Ideal for a working piano studio.

  The no frills model P2 at the time was a part of the Yamaha Classic Collection. The P-series has historically been one of Yamaha’s most popular vertical piano line and has had huge financial success. Living space is at a premium in Japan and Europe so fewer grands are sold, making a strong case for a high-quality upright like this. Yamaha also has factories situated in China and Indonesia where their lesser quality lines of pianos are built. Lower labor costs there enable more economical price points. Designed for the experienced pianist and professional musician, the Yamaha model P2 Studio piano was built in the main factory in Hamamatsu, Japan and offers outstanding musical performance, setting the standards by which many other upright pianos are measured. A perennial favorite among discerning pianists, they feature outstanding tone, touch and durability.

As always, this piano is sourced locally, per our company policy. It has lived here in Albuquerque for at least the past twenty years so it is happily acclimated to our unique desert Southwest climate. Though this Yamaha model P2 Studio piano was manufactured in 1965, it was played very little so the moving parts in the action have minimal wear. It has recently been serviced by competent and knowledgeable technicians. It is in excellent condition – structurally and aesthetically, and should offer you decades of musical fulfillment.

Yamaha has had a well-deserved reputation for superior quality control and virtually perfect preparation at the factory. They arrive at the dealership in flawless condition. Technicians are enthusiastic about servicing them due to their exceptional engineering and design. Many highly respected musicians are Yamaha Artists and endorse these pianos. Elton John comes to mind. Many schools of music have become All-Yamaha Schools as a means to attract students desiring quality musical instruments during their studies and practice. Institutions especially like the low-maintenance character of these pianos because they are averse to recurring budget costs for tuning and service. You will find their products nearly everywhere else too: homes, churches, on stage, in the recording studio, and the like.

It has the classic Yamaha “feel”; the accuracy and responsiveness that permits vivid musical expression and a wide dynamic range. The tone is rich and colorful. Being a 45” vertical, the bass is strong and robust. We had only to do our usual dealer prep in our restoration shop and nothing more. That means pitch correction, voicing, tightening action screws, minor action regulation, cleaning inside, etc. It has the classic Yamaha evenness of touch; fast, accurate and responsive with an excellent repetition. The tone is also classic Yamaha. It is harmonic-rich and sonorous with an excellent dynamic range, meaning the pianist can perform the subtlest pianissimos and most forceful fortissimos. The finish is classic satin ebony. Complimentary local, first-floor professional delivery is included. The original matching bench has music storage.

The Yamaha logo is three musical tuning forks intertwined – even on a snowmobile!

48-inch Professional Upright Piano in Polished Mahogany.

  A surprisingly good tone quality for a piano with very little name recognition. We were a little shocked when we first played it. The bass response is robust and clear. The tenor is warm and rich. The treble sings with a bell-like quality and substantial tone. The tone quality (timbre) is center-mellow. The sustain or duration of tone is lengthy and not percussive. The dynamic range is wide permitting quieter pianissimos and louder fortissimos allowing the pianist to play more expressively and emotively. This Steinbach model MP-122 studio upright is known as a “Stencil piano”. It was built by the Pearl River piano company but it’s unclear who the distributor is that ordered the Steinbach piano product line.

Excellent condition – structurally and aesthetically.

This beautiful instrument was barely played by the previous owners who considered it to be the elegant focal point of their formal living room. For that reason, there is minimal wear in the piano-action, trapwork and other moving parts. It is in excellent condition, structurally and aesthetically. It should provide many more decades of musical enjoyment. We will be happy to offer a two-year warranty. It came to us needing very little in the way of piano dealer prep in our 88 Keys Piano restoration shop. We cleaned it thoroughly, regulated and tightened the piano-action and tuned with only a slight pitch correction.

Pearl River today, is the largest and best-selling piano manufacturer in the world and they have the largest market share in retail sales worldwide. They produce 150,000 pianos annually and are sold in 112 countries. Pearl River dominates the Chinese market share with 40% of all the new pianos purchased. The modern 3.2 million square foot factory is located in Guangzhou, China and employs over 4000 workers. Every single large, small or tiny individual, cataloged part has to be handled by human hands. With over 8500 individual parts in an upright piano, a factory location with lower labor rates is an advantage and provides a better value. Pearl River Piano Group builds their own Ritmuller and handmade Kayserburg pianos as well as pianos for other companies, including the Essex line for Steinway & Sons.

In next to new condition – inside and out.

Excellent construction and quality materials in the piano’s back.

“America’s Favorite Piano.”

  In a rustic distressed pecan finish that is warm and welcoming and brings a sense of nostalgia from the character marks that project the appearance of age. Its carved music rack is quite graceful and the patterned molding across the front give the furniture style a Mediterranean feel. The music desk is sturdy enough for heavy music books and a wide sheet music lip allows room for longer musical scores. The original matching bench with storage is included and its’ legs have the very same solid design as the piano’s, only smaller. There are three functional pedals – damper, bass sustain and soft. They and the cabinet hardware are solid brass. Complimentary local first-floor professional delivery is included.

Built in the United States, this piano has been in Albuquerque all of its life so it is happily acclimated and well-adjusted to our unique climate. It was purchased at the longtime Baldwin dealer, King Music located right up the street from here. It is in excellent structural and aesthetic condition and it ought to provide decades of musical enjoyment and enrichment. There is minimal wear throughout the moving parts of the action and trap work. Other than the usual tuning, minor regulations and cleaning, very little had to be done for this piano in our 88 Keys piano restoration shop. We will be happy to warrant it for two years.

The Baldwin tone-quality is characterized by a strong robust bass, a rich long-sustaining tenor and a clear bell-like treble. The touch (feel) is accurate and responsive with a wide dynamic range. Baldwin piano-actions have a well-deserved reputation for reliability and being low-maintenance. Their rugged construction assures a longer life for the piano. As a result, many piano teachers desiring a worry-free instrument have Baldwin pianos in their studios. They also appreciate how affordable and what a good value they are. Due to low recurring service costs, Baldwin’s have also been staples in the music departments of nearly every college and university in the United States.

The Baldwin Piano & Organ company was established in 1862 by Dwight Hamilton Baldwin, a Presbyterian minister and music teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are by far the most popular and biggest-selling piano in American history and their slogan was “America’s Favorite Piano”. Click here for their interesting history. Among the general public, Baldwin has been one of the most beloved and well-respected pianos in the industry and many are passed down through generations of families. They are frequently used by music teachers, colleges and universities, places of worship and any institutional situation in part because they are affordable and offer a great value but they are also durable and built like Sherman tanks. Their Artist endorsement program boasted a large roster of musicians, conductors and composers including Liberace, John Williams (Star Wars soundtrack), Dave Brubeck, Earl Wild and dozens more. Today, Baldwin is a division of Gibson Guitars and they are built in China.

Fallboard protecting the keys when not in use.

Steinway & Sons Semi-concert Grand Piano.

The perfect piano design?

  Behold the splendor of this 19-th century museum piece handmade by the Steinway & Sons family who had a role in every step of the process! It is covered in premium South American Rosewood probably harvested in Brazil. Later on these piano finishes became part of their Crown Jewell Collection of luxury pianos. The standard Steinway & Sons piano is ebonized in black – either satin or polished. It was designed with an 85-key seven-octave compass, starting and ending on A-natural, not 88 keys like today. During this time, they were transitioning from the 7 to 7-1/3 octave keyboard compass. The two longer models in the line, C (7”-5”) and D (8’-10”) had already moved to the new keyboard making this one of the last 85-key pianos Steinway built.

“The Instrument of the Immortals“.

The best of both worlds – a common question is whether it is preferable to buy a new Steinway & Sons piano or a preowned one. Or, is a fully rebuilt instrument better than a new one? This 1879 Steinway model B grand piano was built during Steinway’s “Golden era” and is one of the finest musical instruments ever crafted in human history. It was originally built by the 2nd-generation Steinway family in their New York City factory. This was solidly in the Victorian Era in England that was known for its beautiful architecture, advancement of engineering and technology, and exotic furniture and fashion design. Some of these design elements made it “across the pond” and into American manufacturers who were building upscale and interesting pianos.

The piano was completely restored recently, including receiving a new soundboard which is beyond the normal scope of a restoration. A sizable number of musicians and piano technicians believe a fully rebuilt “vintage” Steinway sounds better than a new one. Also, owning a historical piece of Americana can certainly be romantic and alluring. It isn’t a secret that preowned Steinway & Sons pianos that have been professionally restored are the biggest competition to the sale of exorbitantly priced brand new models.

The early history of Steinway & Sons is fascinating, and is intimately connected to the history of New York City.

This model B features the classic “Steinway sound”, having a strong, singing treble, a resonant tenor mid-range and a powerful bass, rich in high harmonics. With richness, depth and power, it radiates plenty of tonal color. It is due to their combination of harmonics that distinguishes Steinways from other makers. The duration of tone (sustain time) is lengthy, which enables legato phrases to be performed musically. The dynamic range is wide, allowing the pianist to play expressively and emotively. It is neither overly mellow and dull or overly bright and tinny. The mid-treble, where most of the melody lines are played “sings” and doesn’t disappear under the background of an accompaniment. It has the power that most pianos aspire to but not the brash “loudness” that often results.

Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The royal warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the issuer of the royal warrant; thus lending prestige to the supplier. In 1890, Steinway received their first Royal Warrant. It was from Queen Victoria of England and later by the Prince of Wales. In subsequent years Steinway was granted royal and imperial warrants from the rulers of Italy, Norway, Persia, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.

The Steinway & Sons infamous WW-1 soundboard decal

Manufacturers by Appointment to:

His Majesty William II – German Emperor & King of Prussia

His Majesty Edward VII – King of Great Britain & Emperor of India

His Majesty Nicholas II – Czar of Russia

His Majesty Umberto I – King of Italy

His Majesty Alfonzo XIII – King of Spain

His Majesty Albert – King of Saxony

His Majesty Franz Joseph I – Emperor of Austria & King of Hungary

Her Majesty Maud – Queen of Norway

His Majesty Oscar II – King of Sweden

His Majesty Abdul Hamid II – Sultan of Turkey

And other Distinguished Royalties.

The Steinway & Sons grand piano action, with its 12,116 individual parts is the vanguard of piano actions. Steinway held most of the patents issued to piano manufacturers for action improvements including the exclusive “Accelerated Action”, which increases the speed of repetition. The patented Tubular Metallic action frame maintains proper alignment of the thousands of action parts. A grand piano-action regulation requires 24 separate adjustments per key. Our talented 88 Keys piano-technicians who work in our restoration shop have been busy and the piano-action has been well-regulated and ready now for a concert performance.

Steinway & Sons is the piano that every other is judged by. They are handcrafted and took a full year to build. The Steinway company has held nearly all of the important patents in the industry and until the sale of the company in 1972, the family participated in all of the significant operations of the factory. Steinway is nearly exclusively responsible for improving and modernizing piano manufacturing throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries. In the world of musical instruments, there are pianos – and then there are Steinway & Sons. They enjoy a reputation second to none. Historically, the Steinway model B grand piano is the favorite model of serious classical pianists, recording or teaching studios and small recital halls.

The fallboard protects the precious keys, and the lid protects the internal workings when not in use.

Yamaha Classic Collection 5’-7” Living Room Grand Piano.

  The mid-size G2 provides sufficient power for louder play without overwhelming the surroundings and any loss of clarity. This Yamaha model G2 grand piano was purchased here in Albuquerque in 1975 at the authorized Yamaha dealership, Paul Muench Studios on south San Mateo Blvd. SE. As a result, it is happily acclimated and well-adjusted to our unique climate and the piano has had a very stable, serene and peaceful life here in Albuquerque. Pianos that have been moved a lot have more tumultuous lives and it usually shows in their internal anatomy. There is very little wear in the piano’s action and it’s obvious this low mileage piano wasn’t played very much. It is in excellent condition – structurally and aesthetically and the instrument should provide decades of musical pleasure and enjoyment. We will be happy to offer a two-year warranty. The original matching duet bench with music storage is included and so is local first-floor delivery.

This instrument has the classic Yamaha tone-quality that the company has made their well-earned reputation on. It has a wide dynamic range and will play very quietly (pianissimo) through very loudly (fortissimo). The harmonic content (timbre) isn’t too bright nor is it too mellow and it is fairly uniform from section to section. Some Yamaha models are thought to be too bright or harmonic rich, but this one has more of an American tone-quality, meaning left of center mellow with a strong bass response and a singing treble. Worn hammers are often the culprit with bright Yamaha’s. That certainly isn’t the case here. The duration of tone (sustain) is substantial which lends itself to classical music and standards. The attack isn’t percussive but more of a rounded one that once again, is more of an American quality. The touch is classic Yamaha, as well, very responsive, balanced and even, that will permit the pianist to play emotively and express themselves in their music. The middle pedal is a true Sostenuto for the more advanced and knowledgeable pianist. It is a wonderful instrument to sit down, relax and enjoy.

Yamaha pianos are well-known for their excellent engineering and design plus rigid quality controls in manufacturing. The G-series models (G1, G2 and G3) were built in the main factory in Hamamatsu, Japan where their more desirable models are built. Based on sales, this line of pianos is arguably among the most popular in the long history of grand piano building worldwide. The Yamaha piano-action is universally praised by musicians and technicians alike. Artists endorsements are numerous with Elton John coming to mind. Many colleges and universities have become “All-Yamaha Schools” as an attraction to potential students desiring quality pianos to practice and perform on during their studies.

In Institutional settings, Yamaha pianos are well-known for being reliable low maintenance instruments requiring fewer tunings, repairs and regulation. This appeals to music department budgets. Current new Yamaha models have become very expensive for a variety of reasons including rising labor rates, costs of materials and unfavorable currency exchange rates so that makes this piano an excellent value comparatively, with other Japanese-built Yamaha pianos.