Give me a sonata without the pathetique.

April 7, 2009 5:03 PM

Recommendation for a trustworthy digital piano dealer in the greater Los Angeles area?

I'm classically-trained and have been looking to purchase a digital piano for awhile now. (Unnecessary background: for various reasons I'm not getting an acoustic at this time, eventually I will. I'd like the digital to be a second piano at that time and thus be more or less permanent.)

I can't seem to find a reputable dealer of Yamahas (my first choice) or otherwise in LA. So far it seems like every place I've called or visited has given me the impression that I'm going to get ripped off. Making matters worse, at least for the Yamaha digitals, there's some agreement in the dealer network not to publish prices anywhere, so I can't even figure out what a good deal is.

Long story short, can anyone recommend a place that won't try to scam me like a used car dealer? Let's assume for the purposes of this question that budget is not a primary factor.

posted by cacophony to shopping (2 comments total)

Why don't you try to buy one used? Buying a digital piano is like buying a car: the minute you take it out of the showroom, the value drops immensely.

Most people who own them buy them, set them up, never touch them, then sell them. They're extremely reliable, and not that expensive to fix when most things (i.e. a key contact, pedals) go wrong.

I know that's not exactly the question, and you might have a really particular reason to want a new one. Just chiming in as an owner of three different (used) digital pianos over the years!
posted by nosila at 5:56 PM on April 7

I don't live in LA, but if you don't trust the smaller dealers then just go pick one up from Guitar Center. It's the Walmart of instruments (and they price match). If they don't have something that's high end enough for you then go to a Steinway & Sons. For price comparisons you could try Amazon or google the model + MSRP. Is there a specific model we could help you find the price for?

I think I'm confused by the question.... I don't think I've ever been to a "disreputable" piano dealer - there is some variance in price but from what I've experienced its usually just a local dealer vs. chain stores with big discounts vs. piano boutiques with high markup. And, you say that price isn't a main factor -- so you're concerned about buying a lemon? Don't buy the floor model or a used item.

If you feel like you're going to be ripped off, you're not doing enough research. Don't go into a place like that not knowing what you want, or needing to ask questions. They're salespeople, not necessarily music experts. You're the pianist, know your stuff. If I'm unclear about something, I'll go to the shop and write down what they have that's in my range, research it and come back the next day to buy it. If you have questions about what specifically a quality instrument should be, you should look around for a general guide online, ask that question or read the previous questions.

And yeah, 2nding that buying a used one is a much better value.
posted by Craig at 9:50 AM on April 8