Welcome to the latest update. I have been very encouraged recently by customers referring to what is happening with the business as a result of reading these features. As always, things are incredibly busy and writing a latest news update is often not given the highest priority but I am glad that I do eventually get round to it..! It has been a fairly unusual couple of months since the last writing, the showroom seems to have been either very quiet or very busy, a pattern mirrored by colleagues in piano businesses throughout the country. I am happy to report that overall it has been a very productive time for us with some fabulous pianos chosen at out showrooms.
Our exquisite Grotrian-Steinweg pianos have been very popular over the last couple of months. Our 192cm Cabinet grand has been chosen by a fabulous young pianist who played the most amazing Chopin. The Grotrian-Steinweg 192 Cabinet grand is such a beautiful piano, it not only produces a superb musical performance but also represents exceptional value for money against competitors such as Steinway, Bechstein or Bluthner. Of course, these esteemed piano makers also produce fine pianos but I would encourage any pianist considering these instruments to try the Grotrian-Steinweg for themselves, many have discovered them in my showroom and for many it has been their piano of choice! My next 192 Grotrian which is due in within the next couple of weeks has also been selected and I am accompanying a very musically gifted family to Braunschweig for a factory tour and 192 selection just before Christmas. I am really looking forward to this trip, visiting the factory is always inspiring and Konrad at Grotrian is a fine host! The very first Grotrian-Steinweg that I played that almost took my breath away is the Friedrich studio. This innocuous looking piano gives the most incredible performance for a piano of its size and was selected in my showroom yesterday, I retain great affection for this remarkable piano which shows a quality that is consistent in all Grotrian-Steinweg pianos.
Our other main brand of new piano is Kawai. For me, Kawai offer exceptional value for money against any other pianos in their price range. The engineering is typical of a Japanese product; consistently high quality, reliable and precise. I recently took delivery of a fabulous GX2 grand and also a GX1 grand piano. The GX series are the professional series of grand piano and impress every time. They offer a full and rich tonal quality with superb action control allowing the player such control, particularly when playing very softly which is often a criticism of competitor brands. Our recently selected GX3 model is a fabulous piano and is being missed at the showroom, we will replace it before too long I’m sure. Again, it offered a musical performance to rival many far more expensive pianos with a tonal quality that we find to be a very popular choice. Our Kawai uprights have also been chosen regularly with the K-15 the most popular choice in the last couple of months. We have also delivered K200’s and K300’s to customers in the last couple of months, both to private customers and schools. With the Grotrian-Steinweg range and the Kawai pianos we really believe that we are offering superb pianos that excel in their price range and offer fantastic value for money, sales pitch over…but it’s true!
Used upright pianos have been busy with three being chosen this weekend and another in the week. As I write we are low on stock, let me know if you hear of any good used pianos for sale! Restored pianos have been quieter for us although two of the models on display are sold and one other reserved! One of the pianos that is sold is waiting for the customer to buy a house to put it in, it is a perfect match so it will sit patiently! I am really looking forward to the arrival of a Bosendorfer 6’8” model which is nearing the end of restoration. Barry Caradine is undertaking the work, Barry was the head technician for Bosendorfer in the UK so a perfect choice to restore this particular piano which we expect to be stunning.
Piano tuning remains as busy as we can cope with and a whole lot of fun. Richard and Vicky are working hard to keep up with the schedules and I am out most days with my tuning fork and lever. As ever, the variety of life on the road is interesting and always good fun. At the moment as the central heating systems dry out the atmosphere in our homes the pianos are starting to drop flat, particularly in the mid section, although I am sure this will be exaggerated in the coming months as winter starts to kick in. It has been a treat to travel around this Autumn with the fabulous leaf colours being highlighted by the warm sun. I now know I have reached middle age.
Contact us to arrange a showroom visit and we will be delighted to show off our pianos. Latest addition to the showroom is a coffee grinder, we’ve upgraded from ground to beans.
Best wishes,
Ben
