BACHMANN and PEARL RIVER P3 — Pianoconcerto Forum

Member

Posts: 2
City: Novara

June 6, 2020, 23:56

Compliments on this site and the Forum in general! The (to say the least) enthusiast of the instrument is my son Joy; I am sure that tomorrow he will join your community!

Today, after three months of lockdown due to the health emergency, we finally went together to try out some pianos. During this whole period, he hasn't been able to attend music school and the Yamaha keyboard, as heavy and professional as it is, has not satiated his love for the acoustic piano. He wants to become a jazz musician! For being 16 years old (and having studied the instrument for about 5 years), you have no idea how much time he dedicates to music, despite the heavy workload of scientific high school!

I kindly ask for your opinion: evaluating an annual rental with an eventual buyout option, today he tried several used Yamahas (U1, U3, U2), Kawai (too small for his stature), Samick and Pleyel.

But he fell in love with the touch and sound of a 'new' Pearl River P3 (one year of use) and a new Bachmann.

The cost for all the aforementioned is more or less equivalent. To my great surprise, he prefers the latter two (lesser-known), and it didn't seem to me that his judgment was limited to the beauty of the new (he is very critical; he tried many pieces and passages, music composed by him, and music that usually challenges him). Indeed, I believe the used ones were not at their best.

I haven't found any news about Bachmann (and this disconcerts me, the only guarantee is that it is being offered to me by a long-time seller who I believe is reliable) and very little on the Pearl River P3.

Can you help me? We are aiming for a rental intended to lead to a purchase; we would like to avoid mistakes, especially economic ones. Thank you in advance for the information!

pianoexpert

Moderator

Posts: 3,876
City: rocca di papa

June 7, 2020, 08:50

I would head towards a Yamaha, perhaps of a good size (tall), an U3. It is a good piano and, even if it needs to be overhauled, regulated, tuned, etc., it can be a good instrument that is also highly marketable! Rent-to-own can be a small trap to sell the piano at whatever price the seller wants anyway. It is better to purchase it, perhaps planning for installments through personal self-financing. The redeemed installments are almost always included in a higher overall price. Check out my tutorial on buying a used piano. I hope you also have a "trusted" personal technician by your side who can help evaluate and, above all, monitor the instrument's efficiency over time (and also the current efficiency of the instrument to be purchased).

Thank you for the compliments, which I pass on to the rest of the Staff and to the Administrator and friend Simone Renzi

Sonia

Member

Posts: 2
City: Novara

June 7, 2020, 14:55

I thank you very much for the advice and for the promptness of your response (which is important because we want to make the purchase decision before the end of the month). I will take my son to try a U3 (yesterday's was a U3G; I don't know if it was due to its condition or because it hadn't been serviced/tuned yet, but he had already ruled it out despite having started with the idea of a U3H - though only from hearsay). We will find some dealer that has one in stock. If we find one, we will ask if the teacher is available to accompany us to see it again and try it. Regarding the cost-rental, I will watch his tutorial before this evening (thanks in advance!); however, I must say that the shopkeeper had already established the price even before we spoke about the rental for purchase purposes (I don't know if proposing a direct purchase would have lowered it - ? -). When contacting another dealer during the week, I will keep this in mind. In the meantime, Happy Sunday and thanks again. We will provide updates!

pianoexpert

Moderator

Posts: 3,876
City: rocca di papa

June 8, 2020, 07:21

Try to avoid so-called "regenerated" or "reconditioned" pianos. High-sounding terms that do not correspond to significant results... on the contrary. They are often "spruced up," with the hammer heads shaved down, etc., in order to appear beautiful to the customer's eye, but in reality they have been worked on a lot and, for example, shaving the hammer head, which no longer shows the grooves left by the strings on the hammers, shortens the life of good sound and alters the geometry of the action! It is better if it hasn't been touched!

My tutorial does not talk about cost-rental, but even if this is formulated before the decision....it is included in the price demanded by the seller. I advise purchasing a new or semi-new piano, where one can observe, even through slight wear, the true use that has been made of it. Whether it is a U3 or something else, the important thing is that it is of a certain height (125-130cm).