BRODMANN

including Taylor London

Piano Marketing Group, LLC
752 East 21st Street
Ferdinand, Indiana 47532
812-630-0978
gary.trafton@brodmann-pianos.com
www.brodmann-pianos.com
www.taylor-pianos.com

Company Headquarters: J. B. Piano GmbH, Kudlichgasse 24, A-1100 Vienna, Austria. Phone: +43-1-890-3203; christian.hoeferl@brodmann-pianos.com

Pianos made by: various makers (see text)

Joseph Brodmann was a well-known piano maker in Vienna in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Ignaz Bösendorfer apprenticed in Brodmann's workshop and eventually took it over, producing the first Bösendorfer pianos there. Today's Brodmann is a new company, headquartered in Vienna, and founded in 2004 by two former Bösendorfer executives, pursuing a direction they say was planned as a possible second line for Bösendorfer a number of years ago, but never acted upon.

Brodmann says its mission is to produce a piano with high-end performance characteristics at an affordable price by using European components in key areas, strict quality control, and manufacturing in countries with favorable labor rates.

There are three lines of Brodmann piano. The Professional Edition (PE) pianos, made in China, are designed in Vienna and use European components such as Strunz soundboards, Abel hammers, Röslau strings, and Langer-designed actions (Renner in the model 228, a Chinese action in the verticals). For quality control, Brodmann has its own employees from Europe in the factory. The scale design of the 6' 2" model PE 187 is said to be similar to that of a Steinway model A and is often singled out for praise.

The Conservatory Edition (CE), for the more price-conscious buyer, is also made in China, and comprises all Chinese parts (except for Japanese hammer felt), and receives Brodmann quality control.

The Artist Series (AS), introduced in 2011 and available only in the larger grand sizes, is partially made in China and then shipped to Germany, where the strings and action are installed and all musical finishing work is performed. The rim is made of maple; the soundboard, ribs, and pinblock are from Bolduc in Canada; and the piano uses a Renner action, Kluge keyboard, and Abel or Renner hammers.

The Brodmann company also makes an entry-level piano line called Taylor London, made in China with Asian parts, and subject to Brodmann's quality control.

Warranty: 10 years, parts and labor, transferable to future owners within the warranty period.

CABLE, HOBART M. — See Sejung.

CABLE-NELSON — See Yamaha.

CHASE, A.B. — See Everett.

CONCERTMASTER — See Baldwin.

CONOVER CABLE — See Samick.

CRISTOFORI

Jordan Kitt's Music
12303 Twinbrook Parkway
Rockville, Maryland 20852
301-770-9081
(Chris Syllaba)

Schmitt Music
2400 Freeway Blvd.
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota 55430
763-566-4560 x5075
(Wayne Reinhardt)
info@cristoforipianos.com
www.cristoforipianos.com

Pianos made by: Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

Originally issued under the name Opus II, the Cristofori and Lyrica brands are a joint undertaking by Jordan Kitt's Music, which owns and operates four piano dealerships in the D.C. and Atlanta markets; and Schmitt Music, which has more than a dozen locations throughout the Midwest and in Denver. Nearly ten years ago, wanting to improve their entry-level product offerings, the two companies combined forces to negotiate upgrades of product features and quality control directly with the factory. Today, although the brands are identical, Cristofori is sold only in Jordan Kitt's stores, Lyrica in Schmitt Music stores. Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731) was, of course, the inventor of the piano.

The Cristofori and Lyrica lines are manufactured by China's largest piano manufacturer, Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group. The uprights come in numerous sizes, styles, and finishes, including 42½" continental consoles and 43" decorator consoles in traditional and French cherry cabinets. The 48" professional upright, appropriate for home or institutional use, has double front legs and toe blocks for strength, and a large soundboard and long strings for bigger sound. Grands come in lengths of 4' 10", 5' 3", 5' 7", and 6' 2". The 5' 3" and 5' 7" sizes are wide-tail designs, which gives these mid-sized grands a larger soundboard area and, thus, a bigger sound.

The Cristofori and Lyrica pianos are differentiated from Pearl River's own line of pianos by upgraded specifications such as the use of highest-quality Mapes strings from the U.S.; all-spruce veneered soundboards of premium Siberian spruce; a different selection of cabinet styles; and a full, transferable warranty. U.S. technicians inspect every Cristofori and Lyrica piano at the Pearl River factory prior to crating and shipping.

Warranty: 12 years, parts and labor, transferable to future owners within the warranty period.