Are you wondering how to shop for a baby grand piano? View this information presentation and quiz to help determine what type of instrument might be right for you! Is Steinway, Kawai, Yamaha, Shigeru, Mason & Hamlin, Bechstein, Bosendorfer, or Baldwin right for you? Find out here!

1. Quiz: Choosing A Baby Grand
Piano
THE MAJOR COMPONENTS, THE MAJOR
BRANDS, AND HOW TO FIND VALUE

2. If they all look the same, how do I know
what’s right for me?
 Professional Baby Grand
 Hobbiest-type Piano
 5’5” in size
 5’3” in size
 $22,500
 $8,750

3. Baby Grand pianos Can Be Broken
Down By Their major Components:
•
Their Rim (the
frame/structure)
•
Their Action (the moving
parts that connect the keys
with the hammers)
•
Their Soundboard (where
the sound comes from)
To learn more about how pianos are made, visit
Merriam Music's "Learn about Piano"s section

4. Before understanding what those
three components means to your
purchase, consider these questions. It
may help a lot!
1.
Who will the piano be used by, and how advanced a
player are they? (beginner / intermediate / advanced /
multiple players)
2.
How long is this purchase intended to perform well for?
(the range is between 25 – 125 years)
3.
How large a room is the piano going to be placed in?
(this relates to the size of the piano, and how much
volume you require)
4.
Are their finish / cabinetry preferences? (many
manufacturers offer colours other than black, however
most are at a significant premium)

5. Start The Quiz! (Write Down your
answers)
1.
Who plays the piano?
A.
No one plays seriously, it will get played occasionally
B.
We have one somewhat serious player in the house
C.
We have a very advanced player in the house
D. We have someone who is very passionate about music
and/or sound (who is also an intermediate – advanced
player)

6. 2. What is your prior experience?
20%
Complete
A.
This will be our first instrument
B.
We have a digital piano we’re upgrading
C.
We have an acoustic piano already, but the quality
isn’t sufficient
D. I’ve owned a piano in the past, but I want to
purchase something again

7. 3. What style of music will be primarily
played?
30%
complete
A.
Some light pop or classical – nothing too serious
B.
Some hits from today, with maybe some classical
music lessons
C.
Advanced classical music
D. I enjoy a wide and eclectic range of music,
intermediate difficulty or higher

8. 4.
A.
40%
complete
When you hear “investment” when it relates to
a purchase, does it mean:
Making a large purchase on an uncommon or a
discretionary item
B.
Spending money so that people can continue
progressing (sports equip., instrument, computer etc)
C.
Purchasing the best you can afford
D. Spending more, to achieve a lasting or increasing
benefit in value / performance

9. 5. How do you normally establish your price range
on purchases?
50%
complete
A.
I ask friends how much I should be spending, and do a
little online research
B.
I ask professionals or retailers how much I need to spend
C.
I usually already know the approx price before I start
shopping
D. I look at a full range of options at several price points,
and select based on value

10. 6. How important are aesthetics to your purchase?
A.
60%
complete
I would like it to look ‘classy’ and feel it will augment the
look of my home
B.
I would like it to look ‘ok’, but function is just as important
C.
It’s important, but I wouldn’t want to pay extra for looks
D.
I’m open to interesting aesthetic options, as long as they’re
not ‘fads’ or too trendy

11. 7. How important is brand to your purchase?
A.
70%
complete
I’d prefer a brand that I recognize, but look and price
are more important
B.
I feel brand is important to resale, so I prefer
something I recognize already
C.
Going with a well-known name is the best way to
ensure high quality
D. As long as the company and construction have good
reputations, I’m open to looking at several brands

12. 8. Do you collect anything, or do you have hobbies
you invest in?
80%
complete
A.
I like to keep a few nice things around the house
B.
Life’s too busy and expensive for collections right now
C.
I have hobbies, which I do invest in
D. I have a couple of passions which I enjoy exploring

13. 9. When you listen to music on a stereo, what EQ
setting do you normally use?
90%
complete
A.
I have a number of presets on my stereo, I pick the one
that sounds the best
B.
I never really noticed, my stereo sounds fine to me
C.
I usually turn up the bass and/or the treble
D. I don’t normally adjust the EQ too much, sound quality
comes from components

14. 10. Do you have a preference of country of origin?
A.
100%
complete
I hear that German pianos are the best
B.
As long as the quality is good, I’m open
C.
I know they cost more, but I will be looking at Japanese
or European because of their performance
D. I’ve heard that there are some good options from a
number of countries, and I’m open to options as long as
there’s a good track-record, reputation, and quality.

15. Chances are, you’re looking for a consumer grade piano that
has very nice finish qualities, and a entry-to-medium
design/construction level. There are several good options from
Asian manufacturers to consider, and at this price point and
quality range, the choice of retailer will be as (or more)
important than the piano itself, since there are not significant
differences in many of the instruments in this category. Also,
due to the small differences between new and used (in this
quality range), new will likely be a better option, since your
experience with pianos is less.
Did you pick
“A” 5 times or
more?
These instruments are known by their efficient construction,
using many newer lower-cost construction methods like
MDF’s, plywoods, and synthetic wood products.
•
Possible Brands: Gerh. Steinberg* | Baldwin | Pearl
River | Essex | Hailun | Heintzman
•
Price Range: New - $6800 – 8500 | Used - $5000 –
7000
* Off-brand of higher rated piano

16. You may be in a trade-in position, or certainly an upgrade. Perhaps
you’ve got children who are in lessons, or someone in the house has
‘tasted’ piano lessons and wants to pursue it more seriously. Used
and new should both be considered, as value is going to be
paramount here. With used, Japanese makes are normally the most
productive to look at in this price range which would be $10,000 –
15,000. A new piano in this range is nearly the same, about $9000 –
15000, however they’ll be smaller, and slightly lower-grade brands.
Did you pick
“B” 5 times or
more?
These instruments are known by their Solid-Spruce soundboards
(not aged), good-quality actions, and solid-wood construction
(minimal MDF’s and ply’s)
•
Possible New Brands: Gerh. Steinberg* | Kawai GM | Yamaha
GC | Knabe Artist
•
Possible Used Brands: Kawai KG, RX, GE | Yamaha G, C
•
Price Ranges New: $8000 – 15,000
•
Price Ranges Used: 6000 - $12,000
* Off-brand of higher rated piano

17. Chances are you’ve got someone in the house that’s a pretty
advanced player, and you’re looking for a high-performing
instrument, but still not an ‘over-spend’. These pianos are known as
professional / performance instruments, and use high-quality
materials. They are still mass-produced though, which is what
makes them accessible to a lot of budgets.
Did you pick
“C” 5 times or
more?
These instruments can be identified by thicker, hard-wood frames,
faster, sometimes synthetic actions, high-quality hammers, and aged
soundboards.
•
Possible New Brands: Perzina or Hoffman Tradition Series|
Kawai GX | Yamaha CX
•
Possible Used Brands: Steinway | Mason & Hamlin | Yamaha C
| Kawai RX
•
Price Ranges New: $16,000 - $35,000
•
Price Ranges Used: $12,000 - $40,000

18. Value will be important to you, but not necessarily price. You may be
open to spending more, if you knew you were getting a very good
value. There are many brand ‘pairings’ (a la Coke vs. Pepsi, Duracell
vs. Energizer) in the piano world, and two of the most famous are
Yamaha vs. Kawai (both Japanese), and Steinway vs. Mason & Hamlin
(both American). In both cases, Kawai and Mason has received more
favorable reviews and ratings over the last 10 years, however the brand
premium on Steinway and Yamaha is a residual of past domination of
the market. In addition to these four brands, other options to
investigate might be Bosendorfer, Fazioli, or C. Bechstein.
Did you pick
“D” 5 times or
more?
These instruments, particularly Mason & Hamlin and Fazioli, are
known for over-built design and construction, 100% authentic
materials, hand-made processes, and extremely high levels of
performance and longevity.
•
Possible New Brands: Steinway (New York or Hamburg) |
Mason & Hamlin (after 2010) | Shigeru Kawai | Yamaha CF | C.
Bechstein | Fazioli | Bosendorfer
•
Possible Used Brands: Same, except: Mason (pre 1929)
•
Price Ranges New: $40,000 – 100,000
•
Price Ranges Used: $25,000 – 50,000

19. 2 Toronto
Locations
Hours of Operation (Oakville):
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10 – 9
Wednesday: 10 – 9
For more information on
Baby Grands and more,
Visit Toronto’s Piano Store at
MerriamMusic.com
Thursday: 10 – 9
Friday: 10 – 9
Saturday 9 – 6
Sunday 11 – 5
Hours of Operation (Vaughan):
Or call us at
905 829 2020
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 12 – 9
Wednesday: 12 – 9
Thursday: 12 – 9
Friday: 12 – 9
Saturday 9 – 6
Sunday 11 - 5
2359 Bristol Circle, Oakville ON
3175 Rutherford Rd, Vaughan ON