<< It's my opinion at this moment is that the Petrof pianos give me a lot for the price and that there is nothing measurably noticeable gained by purchasing a C2/C3 for the price difference. I believe that if I find a reputable piano store that preps the Petrof properly I have lost nothing. Mike >> That is not my opinion. A piano made by the worlds #1 piano manufacturer in comparison to a former communist block country with problems such as the ones listed before in other posts.... there is no comparison in the product. Fact, Yamaha has developed the best casting methods in the industry when it comes to the piano plate. It cost them about $20 million to build and research for the manufacturing of the first Vacuum Shield Mold Processed plate. All other manufacturers that use this method paid less than half that after Yamaha perfected the technology. Yamaha holds two-thousandths of an inch tolerances in the manufacturing of their actions. Petrof doesn't come close to that. A C2/3 would be the better choice by a long shot. The soundboard is quarter sawn and the moisture content of the wood is taken to a 5-8% range before woods are used in the manufacturing. The Petrof doesn't keep standards such as these. Longevity of that product would be suspect when comparing to a 1957 Yamaha grand I just serviced that the action played like new and the hammers needed shaping and a little regulation and voicing, after which I could not believe how good this 5' 7" piano sounded. You won't hear any praising of a 40 year old Petrof like that. I would not want to buy a piano I "thought" was getting "better" in comparison to one that has lead the industry for decades. I could go on and on but I would be accused of having a bias. ( by the way thanks Yamaha for the trip to Japan last year to see the factory, that was great! ) I am a self proclaimed Yamaha lover and a tech/salesman of same said product. That, however, does not change the facts that Yamaha is still and will remain for some time the undisputed leader in the price range you speak of. One mans opinion, Ed Tomlinson Touchstone Award winner
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