Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
Carey..me too. The wife, who made the appt, didn't even show up(she was at their other store). The husband did,and after making me hold out my hands to squirt on his antibacterial (hand cleaners do not kill viruses) and checking my mast, he let me go through with the tuner. He never asked anything to be helpful...such as asking about what touch, tone,feel I liked, only "do you want this one? I can give you this one for.$$"..and out came the calculator. The only positive things I can say is that he did have Brodmann, one Boston, sold, ditto one Baldwin...but he acted the way car salesman used to. Even they've changed and learned about consultative sales. Now I worry about what to do about Kawai....their CA Hq received a detailed msg this am ...don't expect a reply. This 6 month journey has shown me that dealers just don't seem to care and have no interest in the satisfaction of their customer. wmm
Interesting factoid that I picked up on used piano pricing from a dealer (who may have had his own interest in mind as well as mine): a genuinely full restoration of an old piano-- soundboard, action, keys, maybe pin block and strings, etc.) costs about $30-40k.
So the cost to you of a really good old piano will either be the price of one that is almost worthless plus $30-40k of work, or a transaction with someone who has recently paid for that work.
There are probably exceptions, but that is something to bear in mind.
I bought a Kawai digital ES920 and it took three months to get there. When I would inquire about it, the dealer would reply 'it looks like it is on its way' but couldn't give me specifics. I don't think they have good information on supply time.
You should just be patient - that GX3 will probably be worth it.
Bill - I would definitely try to get some answers from Kawai, but I would not throw in the towel just yet. If I recall, you got a pretty good price on the GX3. It seems like there are a lot of supply shortages these days, and you may just need to be patient. Unless you have found a piano that you really like and know will be delivered to you in short order, I would be really reluctant to cancel the order.
Yes, and we were in contact earlier during that long and, unnecessarily arduous search. Your recollection is correct...in fact, there were several msgs questioning what I had written...at first, looking for the popular gl40, right next to it the Gx3m then the 3, then the sKs...because this was in a tax free state, was pre-April $2000 increase and still with a $1500 rebate, the selling cost really was 30400/for unrelated reasons at the dealership, I cancelled. Of course I regretted that and promised myself that if could even find one again at that price, is was a definite. So since posting this last night, I;ve had several conciliatory msgs, all essentially saying the same thing. But my angst was not just because of the wait, it was because the salesman, whose contacts are almost entirely emails, told me on June 18th the it was ordered, on the water and in the queue....then nothing for 1 month. So when he wrote these key words "i checked and they (Kawai?)don't know if any will be allocated to dealers" that;s a heck of a report after being told it was on its way. I'd just like to know if is coming or not brbecause, while they're different animals, the Baldwin, Boston and Brodmann, and now the Estonia, each call out in a different way.I am saddened at how difficult buying a unit has become, how little there iss out there, and low in quality the sales reps and dealerships have become. I;m from Boston and can remember going into the Baldwin and Steinway luxurious showrooms..with Mosher music next door and all the sheet music fit to print....finally, these dealerships that act like quick buck used car dealers have made the process unpleasant and not a joyous experience. Their boundless self-praising cannot be real...anyway, I do appreciate the caring responses I receive from the forum. wmm
Steve, There are no dealers in Framingham perhaps you;re thinking of two in Natick, next town. If you find time, go back and read some of the msgs in this April thread. I went to look at the Kawai GL40..next to it were the GXs...what a difference. This thread chronicles trips to 3 states(all dealerships were within 100 mi)and in no location was there an assortment of brands to compare. Rogers, in Natick, had the best selection but he also had no sales skill...he had his tech follow me around and every time I started to play one, the co-owner would rush over with a calculator and demand to see if I had my checkbook. A $50k Brodmann for 25k, all included.Ditto the GL50. Price was secondary if I couldn't be simply informed about each piano, given the pros and cons. But the piano I went to see (told they had some, the GX3) was NOT there and after the third attempt to make me prove that I had a checkbook, and his telling me that I was probably there just to get prices then go compare (no desire)and sniffing enough of the heavy mildew environment, I left.
Hi William,
I'm very sorry your visit with Rogers was the problem one. When I visited I met with a woman who was quite gracious and knowledgeable. She never asked me if I could afford the SK6 that had me so enamored. It's been more than two decades since I lived back east so forgive for forgetting the distinction between Framingham and Natick. It seems the pandemic has supply lines everywhere all mixed up.
WRT the wait for your GX3, I agree your customer experience has been suboptimal. Communication is key especially when the news is not good. Have you been in touch with Kawai Don? He's a regular poster here and is high up the chain in Kawai USA.
I did speak with Bryan at Kawai who gave me the standard evasive answers about covid and the supply logistics...now at Aug for ship delivery to ca and delivery to East Coast late Aug or Sep.... The Rogers experience you had was with a Chinese woman (Susan as I recall)...had appt in Natick (rt 9), changed appt to Burlington where I met husband, Roger....that was the negative experience. That was the endless "where's your checkbook?" serenade. HE kept telling me about the prep that goes into his pianos inc. balancing every key...but he could barely play and the tech told me that Roger can't even tune. The tech's car had MO plates in MA??? The killer was the overpowering mold/mildew..I could hardly breathe..and I see over $1m in pianos...I really wanted to know what the WRT in last paragraph meant.."worth"?? wmm
Let's see, should this be a new thread or a continuation of original?? I WAS getting a KAW Gx3. After constant delays, failure of co rep to reply, inability to give accurate info, contradictions and regularly telling me I could cancel ("we never do this")..perhaps could not absorb shipping and other increases...after my confirming two days ago to go forward, as that was the deadline before shipping, he left yet another msg today telling me that today was the new deadline, he'd have to cancel by today ...we just did this. So, tiring of this I cancelled by email. Haven;t heard since. Now a new question: as I had previously looked at Boston and new Baldwin, (also Brodmann) all of which have plusses and minuses relative to Kawai....I welcome any and all suggestions as this point. Issues wholly out of my control: covid, inflation, worker shortages shipping problems, all have made this process too lengthy and emotionally exhausting.
I'd say you just dodged a bullet. Pianos are not electronics that can be built to specs. Even if GX3's are supposed to be wonderful, that particular one coming might be a dud!
Cygnus, you may be right. As you can see in my thread, I've had a lot of support about making a great choice, esp with a super price, but after 4 months with this dealer and being out the 50% deposit, I got tired of non-replies and lately, frequent encouragement to cancel...I do NOT get the behavior as they are authorized dealer but-and this is key-I'd be getting it sight unseen, waited for the ship to CA, the "2 wks for customs" (doubt it) now the concern over cost of shipping and then delivery to NJ where it will again delay delivery/nice as a still crated unit might be, I'd still be getting a unit unseen, unplayed, and worst, dealer was not setting up, movers were, and tuning/regulation, would be 3 mos after delivery..after trip from Japan to CA then truck to NJ then to MA, I think an immediate tuning would be desirable. So, now frustrated, I resume the hunt only for something, ideally new, that will be on showroom floor, looking for Baldwin, Boston (?) Brodmann or Estonia...Hailun?? So many great pieces out there now but so hard to get!!
