Was Sohmer now Piano Industry

[Lynn Rosenberg]

Hi Toni, you have some good points. My problem is this, and I see it coming,
do you want to spend $5000 on a 7 year old  who wants to try piano??? new
pianos are getting to expensive, eventually used pianos will disappear,
because for every one that is discarded, that's one less piano available.
Can you imagine rebuilding Lester spinets??? Also the average kid in this
country anyway is more interested in MTV, computers, etc. I can't imagine
giving a concert on a Clavinova.  Most of the Us Manufacturers are gone,
where getting more and more of these Cheep imports from China, old American
names such as George Steck, Cable Nelson, Fischer, are being made over seas,
probably the same piano but different names.  Can you imagine Sohmer being
made in China??? Its coming, and the Electronic piano is taking over,
because of the price of the acoustics are too high.   As far as I'm
concerned, the industry in this country is going down hill.  Lynn

----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Caught <caute@optusnet.com.au>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 4:29 AM
Subject: Was Sohmer now Piano Industry


> Hi Lynn
>
> This is the one question no one should answer. but
>
> In 1900's a piano cost a years wages and every house had one.
> It was the HOME ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE. (HEC)
>
> During the last century the industry has been plagued by other invasions
> into the HEC, firstly it was the radio, then television, then the one
> fingered electronic organ and now the electronic piano.
> Of course I have forgotten to mention the other invasions into the HEC.
The
> pool table, swimming pool, hi fi stereo radio, home entertainment centre
> (big screen Dolby surround etc) dvd player, computer, games etc.
> as this list goes on I think that you will find that people are still
> spending about 1 years wages on the HEC.
> So now you have a marketing game to get your share of the HEC market.
> This happens to be a new game for most piano manufacturers and its true
that
> if they don't get there act together the individual manufacturer will be
in
> trouble. but
> Whilst you are looking at sales in America only (or Australia or England
or
> etc) sales in some Asian and other third world countries is increasing as
> their wealth increases.
> When I was in China (1991 - 1993) the sale of pianos in China increased by
> 800%. And so it goes.
> In my opinion pianos have become too cheap, it costs money to make a good
> piano and cheap pianos sound cheap. The industry needs to look more to
> quality of sound and performance. By the industry I mean the total
industry,
> from manufacturer to showroom floor salesperson and to the music teacher.
> Sure, I sell a lot of used pianos because in some cases they sound better
> than the new ones, in other cases they are cheaper but perform just as
well
> for the beginner. I also sell a few new pianos because the situation or
> customer warrants it.
> The industry will not die, but it will change.
>
> Can you imagine a Concert Pianist performing on stage on a Clavinova ?
>
> Tony Caught ICPTG
> Australia
> caute@optusnet.com.au
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Lynn Rosenberg <Lynn@eznet.net>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 10:36 AM
> Subject: Re: Sohmer
>
>
> > I was told by a technician friend that the industry has had a problem
> since
> > the 1920s.
> > Pianos have been to well built, and as long as pianos last, the industry
> > can't survive.  %70 pianos sold are used.  How can an industry keep up
if
> > 70% sold are used.  Also, pianos are getting terribly expensive.  The
> > average person can't afford to spend $4000 or more for a piano.  If the
> > industry is to survive, pianos will get cheaper, cheaper, and cheaper,
to
> > survive.  Do you think the industry is dying, because of the above
> > mentioned, and electronics, and if so how much longer?? Lynn
>
>
>