Fine Books

The Best Basic Information on Pianos

November 27, 1999

UPDATED March 25, 2000

BUY THESE BOOKS!

As you can see, I am recommending these three regularly referenced books. Your piano technician probably owns one or all of these. You would normally ask him to trace the serial number on your piano using 3. You might have been aided in the purchase of your piano by reading 1, 2 or both of them. And yes, book 2 is just as necessary as book 1 because 2 contains the suggested retail prices. This data is already somewhat fuzzy especially for imported pianos and does not take into consideration what deals you might be willing or not to negotiate based on factors relating to individual pianos.

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The Piano Book

By Larry Fine

3rd Edition

The book with pretty much the same perspective some of you have come to appreciate at the Pianoworld Piano Forum. Larry and I rarely differ in our opinions of things. Where we differ most is when with some pianos he was being far too kind.

Order both of Larry's books from the Independent Publishers Group (and you will want to read both of them).

In USA; 1-800-888-4741.

Elsewhere; 312-337-0747

e-mail at frontdesk@ipgbook.com

And check out these Piano Links. Be sure to check out Mr. Land's Opus for a good description of piano actions.

The Piano Book

By Larry Fine

1999-2000

AnnEssential for those looking at new pianos. This book will cost you about $20 and will save you thousands.

Consider this book to be a snapshot in time. From the information contained in this book you can make estimates about the kind of instrument you are actually looking at, what competes with it in its price range and so on. Of course you will find some data with which to estimate the manufacturing output of a piano company based on serial numbers in The Piano Atlas. These books work well together.

  See Excerpt

The Pierce Piano Atlas

10th Edition

Published by Larry E. Ashley

PO Box 20520

Albuquerque, NM 87154-0520

This book will cost you about $40 hardcover and I think around $25 paperback. If you think you'll be looking at primarily old pianos, this book is a must.

Billed as "the Bible of the piano business" the Piano Atlas attempts to chronicle every piano company that has ever existed. Research continues and I'm sure that the 11th Edition will contain more than the 10th even concerning very old pianos.

 

Buy ALL these books. It'll cost you less than $70. Then you'll be up on everything you could possibly need to know about pianos and be ready to go out and find some pianos to look at and play in person. It's sort of like looking at cars. People drive cars, they play pianos, either way they get somewhere or don't depending on the state of their transportation.

Aspiring to better pianos is something pianists (pea ANNE ists not PEE in ists. Think of what that means!) of a certain stage and age all think about. Sometimes we inherit a nice grand like an old "real" Knabe in mint condition. Sometimes we don't have to think about replacing a piano we know we'd never part with. But, in any case, it is still fun to look. These books may be regarded as tools of the trade. They'd be important to read whether you were a piano technician, a piano retailer or manufacturer, or an amateur or professional pea ANNE ist. PEE in ists play PEE in oes. Pea ANNE ists play pea ANNE oes.

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