piano vs piano

[tallman]

  hi there every body , i was hoping that you might help me. I am currently in the process of looking around at pianos to buy , i am a beginner and want to spend about 6000 Aussie dollars on a upright piano. first of all the choice is between new or second haND . i have found George Stecks for about 5 brand new but then i have found Kawai FOr five grand secound hand , the kawai is about 15-20 years old , but a brand new one is 15k, so i would like tyo know whether kawai piano is  better than george steck even though its 15 years older it does sound nicer.

The salemans told me that The G.S 's are made in china and the Kawais are made in Japan and that the KAwais are Far superior in action and sound.

Its a big investment and its hard to know what to do

[mamma2my3sons]

I've been hanging around piano boards for awhile but am a relative novice. This is what I know. The Stecks are considered budget entry level pianos made in Sejung China. Sejung is considered an inferior factory to Yantai that makes Perzina, &  the Dongbei factory made pianos (Nordiska/HalletDavis/StoryClark) at this point in time. From all accounts though all Chinese pianos are rapidly improving.

Kawai still makes some pianos in Japan. Kawai is now in the process of moving all their US production to Indonesia (cheaper labor).  Kawai has a very good reputation overall. There are what are called "gray market" pianos out there though. These are pianos that were made in Japan to be sold there but ended up here in the US. Don't know if its a problem in your country as well.  There is some controversy about this & possible quality ramifications related to the "seasoning of the wood" & obtaining parts. Check https://www.pianoworld.com. (piano forum)   These "gray market" Kawai's are typically priced lower than their "legitmate" (for lack of a better word!) brethren. If you go with the Kawai, check the serial number & age with Kawai directly to make sure its not gray market & to ensure EXACTLY how old it is. Unfortunately there are many that are not honest about a pianos age or origin. Have an independent tech check it out as well.

Personally I would not want a 20 year old piano. There are too many variables, how its been cared for- maintenance, environmental humidity, how its been played. How much life is left! Others may disagree.

I would highly recommend: The Piano Book & 2005-06 Supplement (available on Amazon) & educate yourself before you buy. Most importantly, play as many pianos as you can in your price range & let your ears be your guide.

Best wishes.

[iumonito]

The Kawai sounds like a superior option among these two.  Before you buy anything, though, you should call Ron Overs and ask him whether he has anything around that will suit you.  He is the most knowledgeable Australian I know of regarding pianos and he will not sell you a bad piano.  Period.

Plus he is a really cool guy.