Boston grand pianos

[tosca1]

Quite some time ago I placed a post requesting opinions on Boston grand pianos. There was no response then. However, membership numbers  have increased considerably and I am trying again.
I own a Boston GP 178 which I have had from new for almost seven years. I would be very happy to discuss pros and cons with others who have a Boston grand or are familiar with  Boston grand pianos.

Kind regards,
Robert.

[tshort]

Hello!! Just logged in for the first time and was pleased to see that you own a Boston. We are looking at purchacing a new Boston and would love to hear what you have thought, are you happy with it? Would you recommend it for its proformance etc. I was able to play the GP-178 today and quite liked it, however I would love to hear your feed back. Also would it be to forward to ask what you paid for the 178 7 years ago?
Thanks

[tosca1]

Thank you very much for your reply. I bought my Boston GP 178cm piano in February 1998. I am delighted with it as I believe it is excellent value for the quality, sound and response of the piano. Its voice overall is warm and mellow and in particular, the bass response is rich and full for the 5'10" length of the piano.
On the other hand it is not a Steinway and you must not expect the perfection of a hand-made instrument. Then you must balance that against the cost which is about a quarter the cost of a new Steinway of a similar size.
The action is beautifully responsive and my piano tune/ technician who works independently, tunes several Boston grands and regards them as a quality piano. He initially recommended the Boston grand to me.
I would advise that you have it tuned at least three times in its first year. I usually have it tuned four times a year as I hate out-of-tune pianos and it is the best form of maintenance for a piano.  Your tuner should be able to voice it according to your personal preference for tone.
Check that the Boston your tried in the showroom had settled in. Sometimes the new ones take a time to settle and need several tunings to get the instrument sounding beautiful.

Thanks again,
Robert.

[tshort]

Thanks for the feedback. However after further research I'm finding out the local and only dealer in the state wants to much for the 178, about 18k, so I'm leaning back to the Yamaha C-2 or the Kawai RX2 both priced around the 15k mark and closer to my budget.  Does anyone have any input on what I should do? I seem to like the way they all feel and sound and their qualities seem similar. Oh decisions decisions.

[cysoto]

After further research I'm finding out the local and only dealer in the state wants to much for the 178, about 18k...

I find this interesting...  I thought that BOSTON pianos, although designed by STEINWAY, were made by KAWAI which would make their price comparable to a KAWAI or YAMAHA of similar size.

IMHO BOSTON makes nice sounding pianos but I belive that there are better pianos being produced in that same price range.  So far I have never been "blown away" by a BOSTON.  There are better options, including the C2 and RX2.  Altough, if these were my only two choices I'd be partial to the YAMAHA.

[tosca1]

Indeed the Boston pianos, although designed and marketed by Steinway and Sons, are made in the Kawai factory in Japan. There is a slight price difference in the smaller models with Boston being more expensive, but at the top end of the range of models, the Kawai pianos are more expensive.  At least that is the situation here in Auckland.
As the Boston is a new line of pianos which started in 1992, we can only speculate on the durability of the instrument. However, there is a the "Steinway Promise" which pledges a full refund of the purchase price of any Boston piano within ten years, should the owner decide to upgrade to a new Steinway grand.  We may infer that Steinway and Sons has put much faith in the enduring quality of the Boston.

Kind regards,
Robert.