our business in 50 years

[Brian Lawson]

Up until the end of the 80's there was a piano manuufacturer here making
fairly decent low end pianos  - Otto Bach & Dietmanns, that company was run
into to the ground financially for reasons best know to its owner. This
county is 99% a second hand market but with the ecomics of this country now,
manufacturing is relativley cheap: $1 = R10 and R10 buys more here than $1
in the US (and I think the same econimcs apply to South America).

In 50 years I'll be 93 and by then I maght be able to send a message back in
time to let you know  :)

Brian
South Africa


----- Original Message -----
From: Wimblees@AOL.COM
To: Pianotech@ptg.org
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 7:46 PM
Subject: our business in 50 years


Recently there was some discussion of the development of the quality of
pianos over the last 50 years. Back in the 50's, some manufacturers were
putting out a product that left a lot to be desired. When the Japanese got
in the market in the 60's, those pianos were not the best quality. Then the
Koreans, and lately the Chinese, Indonesians, and Russians have all produced
less than good quality pianos. However, ss the level of quality improved
over the years in each of these countries, other countries emerged to take
up the slack, so to speak, on the lower end pianos.

As I indicated, there will always be a demand for low end quality pianos. It
is in the low end that most people are first acquainted, mainly because of
the price. Although there is a huge used piano market out there, there are
still many people who do not want to buy used, but would rather buy new,
even if the quality of the new one is less than the used ones. That's human
nature, I guess.

But what is going to happen over the next 50 years? What country will the
manufacturers turn to next, to make the low end quality pianos? My
speculation is the same countries where the use of pianos will become more
popluar.  Although pianos had been made in Japan before WWII, there wasn't
that much demand for them. But since the 50' and 60's, demand for quality
pianos became very high, and thus, the Japanese pianos became better and
better. The same thing happened in Korea. Now piano playing is becoming more
and more popular in China, and the quality of those pianos are getting
better.

I speculate that the next countries where pianos will start to be made, and
used, will be Central and South America, India, and eventually Africa.

What are some of your thoughts?

Wim