Is this a good price for a used Steinway Model M?

[mrsparkle]

My wife wants a Steinway Baby Grand Model M for her birthday this year.  Our local Steinway store is selling a 2012 Model M in Satin Ebony for $55,000.  Is this a good price or do you think we could find a better deal elsewhere like a dealer or Craigslist?  My wife is worried buying anywhere else besides directly from Steinway we wouldn't get a piano with all original parts.

[huaidongxi]

can't really answer you without knowing what you consider your piano shopping radius from where you are, and whether it includes a major metro area where folks with nice grand pianos are 'downsizing' or just liquidating.  in my area (northern calif, u.s.a.) that would be very high retail and not likely to find a buyer very quickly.  only you and your spouse know why she's fixed on a model M.  with more than 50 k. to spend my preferences in steinways would go to model O or L or A. but she might be set in her mind, and you might feel pressure to please her sooner rather than later. for some folks, spending an extra 15-20k. is worth the immediate gratification. many instruments as old as twenty or thirty years or more still have all the original parts, and the best restorers and technicians are extremely meticulous about what replacement parts they use.  they'd also be able to assess any used steinway and tell you if there's any problem with it, what its ceiling potential would be after some care and attention, and how much corrective action would cost.  the more options you leave yourself as a buyer the better chance you have of finding a realistic price, unless you are in a very restricted market without many choices.

[mrsparkle]

can't really answer you without knowing what you consider your piano shopping radius from where you are, and whether it includes a major metro area where folks with nice grand pianos are 'downsizing' or just liquidating.  in my area (northern calif, u.s.a.) that would be very high retail and not likely to find a buyer very quickly.  only you and your spouse know why she's fixed on a model M.  with more than 50 k. to spend my preferences in steinways would go to model O or L or A. but she might be set in her mind, and you might feel pressure to please her sooner rather than later. for some folks, spending an extra 15-20k. is worth the immediate gratification. many instruments as old as twenty or thirty years or more still have all the original parts, and the best restorers and technicians are extremely meticulous about what replacement parts they use.  they'd also be able to assess any used steinway and tell you if there's any problem with it, what its ceiling potential would be after some care and attention, and how much corrective action would cost.  the more options you leave yourself as a buyer the better chance you have of finding a realistic price, unless you are in a very restricted market without many choices.

We are in the Southern California/Los Angeles region which I hope means we have alot of options and more leverage in terms of getting a better deal.  She's set on a Model M mainly because of the physical space we have available in our house.  So given our situation, where would be a good place to start? Seems like the Steinway showroom wouldn't be the best place to find a good deal.

[hfmadopter]

You just have to dig around some piano shops etc. But you will come out from under the mother wings of the Steinway dealership. Some of their pianos are factory certified and their technicians are for sure. But still, there are private rebuilders around the country who deal in Steinway too. And shops of other brands who might have taken an older Steinway in trade.

I'd say the one you looked at, being 2012, is probably in top condition and they are asking pretty much retail for it, for that year in top condition. Several K more would get you a brand new one but this one may be as good as new. Only a tech could tell you for sure.

Some folks love 1920's era M's though, they would rather have a reconditioned one from that era than a new one in some cases.. Rick Jones piano has a 1926  in satin ebony for 25+k. And an 82. They ship country wide, they give a 10 year full warranty, even take it back for full exchange price if you want to upgrade  later.  Here is a link to their Steinway gallery:   https://rickjonespianos.com/product-category/steinway-pianos/

[huaidongxi]

your options are huge where you are. model L's and O's are only a few inches longer than the M, both under six feet, while the A is just over six feet.  one of steinway's top designers in their most successful era, with many of the instruments from the period still around, designed both the M and near the end of his career, the L/O.  to me it's clear he was going for something better than the M.  nearly bought a used L myself, it was about thirty years old at the time with everything original as far as parts, really playing and sounding like an excellent steinway should.  needed some cosmetic work but the seller wanted the $$ and the price around 16 k. would have left plenty in the budget to take care of it.  it's more of a buyer's market now in the major calif. metro areas than it was then, partly due to the rise in popularity of digital pianos, partly due to the demographics of who keeps a grand piano in their home.

[visitor]

You need to consult w someone over this live or at least first via telephone.

i would contact Robert Estrin at livingpianos.com his shop is in Santa Ana. He is a. Instrument collectoe historian, concert pianist and has been features on PBS, he is o e of your vest resources to unpack your situation and help you understand the current ss market, local micro market specifics and ranges of pricing. He can help you source lovely instrument at a fair price if the ss hall one is a rip off vs other options locally.

[huaidongxi]

have watched a number of Robt. Estrin's demos and mini-lectures on youtube.  good info on them and he demos some very interesting and attractive vintage pianos.  there was a very nice Mason& Hamlin model A he demo'd, which happens to be their counterpart to the steinway M, identical dimensions but constructed a bit more substantially as m&h grands often were.  would love to visit his store some time.