Buying a piano: is this a good price

[MrsDebris]

I’m new to the forum and about to buy my first acoustic piano. I currently have a Clavinova. There are two local dealers in my area one selling Yamaha and Kawai the other selling Feurich and Essex and Yamaha.

Between the Yamaha and Kawai, I preferred the feel and tone of the Kawai. They didn’t have the full range however; only a K200 and a K600. They also had one K6, which I liked and the price was £6600. Is that a good deal? It included delivery, first tune and stool. I think the Kawai had a 10 year guarantee also, but wasn't sure if that just applied to the newer models.

I wondered about the Essex and Feurich makes?

Any advice would be much appreciated as I feel as green as grass about prices.

[vernon]

These are all quality instruments and tested by time.
Follow your heart and choose the one that suits you best. Touch ,tone, looks,cost. .etc.You are the final arbiter and you will be hapy ever after.

[Colin Nicholson]

Kawai & Yamaha would be my choice. Their names almost blend together as though they belonged to each other in the piano world. Other makes are also good, but in years to come - if selling - the former names are more recognised and often require no selling skills.... names speak for themselves. 10 year guarantee will only be for brand new models, not 2nd hand.

The price for the K6 sounds about right.... Kawai themselves usually provide the retailer with the correct selling price for their margin.... its then up to them "how they sell" in terms of delivery/ after delivery tuning & stool.... so that all sounds good. The K6 is one of the professional versions, all strings have agraffes / carbon fibre action / front acoustic ports and soft fallboard mechanism..... and of course a cracking good bass sound.

I myself have the K5.... slightly cheaper (just over £5K).... I bought it new in 2013, teach on it, and no complaints. No agraffes - but with regular tuning - makes little difference.

The first 12 months of any new piano will require about 3 or 4 tunings because of the new strings - require little toning of hammers. Also recommended to fit a Hydroceel humidifier tube (optional) to stabilise tuning better, and keep all new parts in good condition - purchased separately through your retailer or tuner.

My K5 was first tuned about 3-4 times in year 1, twice in year 2.... and apart from the odd unison, only ONE string went out of tune between April 2015 and now. I also clean, service and check everything regularly. Keeping the dust off polyester finishes is a constant battle and kids finger marks! .... (and the occasional sneezes) ...... but the action, pedals are very responsive and the piano produces just right tone I need. So the final part is down to you.... personal taste / quality of the bass etc.

Colin