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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Bruce D.
Rempe<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, November 07, 2006 1:06 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
'Pianotech List'<BR><B>Subject:</B> Suzuki Pianos --
Anyone?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I
ran across an ad for Suzuki pianos some time ago. I noticed recently
that they are being sold by Costco.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Does
anyone have any experience with these instruments?? Can you provide some
insight regarding their overall quality, tone, etc?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Do
we know anything about who's making them? And, thru what
process??</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>My
experience with Costco is that they usually try to offer a "little better"
product. But, this is the first time I've ever seen full-size grand
pianos available thru such a mass-marketing system.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Curious .....</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>-bruce</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Bruce D. Rempe</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>LaPorte City, IA</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><SPAN class=399153207-08112006><FONT
face=Arial> I've serviced a few of them. They seem
like your typical budget Asian piano to me. Ok, decent, but not great --
kind of a thin tone, like several other Asian brands. Need finishing up,
like most new pianos: screw tightening, alignment of action parts, more
regulating. They didn't seem any better nor worse than Asian
Kohler & Campbell, Samick, Young Chang,
etc. </FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><SPAN class=399153207-08112006><FONT
face=Arial> Some of the ones I serviced were players
with the Pianomation system installed, and they had more problems than the
"straight" pianos, e.g., none of the pedals working properly, dampers flying
up too high, pedal making clanking noises and many other small but
time-consuming-to-fix little problems.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><SPAN class=399153207-08112006><FONT
face=Arial> I don't know if Suzuki has its own piano
factory or if they're made by someone else. I didn't see any
clues. </FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><SPAN class=399153207-08112006><FONT
face=Arial> In my opinion, you can't expect to get a
finely tuned, regulated and voiced instrument from the likes of Costco,
Wal-Mart, Target, etc. But like the Samicks and their ilk, once a
technician goes through them and finishes up what the factory didn't, they can
be satisfactory for the average casual piano
player.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><SPAN
class=399153207-08112006> <FONT face=Arial>Woops, now that I
read others' responses, I guess I'm being too kind. How 'bout, "They're
slightly better than a Horugel."?</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640540220-07112006><SPAN
class=399153207-08112006> <FONT face=Arial>--David Nereson,
RPT</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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