All Articles

Piano Shopping for the Working Musician

No matter what you decide, a carefully considered piano purchase will yield years of high-level music-making for the professional musician.

Acoustic or Digital: What’s Best for Me?

Should you buy an acoustic or digital piano? Many factors play into this seemingly simple decision, some practical, some not.

Staff Picks

We feel we owe some specific recommendations to the many readers who have requested them.

A Map of the Market For New Pianos (‘Ratings’)

This chart and commentary are intended to provide the newcomer to the piano market with a simple summary of how this market is organized.

Five Mistakes First-Time Piano Buyers Make

Having sold pianos for more than 50 years, I’ve seen my share of costly mistakes. Here are the five most common.

The New-Piano Market Today

This article summarizes the history of U.S. piano sales, manufacturing, and imports over the last 50 years.

Piano Buying Basics

An acoustic (traditional) piano can be one of the most expensive and difficult purchases most households will ever make. Why so difficulult?

Sales Talk

Certain technical features of pianos are frequently the subject of sales talk, but do they matter?

Dealer Preparation of New Pianos: Should I Buy a Piano out of the Crate?

Bringing the instrument back to the level of musicality intended by the manufacturer is the responsibility of the dealer.

The Benefits of Laminated Soundboards

The soundboard remains one of the least understood components of the modern piano.

About Piano Prices

The subject of piano pricing is difficult, complicated, and controversial. Honesty about pricing is resisted.

Nontraditional Materials and the Piano

As long as pianos continue to be built, nontraditional materials will have a place in their construction.

Buying a Grand Piano Less Than Five Feet Long

Great strides have been made in the intelligent design and construction of small pianos.