Best Baby Grand Under $7K?

[gowolfpack]

Hello and thanks for reading.  I am as beginner as you can get and so is my wife.

We'd like to buy a baby grand for our home and I am debating whether to buy bascially:

1.  Used Yamaha/Kawai--are there even any in our price range?

2.  New Chinese make--Kohler & Campbell or similar.

3.  Antique/Really old European make.

I am old school and prefer "old world craftsmanship" (I own a vintage Mercedes if any hint), so I am leaning toward some obscure antique baby grand.  However, I am not completely opposed to a Japanese/Chinese make.

All I know is you can spend $5000 or $50,000 (or more!) and I am 100% novice.

We also have interest in either Pianodisc or Disklavier.  I assume it would be blasphemous to install that on an antique baby grand. 

Thanks in advance for your valued advice!

[daniloperusina]

Yes, why not go for the antique? I live in europe, but I think you have several american brands to choose from, Mason&Hamlin, Baldwin, Knabe, Chickering. I don't know them since I've never come across them, but others here shurely have. I can only guess that the top european brands might be more expensive just because there's some 'european' mystique attached

1890-1910 is often reffered to as 'the golden age' of pianomanufacturing. Labour and material was relatively cheap, and they tended to 'overbuild' the instruments.

[knabe31]

Go with the antique. The old saying "they don't make them like they used to"... In any of the good old brand names you will find much higher quality, and craftsmanship. I have done a lot of research on pianos and have found out why the top brands demand the prices they do because of the high quality materials and many of them are still handmade.I purchased a 1911 August Forster after trying 10-15 new pianos and found nothing like the sound and the feel of the antique. The construction is absolutely amazing. I am going to have to put some money into it over the next few years, new strings, maybe get the case refinished, but even then I will have less invested than the same brand purchased new which is around 60K US. Which I could never afford or jujstify. Take your time and try a lot of pianos if the antique is something you would consider. Be sure and have a good technician check it out before you purchase it. That is absolutely necessary because there is a lot of junk out there. If you are buying an older piano you need to find one that has been maintained throughout its life. Good luck.    

[jinfiesto]

Haha. You're nevadan too? Nice. For under 8000 there's not a lot you can buy. buy a used piano of fairly reputable make is my advice, like a yamaha or something.