Modern Piano Brands: Yamaha, Kawai, Steinway

In Missouri, the piano has a long history. From Sedalia to St. Louis, Scott Joplin to the 1904 World Fair, and beyond, the piano has been, and in many cases retains, some importance as a fixture of the American home and American life. However, within the last generation, a great many piano manufacturers have shuttered their establishments, and many familiar makers, such as Baldwin, Kimball, Wurlitzer, Knabe, Everett, and others, are either defunct or exist only as stickers pasted over a generic product made in a remote factory location.

In the year of this writing, in the state of Missouri, there are three major competitors remaining in the market of new piano sales that retain sales locations in the state, that is, the Japanese piano corporations Yamaha and Kawai, and the German/American Steinway Co.. These three makers have something in common that has allowed them to thrive where others have sunk, among other differences, and that is that they all invest heavily into the quality of their products.

Where they differ is a bit trickier to define without resorting to technical definitions, but when talking with clients, I will sometimes reach to the automotive industry for metaphor and compare Yamaha and Kawai loosely with Honda and Toyota, by happy coincidence two japanese auto brands that also offer quality products, and combine both relative affordability with reliability.

Yamaha has arguably stronger brand recognition of the two japanese piano concerns, and many people already associate Yamaha with quality motorcycles and other motor vehicles, as well as brass and other musical instruments. Yamaha pianos are priced above Kawai and below Steinway, being additionally known for the high quality of their premier 9-foot concert grand, the Yamaha CFX. The Disklavier player piano system is also unique to Yamaha and boasts some powerful recording and playback features.

More Info : Yamaha Piano Tuning  

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