What's your opinion of Brodmann pianos?

[berniano]

Hi Everyone,

 About 1.5 yrs ago I purchased a new Brodmann 6'2" grand. I wanted to upgrade from my terrible Mehlin grand, but couldn't, at this point, really afford even a nicer Yamaha-- a far cry from a Steinway or Bosendorfer, my dream. However, since getting the Brodmann, I've really been liking it-- it has a beautiful tone, really big sound, esp compared to some Yamahas and Kawais I've tried. Lowest D has a a horrible, unfixable buzz (we've tried several times), but overall, for the price, I'm pretty happy with it.

Anybody own/payed Brodmanns? What's your opinion, good or bad? They're a newer company, so I have no clue what the lifespan of my piano will be-- any relevant info please!!

Happy playing~

[wyldeman]

I played a brodmann upright and 178cm grand in Leeds recently and was very impressed by the upright in particular. The tone was full and well balanced all through the upright and it was superb value. One of the tuners on site suggested I play it and figures it was the best value in the warehouse which contained hundreds of new and second hand stuff from Steinways to Bechsteins to bluthners etc etc. I would say you got a good piano! I think they are made in China with some link to Bosendorfer. I have noticed that the Chinese pianos have come on leaps and bounds the last few years. Good luck and enjoy it.

[berniano]

Hi Wyldeman,

Thanks for your response. I'm glad your first impression of Brodmann pianos was a positive one. And as to the connection with Bosendorfer, I believe it was a few former employees/piano builders of Bosendorfer that set out on their own to develop the new Brodmann company in China. I think all the pianos parts are built and assembled in China, thus reducing costs to produce a very decently built piano, but though soundblock (correct word?) is built in Austria or Germany. I'm just glad I could find an decent and affordable grand as my Chopin was starting to sound very trashy tonewise on the old one!

[iumonito]

I like Brodmann pianos a lot.

If I recall correctly your piano is a Steinway A template, which is a nice scale.  6'4"?

The buzzing, is it on the string of sympathetic?  If it is on the string, I have had good experience voicing the piano down a bit.  Can you tell exactly what's vibrating that bothers you?

Nice piano.  I don't feel it has much in common with Bosendorfer at all, though.  The design strikes much more as a Hamburg Steinway template.

[keys60]

All buzzes are fixable. The hard part is finding the cause. Having experience in this, I have a suspician, the copper winding is buzzing on the core of the string. Pretty common in the lower register. The string has to be loosened a bit until the loop end can be lifted from the bridge pin. Take a thin screw driver or hold the end with a vise grip and turn the string clockwise one whole turn. You will feel the pressure. Hold the pressure and return the loop onto the bridge pin. This tightens the copper wrap onto the core and stops the buzzing.
Hope this helps you out.

[ivorytinkley]

i was all set to buy a brand new Brodmann Bu128 upright when the tuner rang to say he was not happy with the design of the pressure bar on the piano and that he could see it developing issues in later years. Shame as i loved the sound of it and the feel of the keys/pedal.

[berniano]

All buzzes are fixable. The hard part is finding the cause. Having experience in this, I have a suspician, the copper winding is buzzing on the core of the string. Pretty common in the lower register. The string has to be loosened a bit until the loop end can be lifted from the bridge pin. Take a thin screw driver or hold the end with a vise grip and turn the string clockwise one whole turn. You will feel the pressure. Hold the pressure and return the loop onto the bridge pin. This tightens the copper wrap onto the core and stops the buzzing.
Hope this helps you out.

Hi,

      I don't know much about the mechanics of the piano, but I have had the piano dealer I purchased from to come out and see it twice. Both times he replaced the same string after shipping it in. Then he would tune it nice and sharp to help it stretch. Right after he  tuned it, it was fine. But then less than 24 hrs later, after the string had gone flat a little (about down to where the normal tuning would be), it started buzzing again. A real bummer, but it is related to the particular tension of the string, I believe.

[graywolf1]

I performed recently on a Brodmann grand at The Blue Note in Poznan, Poland. The tone and action of this instrument were, quite simply, the best I've ever played. As a result, the concert given by myself and my wife Polly Messer was one of the most enjoyable shows on our Acoustic Tour 2012.
Bravo Brodmann!!
 - Grayson Hugh

[isgantunes]

I Purchased a Brodmann PE212 in 2014 in California. I have had many problems with the action of this piano. This piano has been worked on by many technicians and no one has been able to fix the action on this piano. I would never own another Brodmann again.