Yamaha C3/Petrof

[Carl Root]

I will make a sweeping statement here.

Many teachers and technicians make sweeping statements when in comes to
recommending new pianos.  

Some teachers and some technicians do get the opportunity to
see/hear/play/service (techs only) a few brands of pianos through a
professional association with a local retailer for a brief or perhaps
prolonged period of time.  Outside of a professional connection, our
exposure to a particular make and model is likely to be limited.  We all
know techs and teachers who have  favorite pianos whose opinions have
not changed in decades.  Some have business interests that fuel their
bias, but mostly, I think we just get comfortable and don't want to have
to reconsider our position.

I think you should feel free to present your current favorites to
whomever asks for your opinion, but knocking other pianos in the process
is unfair.  

Consider that Yamaha, Petrof, and quite a few other imports had problems
when they first decided to export to the US.  In most cases, the
problems occurred because no one in the world believes how we heat our
homes in the winter.  Everyone else wears sweaters instead of cranking
up the thermostat.  Most manufacturers figure this out and make changes
in the design and materials to withstand the humidity swings.