Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:37:51 -0400 From: Aaron Bousel <abousel at comcast.net> wrote: > Our department (UMass Amherst) is in the process of taking bids on > some new verticals. They've received bids for Yamaha, Hailun, Suzuki > and Sauter. I just received the following in an email from the > department chair: > > ================ > "What I need is any specific reasons why Hailin or Suzuki are not at > the Yamaha level. Everyone so far agrees we need to go w/ the > Yamahas, but I need specific reasons why the Suzuki or Hailin's don't > work---poor tone, action is known for too request repairs, or??? " > ================ > Aaron, I am not familiar with the Hailuns, but I have done several Suzuki warranty tunings, and I can say without hesitation that their quality is shoddy. Very poor tone, "clunky" action and obviously shoddy workmanship - don't remember many specifics, though, other than regulation issues you'll have to deal with if they are purchased... These things are sold at retail through Costco, so "dealer prep" is not a concept... I suppose the pianos they'll ship to you will be in similar condition. I don't know that the Hailuns or the Suzukis have been on the US market long enough to have much of a track record in the US climate conditions. You can cite that fact in your evaluation and note that so far every Asian manufacturer that attempted importing pianos into the US took about 10 years to get their wood seasoning and glue formulation right to withstand North American climate conditions - and Amherst boasts probably some of the more extreme seasonal swings in heat and humidity on the continent. While the Yamaha P-22 has a known record for longevity (I have 38 of them here at SFSU - after 15 years in practice rooms, no problems other than key bushing and hammer wear), the long-term prospects for the Hailuns and Suzukis are at this point unknown and based on the prior record of Asian imports might be suspect... Israel Stein
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