pianos

Piano Buying 101

Filed under: Decor

Peruse any number of luxury real estate listings we've covered and you might notice that along with rain showerhead, granite countertops and Eames chairs, you might often find a grand piano anchoring the corner of a gracious living room. Owning a piano has always been a shorthand for expressing a certain standard of elegant living. But of course it's more than that, it can be an entertainer, a stress reliever and the heart of a home.

Larry Fine, the author of The Piano Book ,recently released the latest edition of Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer a twice-yearly publication devoted to the purchase of new, used, and restored acoustic pianos and digital pianos. The publication can be ordered in a print edition for $15.97 from the website or read there in its entirety. The publication contains a variety of articles, reviews and specifications designed to assist the buyer in making the big purchase. But just who is buying pianos these days? Luxist asked Mr. Fine a few questions of about choosing a piano.

1. I've noticed a few piano stores closing down recently. Has the economy affected the business?

Piano sales are in decline, as are most other "luxury" purchases. As home sales decline, so do home furnishings, and pianos often fit that category. However, this is good news for those who can afford to buy now. Piano manufacturers and dealers are discounting their instruments significantly in an effort to "weather the storm."

2. Do you hear of a lot of people buying a piano for looks, not for playing?

Most piano buyers either play or have children in lessons. A significant minority view it as an attractive piece of furniture that coveys a "cultured" image. For the art collectors, pianos come in many striking, beautiful, and unusual furniture styles that double as both musical instruments and works of art. Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer contains a number of examples of the piano as art.

Many of the non-playing buyers purchase a piano with an electronic player-piano system installed. Far from grandma's old "pump player," these new systems not only play the piano, but also add the entire orchestra or band as accompaniment. You can even have a video of Billy Joel playing and singing in your living room while the piano plays his music. These systems, which can be retrofitted to existing pianos, use CDs, MP3s, iPods, etc. for their input. Some even come with an optional video screen. Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer has a section on choosing an electronic player-piano system.

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Tags: decor-awards, decor-pedia, home decor, HomeDecor, piano, piano buying, PianoBuying, pianos

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Luxury Piano Maker Turns To Furniture

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Every morning on my way to work I pass by a piano store that is going out of business. Pianos are a luxury item not selling too well in this economic climate. But one piano maker has found a way to adapt. The Czech piano maker Petrof is switching from making beautiful wood grand pianos to making lacquered kitchen furniture and other home deocr items.

Petrof makes pianos all by hand and have seen their orders plummet over the past year. The company has decided to start making luxury furniture to help diversify. It is currently making equal amounts of pianos and furniture. The brand has outlasted both world wars as well as a communist regime and this isn't the first time Petrof has had to get creative. In the 1930s, it produced wooden railway sleeper cars and in times of war it made grenade boxes.

On the Petrof website the company shows a pictures of a glossy conference table, kitchen cabinets and a wood and glass cigar humidor. So far, according to an AFP article, the business strategy has worked. Orders for the furniture are up and they have found that clients in Russia are willing to spend 70-100,000 euros to redecorate their kitchens.

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Tags: furniture, petrof, pianos, recession innovation, RecessionInnovation

Fazioli Pianos: The Best Sound, The Highest Prices

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

People who are serious about music -- piano music -- have most certainly heard the name Fazioli. It's a brand that's been quietly but steadily building a reputation for itself in the most exclusive of circles since the 1970s, and daring to give the well-established Steinway name a run for its money. The Fazioli line, which includes some of the most expensive pianos in the world, starts with an entry level 5'1" grand piano priced at $86,000 and tops out with their priciest creation, the Brunei, priced at $409,000. They also proudly sell the largest piano in the world, and many others with unique features and appearances. Great sounds meets great design? You be the judge.

Gallery: Fazioli Pianos

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Tags: Fazioli, most expensive, MostExpensive, music, pianist, piano, pianos

Baldwin Exotic Pianos

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Baldwin Custom House has created a new line of hand-built, limited edition designs some of which will be displayed at the Gibson Guitar booth at CES. Each piano has a distinctive custom paint job that ranges from the elegantly beautiful to Liberace-style glitz to well, whatever the "Feelin' Groovy" model is above. The gallery below shows the wide variety of pianos available (some of the are actually quite attractive) and of course, if one of these doesn't suit your fancy, further customization is always available.

Gallery: Baldwin's Wacky Pianos