Search found 470 matches

by mdw
03 Jun 2011, 12:09
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Munt Brothers ... Edwardian Upright
Replies: 8
Views: 10416

Re: Munt Brothers ... Edwardian Upright

MrsW wrote:is it only good for scrap.
Ask you local tech to check it over, will cost you a call out charge. Its probably only fit for burning but a tech would have to see it to give firm advice.
by mdw
31 May 2011, 21:26
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Ask piano technician – Do you prefer Kawai K3 or Yamaha U1?
Replies: 16
Views: 28648

Re: Ask piano technician – Do you prefer Kawai K3 or Yamaha

Buy the piano YOU like. Dont buy a piano you dont like just so IF you sell it in a few years time you might get a few hundred dollars more. One you have purchased new you have taken the first big hit in depreciation and its worth 25% less than you paid for it. Accept it and get on enjoying the piano...
by mdw
30 May 2011, 14:05
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Ask piano technician – Do you prefer Kawai K3 or Yamaha U1?
Replies: 16
Views: 28648

Re: Ask piano technician – Do you prefer Kawai K3 or Yamaha

They are both well made pianos from good makers. Its really down to which one YOU like the sound and touch of, its not one is better than the other they are just different. You shouldnt have any problems with either. The yam will show a bigger discount from list via the on line retailers as they hav...
by mdw
28 May 2011, 19:00
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: New Grand <£15000 ideas???
Replies: 27
Views: 28803

Re: New Grand <£15000 ideas???

It must be nice to splurge £18000 odd and not being quite sure its what you really really want. Has he thought about spending a bit on the room acoustics and a sticky label saying Steinway for the front. Ive seen that type of change a couple of times and both of them wanted the name on the front abo...
by mdw
28 May 2011, 16:50
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: New Grand <£15000 ideas???
Replies: 27
Views: 28803

Re: New Grand <£15000 ideas???

Ouch !!!! £5500 loss in less than a year thats got to hurt.
by mdw
01 May 2011, 08:31
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: More Help Please !
Replies: 27
Views: 27626

Re: More Help Please !

Kemble King says: I would estimate between £1995 and £2,400 would be a fare price to pay for it. Dealers can get a brand new one for much less than this can't they? Chinese pianos can be bought brand new for less than £800... and that's from a distributor. I shudder to think how cheap they are if y...
by mdw
28 Apr 2011, 18:04
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: New Grand <£15000 ideas???
Replies: 27
Views: 28803

Re: New Grand <£15000 ideas???

You are best to go an find 3 -4 pianos YOU like then come back and ask us the pros and cons of each. Its going to last your life time so dont buy a piano you dont like the sound, touch and feel of just because someone else tells you its better. Dont use price as a guide either as there are some expe...
by mdw
27 Apr 2011, 21:36
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Me again and my purchase of Kawai GM10 !!
Replies: 13
Views: 16726

Re: Me again and my purchase of Kawai GM10 !!

Nope the Kembles are all new and ive seen some new Yams. The Yam on at the moment says less than 1 month old , not played with balance of 5 year guarantee. IE its new
by mdw
26 Apr 2011, 21:14
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Me again and my purchase of Kawai GM10 !!
Replies: 13
Views: 16726

Re: Me again and my purchase of Kawai GM10 !!

Thanks Bob,not as up to date as before looks like Kawai looking to adopt Yamaha tatics. Has Yamaha not set a tariff of no more than 15% discount on RRP on web pages but anything you like in shop on over the phone Barrie, Dont think it matters what Yamaha says. The dealer agreement says no ebay but ...
by mdw
21 Apr 2011, 10:55
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Kemble Oxford
Replies: 12
Views: 18477

Re: Kemble Oxford

I am about to buy my first piano (i'm about grade 7 but never owned a piano before) and a considering an ex-rental Kemble Oxford for about ?2700. My only concern is that if you play the notes very gently you often hear that they repeat (the note sounds again after you initially played the key). I'v...
by mdw
19 Apr 2011, 13:25
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Me again and my purchase of Kawai GM10 !!
Replies: 13
Views: 16726

Re: Me again and my purchase of Kawai GM10 !!

If you have played it and are willing to pay the £2k extra then its worth £2k extra. If you dont think its £2k better go for the lower cost one.
by mdw
15 Apr 2011, 11:34
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Help/Advice/Assesment on possible Bechstein purchase
Replies: 27
Views: 22300

Re: Help/Advice/Assesment on possible Bechstein purchase

Can I sugest you contact a QUALIFIED piano technician , and ask their opinion on this piano BEFORE you spent any money.
by mdw
04 Apr 2011, 16:27
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Second hand Kawai GM 10
Replies: 32
Views: 29501

Re: Second hand Kawai GM 10

I'm talking about margin on the individual piano, not whether the shop makes profit overall. Thats good as we are both talking about the same thing. The margin between buy and sell cost on one piano includes lots of labour and materials and on the other example includes nothing but mark up. Yet the...
by mdw
04 Apr 2011, 15:07
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Second hand Kawai GM 10
Replies: 32
Views: 29501

Re: Second hand Kawai GM 10

My issue is with large, established shops making over £1000 profit on an old Bentley. That's not honest value in my opinion. Do you mean profit ie whats left over after all costs have been coverd. My guess is the "profit" on a buy it in ship it out operation where nothing is added to the ...
by mdw
31 Mar 2011, 10:29
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Bansall and Sons v Bremar upright
Replies: 83
Views: 54411

Re: Bansall and Sons v Bremar upright

You can also get a load of c**p on ebay. When a customer come to me wanting to get rid of a grotty piano I advise them we charge £150 to collect and destroy. Most tell me they will put them on ebay. These are pianos with major problems I have advised be broken up. Most of these are 50-120 years old....
by mdw
30 Mar 2011, 18:41
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Help please !
Replies: 11
Views: 13561

Re: Help please !

I think you will need a bigger budget if thats the type of piano you are looking for. Are you looking for the piano to last the rest of her life or something to do grade 8 on. It may be worth hiring a 120cm plus piano for a few years to do the grade 8 rather than buying a small 110cm piano that she ...
by mdw
29 Mar 2011, 16:40
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Help please !
Replies: 11
Views: 13561

Re: Help please !

A Kemble Prestige 10 year old in good condition for less than a grand is a bargain in my opinion. It should be at least twice that price if not more if in good condition. In most rooms a 120-125 cm piano is perfectly fine. You will need to at least double your budget for a used Yam but just trawl t...
by mdw
23 Mar 2011, 23:52
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Second hand Kawai GM 10
Replies: 32
Views: 29501

Re: Second hand Kawai GM 10

Not sure i would say king of idiots but it does seem a little 2 faced to be happy to ask for a 30% discount from other traders but to say no when people do the same to you. Ive reached a point in life now when people take the **** I am quite happy to invite them to leave.
by mdw
20 Mar 2011, 13:58
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Pre-lubricating rusty string coils on old pianos ??
Replies: 4
Views: 8220

Re: Pre-lubricating rusty string coils on old pianos ??

I sure when I was at newark years ago they said you de tension a little to allow any small rust particle just where the string meets the wrest pin to dislodge. I guess if thats where the string breaks then that would do the job. I am quite supprised sometimes how few do break when you see the condit...
by mdw
05 Mar 2011, 18:47
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Pianos placed on underfloor heating
Replies: 13
Views: 17799

Re: Pianos placed on underfloor heating

You would probably be better and more honest telling them to buy digitals and look on them as a 2 year disposable item. Makes hugely more sense for schools to get a digital as it needs virtually no maintance and will last for years. Have you been in a secondary school in the last 15 years? I advise...
by mdw
03 Mar 2011, 22:55
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Pianos placed on underfloor heating
Replies: 13
Views: 17799

Re: Pianos placed on underfloor heating

This has been gone over a number of times on the site however, Ive seen 3 pianos wrecked by UFCh but have fitted it at home and have no probs at all. All 3 pianos were in church/hall situations, new builds where the pipes are in massive concrete slabs. This type takes a day or so to put the heat in ...
by mdw
01 Mar 2011, 20:41
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Bechstein castor replacement
Replies: 6
Views: 8860

Re: Bechstein castor replacement

Colin Nicholson wrote:Anyway, I would suggest London - don't think anyone in your local area (or even Hastings) will have the tech stuff to do that job, but I may be wrong.
Im sure Sussex pianos would be able to do the job with ease and they are not a million miles from you.
by mdw
26 Feb 2011, 13:39
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: grand piano removal
Replies: 17
Views: 19760

Re: grand piano removal

Piano Logistics
by mdw
24 Feb 2011, 21:44
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Used piano suitable for beginner
Replies: 7
Views: 11763

Re: Used piano suitable for beginner

Im pretty sure the guarantee doesnt carry on when its 2nd hand. I know Kembles dont. But then thats why you are getting it for £1500, so you are quids in. If you want it risk free buy new. Unless the PO has baked it infront of a radiator I doubt you will have any problems. The KX15 isnt the greatest...
by mdw
23 Feb 2011, 22:23
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Coaching in piano tuning
Replies: 20
Views: 18489

Re: Coaching in piano tuning

Seem to remember being taught a load or wacky scales when i was at Newark. I can honestly say in the 27 years since ive never once been asked to tune one.
by mdw
15 Feb 2011, 14:16
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Piano buying advice - Yamaha P114T v U1
Replies: 14
Views: 15981

Re: Piano buying advice - Yamaha P114T v U1

You could also be very cheeky and ask the seller for the phone number of their piano tuner and ask for his opinion of the piano and find out if it has been regularly tuned and maintained. You are correct that would be very very cheeky!!!. If you want the piano checked over take an independent tuner...
by mdw
14 Feb 2011, 13:45
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Piano buying advice - Yamaha P114T v U1
Replies: 14
Views: 15981

Re: Piano buying advice - Yamaha P114T v U1

The U1 is a good bit of kit BUT get it checked over by someone who knows what they are doing. The 2nd hand Yams range from 1st class good as new to shoddy worn out junk. The case will probably look A1 on both the good and bad so you really need to know the condition inside. The P114T at 5 years old ...
by mdw
12 Feb 2011, 18:53
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Quality used upright advice
Replies: 115
Views: 156922

Re: Quality used upright advice

I do find it odd that piano dealers do not appear to open on Sundays yet they are open Monday-Friday. Do many people buy pianos on a Monday morning? I should have thought that weekends were the peak periods for this kind of purchase. Robert Can only say from my own view point. My wife works all wee...
by mdw
04 Feb 2011, 08:42
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Mid range grands - price and advice
Replies: 58
Views: 50040

Re: Mid range grands - price and advice

I understand your view Jonkie but im pretty sure you are coming from this as a tuner only. Look at it as if it affected your business. How does your response go if a tuner from the other side of the country comes to your area undercuts you big time due to their lower fixed costs etc and does a sligh...
by mdw
03 Feb 2011, 19:17
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Mid range grands - price and advice
Replies: 58
Views: 50040

Re: Mid range grands - price and advice

They are giving a 10 Year Guarantee, were as the rest are just giving the normal Yamaha 5 year one. To give a 10 year Guarantee you have to be very confident in the product you are selling . Barrie The 10 year and even 5 year guarantees seem to cover the things that never go wrong. Ive seen a reaso...
by mdw
01 Feb 2011, 18:45
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Mid range grands - price and advice
Replies: 58
Views: 50040

Re: Mid range grands - price and advice

The retailer only supplies the pianos the schools order and cos the B1 is the cheapest Yamaha thats what they go for,they dont listen to tuners,sensible retailers or teachers price is the key. The the retailer should say no I will not supply that product. I personaly will not supply any stool other...
by mdw
01 Feb 2011, 17:51
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Mid range grands - price and advice
Replies: 58
Views: 50040

Re: Mid range grands - price and advice

I dont do contracts with my schools, then if they dont like me they dont call me back ( hasnt happened) and if I dont like them..................... New school to tune at to they dont owe me anything and I dont owe them anything either. I just think its a shame that they got taken for a ride by a ch...
by mdw
01 Feb 2011, 16:24
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Mid range grands - price and advice
Replies: 58
Views: 50040

Re: Mid range grands - price and advice

There are plenty other dealers who offer good customer service and prices Music Box Manchester,Chappells London,Chamberlains Surrey etc and they tend to be cheaper than your pal without compromising service. One of those 3 supplied 2 B1s to a secondary school near me, no lock, no safety castors, no...
by mdw
31 Jan 2011, 21:34
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Why no price disclosed
Replies: 8
Views: 11792

Re: Why no price disclosed

Also, in Yamahas case I understand the dealers are not allowed or suppose to advertise more then 20% lass than RRP on the internet so a call can be fruitful. Barrie, They are not meant to stick them on ebay either but countrywide seem quite happy to disregard the dealer agreemet they signed and Yam...
by mdw
27 Jan 2011, 10:40
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Mid range grands - price and advice
Replies: 58
Views: 50040

Re: Mid range grands - price and advice

AFAIK the Boston is made by Kawai for Steinway. As a tuner ive found the 4-5 boston grands ive tuned to be 2nd rate compared to the Kawais of the same size. That might just be grotty prep from the dealer but I think you are paying over the odds for the Designed by Steinway sticker. Just my opinion t...
by mdw
13 Jan 2011, 21:30
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Baldwin
Replies: 7
Views: 8370

Re: Baldwin

Only ever come across Baldwin Monarch uprights and what a pile of junk they were.
by mdw
11 Jan 2011, 18:22
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Which Paint ?
Replies: 14
Views: 21047

Re: Which Paint ?

I have a 4 year old rosewood Kawai digital piano. It has a satin stained (probably) rosewood finish which I would like to paint either white or black with a nice gloss finish. Can anyone advise me how I should tackle the preparation and what kind of paint I should use on this particular instrument?...
by mdw
09 Jan 2011, 18:50
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Bansall and Sons v Bremar upright
Replies: 83
Views: 54411

Re: Bansall and Sons v Bremar upright

I've had a quote of £96 just to move the piano from one village to the next! Thats the right sort of money. You are going to have 2 people who know what they are doing, have all the kit and are insured, for a minimum of 1 hour if not a lot more. You could try the man and van type who dont know what...
by mdw
08 Jan 2011, 16:33
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: New or used Perzina 129?
Replies: 11
Views: 13983

Re: New or used Perzina 129?

That's fraud then. If they are answering the following questions with a "YES" they are committing fraud Will this piano hold its tune well? Will this piano get me to grade 8? Will this piano hold its value well? Those are the questions that my customers ask me very regularly. That means t...
by mdw
07 Jan 2011, 22:25
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: New or used Perzina 129?
Replies: 11
Views: 13983

Re: New or used Perzina 129?

You will tend to find most piano shop will recomend what they sell its comercial suicide to do otherwise. Pianos from China range from total rubbish to acceptable. You tend to get what you pay for ie dont expect a great piano for £1500 new but it may be better than a £1000 bodged up 1930s upright. I...
by mdw
23 Dec 2010, 18:29
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: cracked cast iron plate of grand piano
Replies: 5
Views: 7721

Re: cracked cast iron plate of grand piano

I'd say if you're not buying a Steinway, stay away from old pianos at inflated prices. And a fair few of them are half restored tat. Any piano stuck together with animal glue is at risk of joints opening up, parts splitting etc. Ive seen quite a few old pianos with nice restorations and re polyeste...
by mdw
09 Dec 2010, 07:48
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Maybe selling a Yamaha C3
Replies: 6
Views: 8378

Re: Maybe selling a Yamaha C3

As its a Yamaha Its value is determined by what all the thousands of other Yams are selling for on the web, so search for the model work out and average and knock off a chunk to cover moving, tuning and no guarantee if its a private sale compared to from a shop. Case marks might be costly to repair ...
by mdw
24 Nov 2010, 20:22
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Help needed !!!
Replies: 3
Views: 5281

Re: Help needed !!!

Ring 3 local piano shops and take the best price. Beware the person who says ohhhh its worth thousands but doesnt want to buy it.
by mdw
01 Nov 2010, 19:33
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Yamaha U3
Replies: 8
Views: 13158

Re: Yamaha U3

8. Dont forget with internet sales distance selling regs apply so if you dont like it in the first (not sure how many weeks ) just ring the dealer up and tell him to collect ( your cost I think) and you want your money back, you dont even have to give a reason, rational or otherwise.
by mdw
27 Oct 2010, 20:14
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Bechstein model 7
Replies: 18
Views: 20206

Re: Bechstein model 7

Well if its any help one of my tunings today was a small bechstein grand. Took the desk off to start to see a big split across the wrest plank covering 8 tuning pins. Good bye piano. YOu can do a fantastic big cost rebuild on a piano from 1890s and it will still be stuck together with animal glue an...
by mdw
26 Sep 2010, 22:04
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Broken Hammer
Replies: 4
Views: 5694

Re: Broken Hammer

Just call out a proper tech to sort it. Its 20 mins work and no other damage. If you start breaking other bits of the action the bill will go through the roof and if you diy it the action will be full of rubber bands, selotape and pencils that we techs just love to see in a piano action :shock:
by mdw
26 Sep 2010, 18:56
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Grand or Upright: Another Variation on the Theme
Replies: 4
Views: 6937

Re: Grand or Upright: Another Variation on the Theme

Dont bother with a grand less than 6 foot. You might as well have a big upright and a few quid in your pocket. Buy the piano you like and forget the resale value. Whats the point in buying a piano you dont like just to have a better resale value later. If you buy new you are going to lose loads of c...
by mdw
24 Sep 2010, 07:48
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Which piano should I buy?
Replies: 8
Views: 11015

Re: Which piano should I buy?

Kemble King wrote:thats a very good price on the Kemble that has been given.
Yep thats so low i would worry about the dealer being around to honour the guarantee in a few years. Or it will be the usual , ohh thats plus vat, delivery, tuning etc etc etc
by mdw
22 Sep 2010, 20:31
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Which piano should I buy?
Replies: 8
Views: 11015

Re: Which piano should I buy?

Go for the Kemble.
by mdw
31 Aug 2010, 15:17
Forum: Piano Advice
Topic: Bosendorfer Una corda problem
Replies: 7
Views: 8480

Re: Bosendorfer Una corda problem

I cannot remember how many times I have come to a new upright piano with the hammers still resting on the jacks and the customer complaining about sticking keys! Not to mention the polystyrene packing on the hammer rest rail! That does amaze me as surly they would notice the halfblow(soft pedal) wo...