The Truth About Piano Reviews
If you’re like most people these days, you like to do a little online research before physically going out to shop for a piano. It just makes sense with all the information at your fingertips. Why not do what you always do when you want to buy something nice and fire up Google to find out what is available and what people are saying about the products you’re interested in? There has to be a bunch of experts out there willing to post their informed opinions on the pros and cons of the world’s best instruments, right?
It doesn’t have all the keys, they keys aren’t the right size, the app and free trial didn’t work, and the entire thing is only $67, but it has more than 26,000 5-Star ratings. Horrifying. (Click or press to see full-size image)
There might be, but there are even more people who think of themselves as “experts” when they have little or no real knowledge about the piano business. Some operate from outdated stereotypes, personal bias, and even bad assumptions based on their very limited experience with pianos (Driving a car doesn’t make you an expert on cars anymore than playing a piano makes you a piano expert). In fact, we see hordes of people who don’t know the first thing about pianos, piano lessons or music technology, but – since they want to feel good about the purchase they made or because the company incentivized them to do so – they choose to leave a review. We see it all the time on Amazon. People who don’t even play bought a $85 keyboard for their 4-year-old and – since their kid loves it – they leave a 5-star review! Some of them even say “This is the perfect piano! It feels great and sounds even better!” but – since they have never actually played a piano and they have no idea what a good instrument sounds and feels like, they aren’t qualified to make that kind of judgement. …and, thus, folks who read these reviews are often left thinking that the very same $85 keyboard would be a “perfect piano” for their beginning student when, in truth, the feel and sound are absolutely terrible and will damage a student’s playing technique over time. So how do you sift through all the unqualified opinions, bad information and outright bias to find useful information?
New Roland Piano App Controls Everything!
[Updated 2/16/2023] In October of 2022, Roland announced that they would be discontinuing support for their “Piano Every Day” app at the end of December, 2022. Piano Every Day was the control app for the following Roland pianos: LX708, LX706, LX705, HP704, HP702, RP701, F701, FP-90X, FP-60X and FP-30X. In February of 2023, Roland announced that they would transition away from another popular app: “Piano Partner 2.” Piano Partner 2 was the control app for these Roland Pianos: The HP-600 Series, RP-102, GP607, GP609. This means that – as of February, 2023 – ALL current model Roland pianos and most recent (discontinued) models are now compatible with Roland’s powerful new app…
How to Get New Music Equipment for Your School
Teaching music can be a very challenging – yet gratifying – career. Nothing gives music teachers more satisfaction than seeing their students become passionate, life-long music learners. One aspect of teaching that is often less pleasant for music teachers, however, is managing the necessary equipment to achieve their program outcomes. Nearly every educator understands the importance of having quality musical equipment in their classrooms, but few know how to get this equipment and even fewer consider themselves experts in modern musical instruments, software or services. …so – if you’re a music teacher and you know you need new classroom tools – how do you go about getting them?
Are Old Pianos Worth Anything?
In the early-to-mid part of the 20th century, the piano was a staple in homes all across the country. It was an instrument, a social tool, and a main source of home entertainment. During this period in America, manufacturers produced and sold hundreds of thousands of pianos of all varieties. At the time of the original purchase, they were a substantial investment for most, and for decades, many of these pianos sat in the same place as when they were delivered.
Today, many of these old pianos sit in homes all across the country and – considering that the newest of these instruments was produced over 70 years ago – it’s rare to find one that isn’t in need of extensive restoration work. Unfortunately, unlike a violin or a guitar, most pianos do not get better with age. Pianos are more complicated than string instruments and – through the years – the internal moving parts of a piano will wear out. Hammer and damper felts become harder causing the piano’s tone to sound thin and bright. Action parts work lose making the piano feel slow and sluggish. The keys develop squeaks and clunks, and the strings lose their tonal character. The piano may still function, but it doesn’t “sing” as it once did.
As a result, many piano owners are upgrading their old instruments or getting rid of them altogether. The question is – are these pianos worth anything?
The Truth About Buying a Piano from “Big Box” Retailers
Like many first-time buyers, you’ve decided you want to learn to play the piano, but you don’t want to spend a huge amount of money. You’ve found a teacher and she told you to get an 88-note digital piano with “weighted keys.” You don’t know anything about pianos or about buying a piano because you’ve never had to buy one before, so how do you figure out what you should get? Your first instinct might be to check out “the usual suspects” – businesses you purchase other things from already like Amazon, Costco, or Guitar Center. After all, they should have great pricing and the tools to help you find the right piano for your family (reviews, salespeople, featured products, etc.) right?
Hours Changes for the Holidays
Our store hours will change this holiday season in order to give our staff more time with their families. See below for details:
Christmas Eve Hours: 10am – 2pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
New Year’s Eve Hours: 10am – 2om
New Year’s Day: CLOSED
Thank you for all your support this year! We look forward to another fun and fantastically musical year with you! Thank you for supporting Riverton Piano Company!
Riverton operates two stores in the Phoenix metro area. Riverton Piano Company Scottsdale serves the East Valley from its 2200 square foot salon on Scottsdale RD (across from the Fashion Square Mall). Riverton Piano Company Peoria serves the West Valley from its new 6000 square foot store at West Olive Avenue and the 101. This makes Riverton Piano Company the oldest piano company in Phoenix and the only piano company servicing the entire valley with two Phoenix piano stores.
Family owned and operated, Riverton Piano Company is a locally-owned business. Kevin and his family live in Scottsdale – where they are often seen organizing special events, attending concerts or delivering pianos to clients all over the Phoenix area.
Riverton Piano Company actively supports Phoenix’s major music venues, including The Phoenix Theater, The Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, Arizona Broadway Theater and many, many more.
Should You Buy a Used Steinway Piano?
From the outside, most used Steinway pianos look the same. Don’t be fooled by a pretty exterior. Make sure you know what is going on “under the hood.”
Like any other product that utilizes high quality materials and expert craftsmanship, new Steinway & Sons pianos are quite expensive (As of publication, new Steinway vertical pianos start at $46,000.00 and new Steinway grand pianos start at $80,000.00). So, it has become quite common for piano shoppers to seek out a used Steinway piano. This can be a huge challenge, however. As pianos age, their wood begins to deteriorate. There are many factors that contribute to the deterioration besides just age, including excessive usage, lack of maintenance, environmental conditions, drying out of glues, excessive moving, and more. As such, used Steinway pianos (like all pianos) will exhibit problems as they get older. I like to say that pianos have a lifespan just like people do. Even with expert care, after a period of time, they require some maintenance and even replacement parts to keep them in good condition. …and all of that costs money. Once a piano reaches a certain age (or – if it’s had heavy use, abuse, etc.), it will require an expensive procedure called a “rebuild.” This loosely-defined term can mean anything from replacing strings to refinishing the piano to completely replacing the soundboard and action. That’s why used Steinway pianos can vary so much in price. Their value is determined by their age, condition and the care they have received over the years. It takes a keen, experienced eye to evaluate a Steinway’s condition and market value. …and most piano owners don’t know any of this… so they always assume their piano is “in good shape.”
So. Knowing all of this, should you consider purchasing a used Steinway piano?
Budget Pianos for Beginners
Over my 30+ years of music industry experience, I have often been asked how much should one budget for a first piano (or as some like to call it, a “starter” piano)? The problem with this question is the assumption that you will buy more than one piano in your lifetime. Over 90% of customers never buy a second piano.
Here are two possible reasons why:
How Much Do Pianos Cost?
Deciding on a budget for your piano can be one of the hardest parts of the process. Especially if you haven’t shopped for a piano before (or haven’t in a long time), you might be surprised at the range of piano prices you’ll encounter. Some decisions – like whether you are considering a digital piano or an acoustic piano – can narrow the options a bit, but – in the end – understanding piano pricing can be key to making sure your musical investment is… a sound one. Here are some important considerations when determining how much you should pay for a piano:
Kyrene Schools Piano Update: Year One With Roland
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Julie Hackmann from the Kyrene School District. Mrs. Hackmann is the Coordinator of Kyrene’s Visual and Performing Arts Department. It has been a year since her district replaced nearly all of their old school pianos with new Roland Digital Pianos, and we wanted to catch up with her to see how they’re doing. Also, we thought it would be a great opportunity to share with you the process she went through to make this investment happen.
