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A 185cm long grand is hardly a baby. It should be better than an upright at that price.

Whether a Lippman/any 185 grand at £4500 new, is worth considering is another matter. Anyone have direct experience of today's Lippman? Presumably it's a chinese stencil?

Joe : How can a buyer be certain that a piano hasn't been to Poland? I suspect some of those " British workshops" use polish shops for much of their casework, soundboards, stringing etc., and only do actions and final finishing themselves.

Schubert : A small correction. The sales/info contact is Indrek's father Venno. Both of his parents, musicians themselves, are involved in the running of the company. If anyone in the UK would like to try a 2001 built 168 they are welcome to come to Norfolk after the 30th., when Barry Carradine will...

And again. He also calls himself "steinwaypianosltd" I wonder if Steinway know.

There's what looks like a big Danemann for sale on ebay right now for £50. Item no. 170344131997. Can't be sure, because the vendor doesn't give any details, but must be worth your checking it out.

I've no doubt that the professionals on this forum have had occasion to scrap pianos that are not worth the expense of a rebuild. Does anyone have a 'renner' grand action, preferably complete with keyboard, 'left over'? Rather than putting it in a skip, or saving it for november 5th, :) pass it on t...

There's one on ebay right now, item 320369810861, for £35. It was used with a G2 so should fit? Needs some tlc but at that price you can hardly go wrong.

This post prompted memories. I had one of these, passed down to me by my father in the late fifties after I learned to play it. It was well made, with a good tone. It would have been bought pre-war in Nottingham. My father also helped finance my piano retailer uncle's purchase of a piano workshop. T...

A new Estonia in a UK shop? Where was this, and which model was it? I'm suprised you didn't like it ; I'm very happy with mine, and so is my tuner.

Before buying a CA Kawai you would be well advised to read the threads about Kawai's build quality problems. I had a CA91 which was nothing but trouble, particularly the keyboard/action. This was particularly annoying as I had bought the Kawai for its keyboard's similarity to a real piano. In my exp...

Saga did not require my Estonia 168 to be listed as a specified item. Only to be sure the total contents sum insured was adequate, new for old. There was no increase in the premium.

I doubt an Estonia would be more expensive. Problem is ,there are no UK dealers so you would have to go to the factory in Tallin to try them. The Laul family who own the company are very helpful and would no doubt prep several examples for you to try, and choose from. You would also be ablte to nego...

You had to get married? You were a naughty girl!

Thanks. The reference is now obvious!

I've never seen a Kimball, but I agree about Baldwin. The two grands I've tried were pretty awful.

I,m puzzled by the reference to "a warmongering prat". I don't think Estonia has fought anyone since being over-run by the Nazis. Since there's less than two million of them they are unlikely to pick a fight with anyone!

Does your RX2 has a polyester finish ? I use Mr Sheen, which is anti-static, on my mahogany polyester Estonia. Result ; no dust and no finger prints. I had the extra problem of light scuffs/scratches on my previous gloss black polyester Yamaha. Black turtle wax colour magic car polish proved most ef...

Piano Guy : I doubt there are two of them but you never know! He doesn't speak the way he writes, seemed a perfectly reasonable chap to me, just a trifle eccentric.

He's probably of Polish descent, but I didn't quiz him on his family background, only that of the piano.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, I visited this chap earlier this year to look at a small Bluthner. It was in a derelict and damp bungalow near Wisbech. He reckoned HE had rebuilt it with new action standards, pins and strings etc. Just 'needed the case repolishing'. He also partially retuned it whils...

On the subject of different temperaments, I have a set of tuning forks which are of equal temperament [more or less!] but based on A426.6.
Were pianos ever tuned this low, or are they intended for some other instrument?

PianoGuy, I have no intention of sending anything to Poland. The pianos I'm considering have already been rebuilt and are available in the UK. The purpose of my original question was to check whether they were worth spending time and mileage on. From the very useful info received I think they are wo...

Meyer use Heller base and Roslau treble strings, Klinke pins, and Abel hammers, so material quality should not be a problem. I think it is going to be a case of checking each individual piano's action has been restored to the required standard, and then as you say, go for it

PianoGuy, thanks for your experience [ I assume you are in the piano business?]. It seems a Polish rebuild should be good value and better than a UK rebuild [apart from the very best workshop's product], but that the action may not be good enough. I would expect any pianos action to require regulati...

jackg. Your referenced website tells me nothing. Calling Poles "monkeys" is gratuitously offensive. The few I have met are hardworking decent people.

I asked for informed comment from people with direct experience of the subject.

I'm looking for a grand around 6 foot [Bosendorfer, Bluthner, Grotrian]. In my search I've come across a couple that have been rebuilt by Polish workshops. Does anyone have experience of rebuilt/renovated instruments from Poland? I have heard that they are not up to the standard of a German or UK pr...

Never grease AWA Pro keys! The noise is CAUSED by grease migrating from the hammer fulcrums onto the capstans and contaminating the key sliptapes. The only lasting fix is to renew the slip tapes and teflon powder coating, and remove the excess grease from the hammers. This is very labour intensive [...

Thanks for the reply. Kawai have authorised company that does their warranty work in UK to rectify faults. Took some time to organise because piano was bought from Cherubini in Rome, whom I can recommend as courteous, helpful, and very competitive on price. If anyone else is considering a new Kawai ...

Has anyone experience of problems with the wooden keyboard on the top-of-range Kawai digitals? I have a new CA91 which has quickly developed sqeaking keys. Some are so noisey as to be intolerable. The white keys are also of uneven height. The dealer claims they will silence with use, but I find no e...