How Much Does A Grand Piano Cost?
The question of “how much does a grand piano cost?” really is answered when you consider how much you are willing to pay for one. The upright piano and the “baby grand” come in slightly smaller increments; the “orchestral grand piano,” in use when Paderewski first played in the great concert halls at the turn of the century, is considerably more expensive. Grand piano prices can, depending on the model, be as low as $99 for the “grand” keyboard; a used classic model, on the other hand, can have the spectacular grand piano price of $148,000!
Grand Piano Cost According To Brand
There are several different models of grand pianos; the most popular still after many years, is the Steinway, which is to grand pianos what Stradivarius is to violins. Their grand piano prices vary widely, but a Steinway will probably not sell for less than $14K. A new Steinway, for example, ranges, from $19,000 to top flight models which sell for upwards of $86,000.
In the “vintage” and remodeled/used Steinways, one finds a similar price range, but many of the vintage one of a kind models have reduced prices. A reduced price model that is a vintage refurbished piano with a walnut cabinet could go for as little as $14,888.
A Yamaha model, a much newer brand name that has not yet stood the “test of time” that Steinway has, is not only used less as a traditional grand piano but also has several innovative models in its digital grand piano line. These do not look like grand pianos at all, but are sleek, compact models that will fit against a wall or in a concert space.
Prices for these electronic grand piano models usually fall between $99 for a keyboard and $499 for a portable grand piano; their most expensive model, housed in a metallic finish cabinet and most closely resembling a traditional concert grand piano, is the Arius model at the grand piano cost of $1990.
Grand Piano Dimensions
Grand piano sizes for most models used to be fairly massive, as they were intended to fill a large room or a small concert hall. Their dimensions are fairly standard, but there are different sizes in gradations among the brands. A traditional European concert grand piano size, for those models that are still extant, measures 2.2 meters by 3 meters (nearly seven feet by ten). The parlor or upright grand piano measures 1.7 meters by 2.2 meters and the baby grand at 1.5 meters by 1.7.
Buying A Grand Piano
Unlike basic internet shopping, the purchase of a grand piano usually entails getting out to the store that is selling them and inspecting for yourself. Steinway, in fact, discourages internet sales of their pianos, on the basis that the customer is cheated out of not only a price comparison but also a sound comparison, as he/she can tally the differences in tone, sound and musical quality between an upright, a baby grand and a concert grand piano.
If you must shop the internet, many manufacturers (even Steinway, with used models) list on Amazon. The prices online range from $99 for a Yamaha keyboard to the aforementioned $148,000 for a Steinway refurbished, with most of its original walnut cabinet intact. Shipping usually adds around $200 to an Amazon purchase (even more from other internet sources).
There are several other websites that, while lacking the popularity of Amazon, do have a wider selection of pianos available. Mid-America Piano, Inc., for example, has a large selection of Steinways, as well as many other brands that have bargain prices (usually pre-owned models): Baldwin, Bechey and Estey are among their most popular sellers, at prices ranging from a $3000 baby grand to a $19,000 restored model A concert grand piano.
Piano value is also found at bargain priced stores such as BizRate, which specialize in the more modern digital and electronic pianos in prices ranging from $100 to $2000 for a top of the line model (usually Yamaha, although BizRate features Roland electronic and digital grand pianos for around $8,000).
The Most Expensive Grand Piano
The most expensive grand pianos are usually one of a kind, and their cost can be many thousands of dollars. A refurbished classic grand piano with all its original scrollwork, ivory keys (more and more rare these days with ivory embargos) and original strings can run up to $150,000 and more.
Steinway holds more “expensive” records for grand pianos than any other company on the market at the moment. Their most expensive grand piano, in fact the most expensive grand piano in the world, is called Sound of Harmony, created with over 40 wood inlays, and artwork on its lid that replicates the designs of Shi Qi, a Chinese painter. Owned by a collector in Shanghai and often exhibited there, the piano, built in 2008, cost $1.2 million dollars.
Where To Buy A Grand Piano
Steinway and most established manufacturers invite you to visit a piano showroom; there are still several of these available in most cities. The reason for visiting a showroom personally is multi-fold, according to Steinway’s buyer’s guide to grand pianos.
First, a storeroom visit gives you an immediate aesthetic sense about the piano; its look, its coloring in the walnut and oak and mahogany trims and cabinets, its sound and volume based upon its size (a baby grand will obviously be a good compact instrument for a corner, but will hardly replicate a concert sound in playing, for instance).
Second, a showroom visit allows you to see the immediate size of the model you are considering purchasing. Then too, Steinway and other piano manufacturers are looking for a good fit to the home in which the piano will reside. Hence, we see the need for a showroom visit in order for the customer to get a physical sense of the piano.
Finally, the showroom visit gives you a delivery charge that is between $50 and $100, which can be a substantial savings over the shipping charges on the internet, where it is not uncommon, if the piano is not from Amazon, to find a $500 to $600 delivery fee attached to the final grand piano price.
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