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Welcome to... |
www.pianoteam.com |
how much are pianos page |
| pianos_mississauga_toronto_piano_grand | pianos_mississauga_oakville_new_used_grand_piano | pianos_new_used_samick_piano_grand |
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| ► Our New Location & Map ► Parking | ||
| ► WE PAY TAX SALE IS STILL ON! | ||
| ► GREAT Gift Idea: FORTE Gift Certificates | ||
| ► Available 7 days a week | ||
| ► Current weather and driving conditions in our area | ||
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Affordable Excellence Inspired by Family Tradition |
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905.855.1030 |
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Visit us @: 2359 Royal Windsor Drive, Mississauga On (South of QEW 1 km West of Southdown Road) |
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If you don't know much about pianos or their price ranges, don't feel bad. If it's any consolation, most people don't know much about pianos (mechanics, parts, design...) and their prices, piano market, Industry changes and updates... even people who play them and teach on them every day! But don't let that discourage YOU from becoming educated. |
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For fast info on prices we currently feature, visit "now on sale" page or chose one of the links bellow: |
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Few Introductory Words... |
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The primary intent of this site is to present FORTE Piano Centre and Forte Academy of Music on the World Wide Web with the emphasis on offering a wealth of information on the topic of buying a piano : Your options - a new, used or digital piano purchase; The importance of study of piano; The importance of a quality, reliable piano for the learning process; How the pianos work; Important notes on used pianos; Notes on digital pianos; Service issues; The presentation of makes and models we sell with straight-forward points on - WHY we chose to sell the particular pianos - makes and models? |
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This site, just like our business, is more than a business - it is a family passion, our creation in which we invested (and continue to) a substantial effort and reflects our view that making music is about making friends, having a great time - making music makes life better, brighter and more fun. Our opinion, is backed by the family Hrovat's family tradition in teaching, promoting the importance of music and active performing - for four generations. |
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As teachers and concerned parents, however, with our Clarkson Piano Centre & Forte Academy of Music that is now strengthened by this site, we see an opportunity to share not only the beauty and magic of music and music making with YOU, but to send THE MESSAGE: MUSICAL TRAINING is one of the most powerful educational and developmental tools out there! A solid childhood musical training BUILDS SKILLS FOR LIFE and translates into a happier, healthier, more productive and successful life! |
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While we enjoy seeing the musical development of our students, we are focused on all those numerous non-musical benefits of study of music. We know, that by doing so, and with your appreciated participation and support, we are making progress, a step towards a better tomorrow by investing in the most precious asset of Society: Our Kids! |
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What is the piano's role in all that...? |
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While we appreciate and support ANY form of participation in music, we are convinced that the STUDY OF PIANO is an essential for developing solid musicianship - piano is considered to be the best First Instrument! The international scientific community and child development experts think the same: The unique concept of study involves a complex neuro-senso-motoric activity, building a skills that ONLY the study of music does. The description of the piano-learning process to be a "simultaneous multiple information processing, management and tasks execution" only in part describes the process that simply is - amazing! More importantly - because it is AMAZING it is AMAZINGLY BENEFICIAL! |
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In the study of PIANO the instrument itself is of tremendous importance. Not only that a good piano is needed, the piano MUST be kept in good tune and free of technical problems like sticky keys, slow action, pedal problems, buzzing sounds etc: The learning process especially in the first months and years is intricate enough that you don't want to see the student/child dealing with problems within the instrument itself. It is distractive and possibly leads to confusion and disappointment. |
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Our advice: Don't start your child taking piano lessons until you have the appropriate piano available at home. The way the instrument feels and responds in the first months of study sends powerful messages that stay with kids. The proper feel of the keys and acoustic/dynamic sound properties (NO volume control!) are essential for any further development of skill, technique and expression! Digital piano? Better digital piano with good ( fully-weighted and hammered) touch are acceptable but should not be considered as a first option. The final choice is, of course - Yours! |
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How about a portable keyboard...? |
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In simple terms - the use of an electronic keyboard is a passport to either confusion and a subsequent loss of interest or (at best) the unfortunate piano student that started on a keyboard simply does not develop the tone, the technique and expression. According to number of studies on the topic - the use of an electronic keyboard is No 1 on the list of factors related to the high drop-off (from piano classes) rate in North America. Luckily, in Europe and Asia, for the most part, students are NOT permitted to start piano classes without having an access to practice on an adequate piano. Why? Nothing to do with "fancy', "expensive", "huge investment". It is actually to protect your investment in learning. It makes sense! Here, sadly, business/profit changes everything - in some cases cheap keyboard is given ( what a "present") to newly enrolled students! Please think twice before wasting your time, money and effort! |
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After all, it makes us proud to see how many site visitors are becoming Forte Academy of Music Students and our valued Piano Customers. Those that spent time , read the content of this site - do praise our efforts and reward it by joining the ever-growing list of satisfied students and customers. THANK YOU! |
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I. "HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH?!?" So, enough already... "How much are pianos?" There's a few slight problems with that question in the first place, if you think about it. Would you call a furniture store and ask, "how much are sofas?" or a toy store and ask "how much are toys?" In either case, the answer you'd get would probably sound something like: "... which sofa?" or "... which toy?" If you have no idea what kind of sofa or toy you are looking for, any price figure or range you get from a salesperson isn't going to mean very much without some kind of frame of reference. Though it may seem like we're not directly answering the question of "how much?", our intention with this page is to explain the "WHY's" of piano pricing. Any time you wish, simply visit us or even call for some prices and/or numbers. To truly understand what these numbers mean, and for how to choose the RIGHT piano, read on... Good new pianos should last a long time (60-80+ years and beyond!), so in addition to new competing brands, there is a selection of used instruments as well. There is no "Blue Book" for used pianos because the value of a used piano is almost entirely based on its INDIVIDUAL condition. (Hint for sellers: if you want to know your piano's value, call a technician to appraise it! It's the ONLY way to get a specific dollar value on your instrument.) |
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II. NEW or USED PIANOS ARE NOT LIKE NEW or USED CARS! Piano models don't change much from year to year, as next year's models won't have an 89th key or a fourth pedal. So used pianos don't become obsolete like many other used items we own - i. e. used computers -- which are resold at a mere fraction of the cost of new ones. Since pianos rarely change from year to year, sizes or models are NOT referred to by the year they were made (as in "test drive our 2002 models!") In the world of pianos, a 2004 model is sometimes not much different than a 1904 model! In fact, our industry is rather boring in this regard. Some piano models remain largely unchanged for decades, which given their human-like life-spans, explains why many good used pianos can easily fetch way more than half of what their new counterparts cost. However, be careful about the digital piano option: Some of the biggest (or best- advertised) lines of digital pianos comprise of models that change every few months! The new model immediately affects the re-sale value of the one you purchased, the next model, (4 or 6 months later) affects the value again...For many reasons, digital pianos do not hold their value, just like most electronic items today, and that purchase can not be compared to the investment strength of an acoustic piano purchase. More on the value of USED PIANOS: For example, if a car is five years old it's functional life might be half over. A 5 year-old piano is still well within its infancy. If a baby grand from brand X sells for, say a rock bottom $10,000, then the same model, used for 5 years, might easily sell for $8000 on the open market. This can be disheartening to the professional shopper looking for a mint-condition used piano for $500! (The truth is, $8000 IS a bargain for some good-condition used grands, depending on the piano.) This is one of the realities of used pianos, especially concerning those which are still "young," or where a similar or identical NEW model exists from that same manufacturer: The used value is based on the price of the new comparable model i.e. The price of the used model will stay JUST enough under the new one in order to entice a buyer to forego the benefits of buying NEW and simply buy CHEAPER.
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II. FINDING INFORMATION ON A SPECIFIC USED PIANO When the piano is older, and/or the manufacturer went out of business decades ago, it gets tricky -- particularly for the potential buyer. Unfortunately, there is little. if any, accurate and/or definitive information on determining the value of an aged or "really used" used piano. The condition of the instrument outweighs everything else. Whereas, the price of a new piano is USUALLY dictated by MSRP's, older used pianos have a more complex formula -- one that begins with a technician's visit to check out the piano's... "vital signs."
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III. THE BOTTOM LINE : WHAT PIANOS COST "Argh!" you say. "I have no idea what pianos cost. How should I budget for this?" (Again, check our for the numbers. Read on to understand them!) If you really want to play it safe, find a trustworthy dealer who has a reputation for being fair to help show you price ranges and what to expect from these price ranges in terms of musical quality and appearance. REMEMBER : No matter how much research you do, you should not expect to become a fully-qualified piano technician in the space of time you are shopping for a piano. Perhaps you're fortunate enough to be in an area where you have a reputable piano store with and shop that is willing to explain the restoration process (it's actually pretty interesting!). Then you can see first-hand just how complex and wonderful pianos really are and why buying privately or through a marginal dealer can be a risky endeavor. If you don't have such a dealer in your area, or you're simply not inclined to spend that kind of time on this purchase, then we are here for you! There must be a reason why our customers make repeated purchases, bring friends, family literally recommending and/or suggesting (selling!) them instrument(s) in our showroom. They call us: Ontario's Favourite Piano Destination. We like that! We realize what an important investment a piano is and that's why we're committed to sending you as much information in writing as you request, including delivery, warranty, trade-in and technical information. We can even send digital photos from various angles and once you've decided on an instrument we send an expert technician that can not only tune the piano but perform the customizing: The voicing and the action regulation to make it sounds and feel up to your preferences! Our reconditioned instruments come with lengthy written warranties, they apply to in-town or to out-of-town purchases. Buyers can be confident with their purchase since our Warranty is - NO QUESTIONS ASKED WARRANTY - You need service, we perform it!
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Remember that pianos have a long lifespan; if you purchase wisely, you'll only have to do this once! That said, for a used vertical piano that is properly restored and warranted, you can expect to pay $1500 up to, well, up to $13,000 or more (as in a vintage Steinway, for example). Generally, most reconditioned verticals end up somewhere between $1500 and $4000. Obviously, there is plenty of overlap in price between used and new pianos -- but that's a whole different essay (coming soon)! Incidentally, good new digital cost about the same. But do they hold their value? That is another essay...coming soon, too.
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As for used grand prices? We get calls every week from someone just wanting one "out of their house". As well they should. Pianos can often need restoration work that well exceeds the value of the instrument, so "freebies" are common. If you go down enough country roads, you'll see plenty of cars that the owners would love to have off their property, so someone can inherit their liability. Pianos are no different. Grands that are playable are another story. Grands that play well AND look nice is yet another. And just what constitutes "nice"? What YOU need to spend in order to get what YOU want is largely determined by what YOU find is acceptable. Let's say you found a playable, older baby grand from say, the 70's going for $4000, but when you went to see it that "beautiful walnut" finish turned out to be the medium-tone, honey walnut stain frequently used in that era that matches absolutely nothing you own. Or maybe it's ebony, but the ebony finish has changed, became "aligatored" due to sunlight, so once again, that one's not finding a home in your living room either. How much time have you just spent scoping out these pianos in homes and dealerships? Your time is valuable, isn't it? Do more homework online so you really know what to ASK for when talking to dealers. The more specific you can get, the faster you'll rule out places to visit -- either because you can tell they don't have what you want, or they're not qualified, they're not being straight, etc. A really good dealer will actually ask YOU a lot of questions to make sure they have what you're really looking for, even if YOU don't know how to ask for it! If you're seeking a good PIANO as well as a nice piece of FURNITURE, prices will start rising, and will begin to overlap with inexpensive new pianos made in China and Indonesia. Send us an e-mail to start a discussion about what used piano might work for you -- you might be able to forego the hassle and simply buy from us online! Check our to see if we have what you're looking for. If we don't, anyway, because our used inventory changes almost every day.
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VI. IN CONCLUSION We have many instruments in inventory, access to a full-lines of pianos we represent. A good portion of the inventory is comprised of used pianos. With our on-site restoration and additional off-site workshop, staff of craftsmen & technicians, we can make them look, feel and sound in their best at the most competitive prices. We use only the most professional shipping companies and insure all pianos until they are safely delivered and set up -- no matter where they are shipped. |
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When purchasing a new or used piano, you should carefully choose your piano destination. While cabinet styling certainly has been known to influence a purchase ("judging a book by its cover"), be advised that looks -- whether stunning or atrocious, is only in part describing the piano's quality. |
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FORTE Music Canada Ltd. provides generous written Warranty and trade-up options. The used piano inventory changes too frequently for us to keep our website inventory completely current, so please call 905-855-1030 or e-mail us at: info@pianoteam.com for more information if you don't immediately find what you're looking for on our new or used pages. Or, come visit us - we are conveniently located in (old) Clarkson - settled in 1808, East of Winston Churchill Blvd., South of QEW - minutes from Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Milton, Brampton - 20 min drive from Downtown Toronto. FREE PARKING! |
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On the left: Our original Lakeshore Rd location in Clarkson Village. |
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Visit us again soon: Our entire site is getting new features, links and more important content! |
