Welcome to our autumn update. The colours of the trees have been magnificent this year, even the ring roads of Basingstoke have been transformed into avenues of splendid autumnal colours. Driving through the countryside and seeing the trees adorned with warm, rich colours has been a great pleasure, especially in the early October sunshine. Traditionally, this is the busiest time in the piano trade with darker evenings and inclement weather taking our leisure pursuits back into our homes. I find there is a familiarity, almost a programmed desire to play the piano this time of year, to fill the home with the sound of beautiful piano music. It is a time where we can allow our creativity to expand and explore new musical possibilities, to find joy in our pianos and remind ourselves how nurturing and enjoyable creating music in this way can be. I hold the belief that we don’t have to be particularly accomplished pianists to enjoy our piano playing, a good piano can sound beautiful when played at any level whilst being immersive and satisfying for the player.
When I sit down to write an update, I always read the last one to remind myself of what I’d written. I am delighted to report an exceptionally busy time at the showroom since my last writing. I like to attribute this to my positive mindset and subsequent actions, the determination not to accept the negative outlook of others in our trade and to always give the best service that we can for our customers. It could of course just be the time of year.. Whatever the reasons, it has been a wonderful, enjoyable period of positive activity at the showroom and I have loved it. Our beautiful Shigeru SK2 model has today been delivered to a home in Winchester where it will be enjoyed and appreciated for all its beauty. This is a truly wonderful piano that I will miss in the showroom, I am pleased that it hasn’t gone too far so that I can enjoy tuning it in the future. Shigeru Kawai are such beautiful pianos, luxurious in every sense and rapidly gaining popularity across the world. A particularly impressive Kawai GL10 also recently made its way to the home of a long-standing customer to sit majestically in their recently renovated country home. Another grand that left us recently was a lesser known make of Weinbach, made in Europe by Petrof. This piano made its way to a local independent school, a perfect home for this powerful and well-constructed piano. Upright pianos from Kawai, Wilh. Steinberg, Grotrian-Steinweg and various pre-owned pianos have left us in this period too, contributing to a vibrant and exciting time at the showroom. I must mention that we have just sold a pre-owned upright to a local comprehensive school, it is so encouraging that piano lessons are thriving at this school and music is supported.
While being very pleased to report the departures above, new arrivals have been equally exciting too! I purchased two baby grand pianos from a home near Winchester, a Kawai and Yamaha. The Kawai is now reserved for a customer who has visited the showroom a few times, I immediately recognised it as a tone that she would enjoy. The Yamaha has now been serviced and awaits a new owner. I also purchased a beautiful G114 Grotrian-Steinweg that is just five years old. We supplied this piano new to an elderly lady in Sussex who is moving into a retirement home. It is ‘as new’ condition and presents as a fantastic buy for someone looking for a small upright of the highest quality. Today we received a Kawai GL30 ATX4 grand piano that was purchased new in September 2024. Again, this is ‘as new’ and a great prospect for someone looking for a small grand piano with a silent facility; the function of plugging in headphones to play silently.
As ever, our range of Kawai pianos are popular and attract many enquiries and visitors, for good reason. Today, Kawai announced a £500 cash back offer on all grand pianos and the K15, K200 and K300 models and associated variants with silent capabilities. This offer gives added incentive to consider a piano purchase at this time, we are expecting an increased interest in the Kawai range as a result, particularly on the upright models. As mentioned in my last update Kawai has taken positive steps to ensure proper service from its dealers which seems to have had a positive response across the trade. We are expecting the delivery of a new model soon, the GL20 baby grand piano. This is being supplied on an agency basis, further evidence of Kawai’s commitment to support its dealer network and to ensure the highest standards of service are adhered to. I am really looking forward to this piano arriving having found its predecessor, the GE20, to be a popular choice at the showroom.
I have enjoyed writing this update, it has served as a reminder of how enjoyable this recent spell has been and continues to be. There is much to look forward to and enjoy with many customers in the process of selecting and deciding on their choice of pianos. I am looking forward to seeing many new faces at the showroom in the next couple of months and filled with optimism after such a successful recent spell. Tuning remains as busy as ever and a great joy for me, wonderful people and beautiful pianos, what’s not to like! All visitors are welcome at the showroom, send me an email to arrange your visit and I will be pleased to see you.
Best wishes
Ben