Are Petrof any good?

[Sweep]

Dear All,

I am having a massive dilema at the moment and would appreciate some help. I am looking to buy an upright and thought my budget would be around &4000. However, when I was in a piano shop today I noticed a new Petrof 131 (fitted with German Renner action) in black for &5000 reduced from &8500+ at which point Wendy, my partner, said "it looks nice you can have it." Great I thought. The bass was awesome, much better to my ear than a 15 year old Bluthner sited next to it, the treble was crisp without harshness I dislike about Yamahas. Now, I ran this past another piano dealer and his comments threw a spanner in the works:
1)Petrof are not much good
2)Stay well Clear
3)You have got a great opportunity to get an excellent piano (e.g. Irmsher, Yamaha U1/U3)or make a big mistake
4)Petrof's are deliberatley overpriced to allow massive discounting
5)Resale value is very low.
6)The mellow tone is manufactured by deliberatley manipulating the hammers and this would not last.

Now the punch line for me is that I have been playing for only 18months, I have past my grade 1 and have just sat my grade 2, my ability to accuratley assess a good piano (touch, sound, feel, etc) from a mediocre piano are seriously limited and I need good, honest advise. The only thing I do know is that I find Yamahas too harsh for my taste. The Petof is held for me until Monday.

Many thanks ...Sweep

[Barrie Heaton]

Dear All,

I am having a massive dilema at the moment and would appreciate some help. I am looking to buy an upright and thought my budget would be around &4000. However, when I was in a piano shop today I noticed a new Petrof 131 (fitted with German Renner action) in black for &5000 reduced from &8500+ at which point Wendy, my partner, said "it looks nice you can have it." Great I thought. The bass was awesome, much better to my ear than a 15 year old Bluthner sited next to it, the treble was crisp without harshness I dislike about Yamahas. Now, I ran this past another piano dealer and his comments threw a spanner in the works:
1)Petrof are not much good

They are well made pianos with a softer tone than a Yamaha

2)Stay well Clear
3)You have got a great opportunity to get an excellent piano (e.g. Irmsher, Yamaha U1/U3)or make a big mistake

I take it he use to be a second hand car sales man all pianos hold their value well know makes do hold their value better but I can remember when the same and worse was said about Yamaha back in the 70’s holding their value

4)Petrof's are deliberatley overpriced to allow massive discounting

So are Yamahas quite a few dealers knock off 35% and still make a profit.

5)Resale value is very low.

see above

6)The mellow tone is manufactured by deliberatley manipulating the hammers and this would not last.

Now this has got to be a classic all manufactures alter the hammers to get the tone they are looking for in there pianos Yamaha is a harsh tone compared to most European makes. All pianos tone will alter in time because the hammers will compact and you get groves in the hammers it is all-relative to how the piano was toned in the first place the Yamaha will get a lot brighter over time.

Now the punch line for me is that I have been playing for only 18months, I have past my grade 1 and have just sat my grade 2, my ability to accuratley assess a good piano (touch, sound, feel, etc) from a mediocre piano are seriously limited and I need good, honest advise. The only thing I do know is that I find Yamahas too harsh for my taste. The Petof is held for me until Monday.

Many thanks ...Sweep

Go with your feelings if your wife like the look and you like the tone and the price is right then go for it

Barrie,