Based on Yamaha experience with pianos not seasoned for the US market, we strongly discourage the purchase.Ģ. In fact, Yamaha notes on their website that it builds pianos “not suitable for the US Market.” Įxperience has suggested many of the used Yamaha pianos being brought to North America today are pianos that were manufactured for the Japanese market…also known as the grey market pianos. As a result many Asian built pianos deteriorate rapidly in the North American climate. The construction process of a budget-conscious piano values cost and speed of construction over high quality materials/woods and curing time of woods. This is why antique European furniture often experiences rapid deterioration when moved to the more hostile New England environment.Īlso of note, many Asian-built pianos are also less resistant to seasonal climate variations of North America. Many of the more expensive European brands utilize native European lumber and are designed for the European climate, which tends to be more mild by comparison to much of North America, particularly when compared to the Northeast United States. Seasonal and daily changes in temperature and humidity will have dramatic effects on a piano. While on the subject 0f European-Made pianos, it is important to understand the effects of ambient climate on a piano.

Higher-end European Manufacturers less than 20 years old, such as Bosendorfer, Fazioli, Bechstein, to name a few.Įuropean Made Pianos and Grey Market Yamaha.

Pearl River pianos less than 10 years old.

Samick pianos (including Knabe, Kohler & Campbell, Pramberger, Seiler etc) less than 15 years old.

Steinway Designed Boston and Essex Pianos less than 15-20 years old.

Yamaha and Kawai pianos less than 15 years old.

Steinway & Sons pianos less than 40 years old (30 years old is the cutoff to be considered for the Steinway Certified Pre-Owned Program).

Manufacturers and brands that retain the most value and are most re-sellable on the open market: Steinert & Sons which built pianos in two factories in Leominster MA under the names Jewett, Hume, Woodbury and Steinert. There were many others of differing quality including our own firm M. Then, as now, there were builders of varying quality Steinway & Sons in New York and Chickering & Sons from Boston were some of the high quality builders. There were many tens of thousands of pianos built between 18 and a number of those pianos still survive today in some form. Most American piano factories were located on the eastern seaboard between Washington DC and Boston.

Manufacturer’s Design/Construction: Original Design and Construction determines a pianos musical potential and longevity.ĭid you know that there were over 1000 piano manufacturers in America during the turn of the 20th century? Today there is only one of significance Steinway & Sons. There are 3 main factors that determine the actual value of a piano (in order of importance): What Factors Contribute to a Piano’s Value? We expand on this in our New Vs Used Steinway article. Age does not make a piano worth more it makes it worth less. This has been true throughout the piano’s 300+ year history with very few exceptions. The most important thing to understand is that a piano gains the majority of its value from it’s musical quality. The first thing we like to let people know is there isn’t a credible “Blue Book” for piano values like there is for cars, coins etc. Steinert & Sons has been in the piano business for 160 years and has experienced almost every age/condition/piano imaginable. Is your piano something that could net you some extra cash or is it something you’ll need to pay to have disposed of? In this article we’ll discuss what factors contribute to a piano’s value (hint… it isn’t antiquity) to help you determine the best next steps for you and your piano. If this last one is you, please read our article What is the Best Piano for a Beginner “I’ve just bought a new house and am considering buying a used piano.” “I’ve just inherited my family’s old piano.” “I’ve just moved and the previous owners left this piano in the living room” “I’m downsizing and can’t take my piano with me” Pianos are large and often difficult to move, so this question often comes from people with an imminent or recent real estate transaction. Usually this is a piano that they have either recently acquired (or are considering acquiring) or are planning to relinquish. We are contacted everyday by people asking the value of their piano. Steinert & Sons is actively buying quality used pianos.

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