touch. I know you will be thrilled with what it offers musically. The quality of the Indonesian-built Kawai pianos is quite impressive! :)

[@JimBluePiano]

As usual, very interesting video 👏👍. I have a Yamaha baby grand GB1, and now know it was made in Indonesia! Thank you for this info!

[@Instrumental-Covers]

Look at the serial number of your piano: it should start with the letter "J" followed by 7 numbers. The letter "J" stands for Jakarta (capital of Indonesia).

[@Sebubobo]

Fascinating introduction! Thanks a lot!

[@The-Organised-Pianist]

"...maybe a few extra videos on piano playing tips..." - the world awaits! Thanks, this 1 was interesting.

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

Yes definitely🎹🎶

[@Paul-lm5gv]

VERY informative. Thanks! Since buying a used Samick baby grand a few years ago I have experienced the negative comments about Samick. (I previously owned a Yamaha grand). I got a good price on it and the person who tunes it is a retired piano tech from a prestigious music school. He says for a Korean production piano (it was built in Korea in 1987 and cost $5,000 new), it is a good quality instrument. Not being an advanced player, it suits my needs perfectly!

[@MerriamPianos]

You're very welcome! We're glad to hear that you enjoyed the video and found it informative! Samick make wonderful pianos that present excellent cost-to-value ratios. Thanks for tuning in and happy playing! :)

[@AGC828]

Terrific informative video. The reality is....most people can't afford to spend $ 75 plus on a grand piano. Or any of of Yamaha's CX or SX series pianos. The market for hi-end acoustic pianos has to be so tiny....I'm honestly amazed the two shops selling these brands stay afloat. II suppose becasue you sell Indonesian made pianos too...maybe jjoutselling the hi-end brand/models. Most likely.

[@Instrumental-Covers]

They not only sell to individuals, but to institutions, companies, etc.

[@fitonitube]

waw my country is in topic here.

[@jrg1man1978]

Great video. Samick still advertises their costlier Sieler pianos as having solid spruce sound boards, Renner action, quality imported strings, etc. and everything I can tell about the Seilers look a whole lot like my Korean made 1988 SG-205. Are they just manufacturing the higher quality older models under a new name and sending them to Germany to get finished? Does Samick send American import Samick branded pianos to Nashville for finishing? Did they ever or was that just marketing? I've never noticed (although I don't know that I would) a difference in the quality of Indonsian Yamaha's from Japanese. I've never looked down my nose at Asian Pianos, I'm just confused about what's made where now.

[@MerriamPianos]

There are two lines of Seiler pianos that are manufactured in Indonesia by Samick: Johannes Seiler (GS line) and Eduard Seiler (ED line). They have very different specs and materials associated with them. I believe they have updated those older models instead of recontextualizing them under a new name. I believe they are all exclusively made and finished in Indonesia at this time. Thanks and hope this helps!

[@anthonyegan59]

I have a Broadway piano...Korean I think but it is still functional and sounds great for Musicals.. good honky tonk sound.

[@MerriamPianos]

Very nice! Thanks for tuning in and writing in! Happy playing! :)

[@Paul-lm5gv]

Very interesting. Maybe next time you should demonstrate comparable pianos from the three companies and give us your opinions about how they sound. That could be a new video?

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for tuning in and sharing the suggestion! If you check out our channel, we have a massive selection of reviews and comparisons that tackle some of the instruments and manufacturers discussed in this video. With that said, it would be compelling to do a sonic comparison between comparable models of all of these Indonesian made lines.

[@bandar7891]

You mentioned Samick to talk about Seiler but what about the Samick Brand itself , their own products with their own specs , products that belong to them.

[@MerriamPianos]

Perhaps we will need to do a more thorough deep dive into Samick pianos and do some comparison videos that include their models. Thanks so much for the insight and for tuning into the channel! :)

[@whoahdudeman]

Hi Stu, thanks for another very helpful video. A music store in the Netherlands has informed me that the Kawai K300s and K500s (including the Aures models) are now made in Indonesia, and that's not an entry-level instrument :-/

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! That is news to me as the K300 and K500 pianos we are still currently receiving in Canada / North America are Japanese made. We will keep you updated if that changes on our end.

[@whoahdudeman]

@@MerriamPianos Thanks. I also called another dealer in Belgium (a leading Steinway distributor that also sells Kawais) and he confirmed that even the K600s will be made in the same factor in Indonesia as well.

[@avataranadi]

As a public service: On the very same Piano Buyer website that Stu mentions there is an excellent in depth article about laminated soundboards written by a piano designer who is probably the single most respected piano designer alive today.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent here! Thanks so much for sharing this! We will have to check out that article. :)

[@pereztube2]

I LOVE my little K200!

[@MerriamPianos]

That's awesome! The K200 is an amazing piano! The Millennium III action is a dream to play on. Enjoy! :)

[@yohanesjonk]

yeaaah👻🥳🥳🥳💖🙏

[@benjaminsmith2287]

They're still Japanese pianos and the Samick is Korean.

[@wynnyu3594]

Hi Stu, can you please share the hailun grand piano .

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent here! Thank you for the suggestion! We are not a Hailun dealer at this time, but we will do our best to tackle a review for you if we get any of their models come in on trade through our showrooms. :)

[@kypianojourney3068]

Hi Stu, did you mention Kemble is made in Samick factory in Indonesia?

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi KY Piano Journey - sometimes it can be hard to know how many 'contract' pianos some of the Asian factories are outputting since many are only destined for specific markets around the world. To my knowledge, as of the early 2010's Kemble was being built by Yamaha in Indonesia, but not for North American customers. I'm not certain at this point where that brand sits in terms of current production. Cheers! Stu

[@MASAMEDIATV]

After watching some videos of this series I still don't understand what you mean by "voicing" when preping a piano.

[@MerriamPianos]

In the world of acoustic pianos, hammer voicing refers to the process oin which a technician adjusts the density of the felt that covers the hammers striking the string to alter the sound being produced to a warmer or brighter tone. Hope this helps! :)

[@MASAMEDIATV]

@@MerriamPianos Thank you. That's something new to me.

[@maozeidong]

Piano made in Indonesia are rubbish, I returned Yamaha and bought German piano

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

Which Yamaha was it?🎹🎶

[@maozeidong]

@@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12 It’s P3. I bought a Hofmann V120

[@Zoco101]

I think you were unlucky, and I wonder how the Hofmann would do in a humid country like Indonesia. Even here on a coast in Spain, some tuners say it's better to buy an Asian piano if you don't want soundboard problems from the humidity. Don't get me wrong, I've had mainly very positive experiences with German pianos.

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@@maozeidong thanks. Never heard of that model before🎹🎶

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@@Zoco101 will a dehumidifier or dampp chacer system help🎹🎶