Ibach pianos: good pianos?? high end?? help ;-)

[onesurfer1]

Never heard of Ibach out here in USA.
How do they compare vs German Steinway and other German pianos?  Are they top tier? Reputable? Prestigious?

How much did they cost new when in production last???
thanks.

[huaidongxi]

the Ibachs made in Deutschland had a tremendous reputation.  the musicians who loved them would consider them the equal of any of the famous German brand names including Steinway or Grotrian-Steinway, Bechstein, Bluethner, et.al.  at worst maybe the lower half of the tier one instruments, and their prices reflected it.  keep in mind some of the other tier one brands have had their own ups and downs as far as quality.  ibachs need to be approached critically because many of the modern instruments weren't made in Germany, and the older instruments will have the same issues as any used pianos related to prior care, maintenance, what's been repaired or replaced and the quality of the work done in the repair or restoration.  european and u.k. dealers will generally consider the older ibachs worth the investment to restore.  if you are looking at one make sure you verify when and where it was built, compare it to other pianos in its price range, and when in doubt with an older instrument have a technician look at it to assess what work had been done to it and what it needs to be brought to its peak.  many older instruments at modest price points have tremendous potential after they've been given proper attention, which brings another cost variable of course.  there's generally a name brand premium for Steinway, Grotrian-Steinway, or Boesendorfer, and Ibachs are not likely to command the same in terms of price.

[richard black]

Like many makes they had good and not-so-good periods. I own a 1987 Ibach upright, about 120cm, which is one of the best upright pianos I have ever played. Bought it new, have given it a lot of use, and just about all it's ever had done is tuning (infrequent, as it holds tune amazingly well), occasional voicing, and replacing maybe 4 or 6 broken strings.