Name that piano!

[JCCORDOGAN@AOL.COM]

<<A few months ago there was some mention on this list about a certain brand
of European grand piano that was an exceptionally good buy in the USA due
to a favorable exchange rate, etc.

Can anyone tell me what that brand was? Is the deal still good? Our church
will want to purchase a good, new piano to put in the new 1200 seat
sanctuary by the end of 1999.>>

If this inquiry did not reference Estonia pianos, please let me introduce
you to them.  I am the Illinois dealer for Estonia, and since we have begun
carrying these, musicians and teachers in Chicagoland have fallen in love.

This company has a remarkable history, and they make only three
sizes -- 5'4", 6'3" and 9'.  No verticals, no fancy finishes.  All models
are hand made, have Renner actions, birch rims, Delignit blocks, Abel
hammers...among other desirable features.

For those who recall Estonias of the past, be assured these are
different, as Estonia gained their indepedence in 1991, and the Estonia
Piano Company (Tallin Piano Factory) was shortly thereafter privatized.
Since then, major changes have been taking place.  The redesigned
models are now coming to the United States duty-free and are being
directly imported, so there is quite a bit of value at hand.  The catch
for us is they're hard to get, as their total annual production capacity
is only 360 (~150 - 5'4", ~150 - 6'3", ~60 concert grands) and I am only
one dealer...in one state...of one country (to be read "frequent
back orders").

Estonia's drawback is that their only marketing efforts have all the signs
of a small foreign company trying to make it on their own in the U.S.
with no trace of an advertising firm, public relations firm or aven a
competent translator for that matter -- something almost endearing to
a musician type, but unsettling to John Q. Public, layperson, non-player
and puchaser of a grand for his family, which represents the bulk
of grand piano purchasers in my market.  Established in 1893,
Estonia pianos are hardly new, they're just relatively new to the U.S.

To keep this as brief as possible, I'll be happy to share more with
anyone who would like to know more -- just reply personally.  If
there are many inquiries, I may post more information.  And given
lack of information about Estonia's new pianos -- even on the Web,
I seem to be one of the few places people have been finding it (...at
least finding it in complete sentences...and written in English).

Anyway, they sound and play beautifully.  Hope you get the chance
to hear one (and possibly dissect one) in an environment other than
in the sonic abyss that is NAMM.

John Cordogan
Brutally cold here in Chicago


Cordogan's Pianoland and Cordogan's Piano Gallery
"More pianos than you can shake a leveling stick at"
Chicagoland's Kawai, Sauter, Estonia and Kemble dealer