Suzuki Pianos -- Anyone?

[David Nereson]

  -----Original Message-----
  From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf Of Bruce D. Rempe
  Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 1:06 PM
  To: 'Pianotech List'
  Subject: Suzuki Pianos -- Anyone?


  I ran across an ad for Suzuki pianos some time ago.  I noticed
recently that they are being sold by Costco.

  Does anyone have any experience with these instruments??  Can
you provide some insight regarding their overall quality, tone,
etc?

  Do we know anything about who's making them?  And, thru what
process??

  My experience with Costco is that they usually try to offer a
"little better" product.  But, this is the first time I've ever
seen full-size grand pianos available thru such a mass-marketing
system.

  Curious .....


  -bruce

  Bruce D. Rempe
  LaPorte City, IA


      I've serviced a few of them.  They seem like your typical
budget Asian piano to me.  Ok, decent, but not great -- kind of
a thin tone, like several other Asian brands.  Need finishing
up, like most new pianos:  screw tightening, alignment of action
parts, more regulating.  They didn't seem any better nor worse
than Asian Kohler & Campbell, Samick, Young Chang, etc.
      Some of the ones I serviced were players with the
Pianomation system installed, and they had more problems than
the "straight" pianos, e.g., none of the pedals working
properly, dampers flying up too high, pedal making clanking
noises and many other small but time-consuming-to-fix little
problems.
      I don't know if Suzuki has its own piano factory or if
they're made by someone else.  I didn't see any clues.
      In my opinion, you can't expect to get a finely tuned,
regulated and voiced instrument from the likes of Costco,
Wal-Mart, Target, etc.  But like the Samicks and their ilk, once
a technician goes through them and finishes up what the factory
didn't, they can be satisfactory for the average casual piano
player.
      Woops, now that I read others' responses, I guess I'm
being too kind.  How 'bout, "They're slightly better than a
Horugel."?
      --David Nereson, RPT
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