Rebuilder's Gallery Pianos

[Bob Hull]

Yes, we all know that Steinway is a name that sells.
However, it sells to people who can afford that kind
of price tag.  That company has worked for 153 years
to position themselves at this place in the market.  
They are often a wonderful instrument.  But, that is
not to say that there are not other kinds with fine
potential.  Do people just jump and buy at the name on
the fallboard or do they sit down and play and listen?
 Have we led people to believe there is basically only
one choice?  

This is why it is not so obvious, at least to me.
Other brands can be rebuilt and even improved over the
originals as well. If it is a piano that a rebuilder
owns and is rebuilding it to sell then, they can
purchase that piano for less and sell it for less. 
Then, the customer who cannot afford the higher price
tag can have a very fine piano.  More people owning
good pianos - sounds like a good plan to me. 

Also, I would think that most of the time rebuilders
are building a customer's piano and not their own. 
This piano is often not being rebuilt because it has a
market value significantly higher than the cost of the
rebuild, but rather because  a) it is a family
heirloom (like the one I just finished doing) or, b)
the rebuild will yeild a better piano for the money
spent than purchasing a new piano would.

I suppose this may frustrate the new piano sales folks
somewhat.  Competition can be good between new and old
and between a variety of brands.

Have a great week!
Bob Hull 
--- pianolover 88 <pianolover88 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> <<I would have thought the choice of rebuilding
> Steinways would be kinda 
> obvious... they are easy to sell. >>
> 
> 
> "Easy to sell?" Try telling that to the sales staff
> at Field's pianos, for 
> instance! Sales are pretty flat and not everybody
> has a 
spare $50 grand 
> lying around. High end products ALWAYS have a much
> smaller market niche; 
> Yamaha, toyota, Mcdonalds....sell millions because
> of mass appeal and low 
> price
> 
> Terry Peterson
> 
> 
> 
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Ric Brekne <ricbrek at broadpark.no>
> Reply-To: ricbrek at broadpark.no, Pianotech List
> <pianotech at ptg.org>
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Rebuilder's Gallery Pianos
> Date: Sat, 01 Jul 2006 23:48:21 -0500
> 
> Hi Bob
> 
> I would have thought the choice of rebuilding
> Steinways would be kinda 
> obvious... they are easy to sell.
> 
> 
> Bob Hull
> 
> 
> 



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