Buying Pointers - What To Look For In A Piano Merchant
Piano dealers
provide an essential resource for the consumer and the manufacturer. A
generation ago, premier brands such as Steinway and Baldwin Piano
Companies had agreements with dealers who would exclusively sell only
their brand. Things have changed a great deal since then.
Nowadays, if you walk into a Yamaha Piano Store you are just as likely to
see a Steinway, Kawai and or a mix of Asian pianos for sale. Some
dealers specialize in selling a particular name brand and others, a range of
brands.
For instance, some specialize in selling German, Asian or European brands or a mix of
new, used
and restored pianos or electronic music equipment, keyboards and acoustic
brands, Bechstein, Seiler, Samick. In order to sell new piano lines, the
dealer has to have an agreement with the manufacturer that allows them to do
so. Most of these agreements only allow the merchant to sell their products
in specific geographic vicinities.
Piano dealers
provide other vital services for the end user. When a piano is shipped
from the factory, the dealer will un-box it and perform several rounds
of "dealer prep" covering any issues that might come up. Because pianos
are made primarily from wood and have 40,000 lbs of tension on the
structure, any given piano will need a round of tunings, and regulation
and other adjustments to prepare it for the customers home.
Aside from providing warrantee services for the manufacturer in case something
goes wrong, other services include educating the prospective piano owners
about proper maintenance, supporting or directly providing the infrastructure
for pianos lessons, or names of professional piano teachers and musical and
cultural events.
Most dealers
will employ or contract the services of piano tuners, technicians,
refinishers, touch up furniture repair people and even a rebuilder who
can do major restoration . To summarize, good piano dealers are an
irreplaceable resource for piano owners and manufacturers alike.
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