What does it take
to make the World’s best selling piano?
July 2019… We are excitedly unpacking the new selection of Pearl River’s upright pianos.
Until now, this new series was sold exclusively in Europe.
Quick-links:
I am a…
This is a CHINESE piano
scroll down to learn why that is a good thing
The new AEU and NEU models feature high-quality materials and components, are built by talented and qualified craftsmen, have strict quality-control procedures, world-leading research and development, and most importantly: feature a rich tone and light touch making them an absolute pleasure to play.
Students:
Sound and touch
Two things that matter more than anything else.
There is a lot to consider when looking for a piano. However in our opinion, details about the piano design/size/brand/materials/model numbers/etc. are insignificant compared to how you like the sound of your piano and how you respond to the feel of the keyboard.
When you’re practicing or performing, nothing else matters. If you love the tone that your piano has and you can get the best from it because the keys offer good control - then you can forget about every other detail.
but what about …
Of course, that’s a very simplified way of looking at it. Of course the design, size, brand etc is important. Once you’ve found a piano that you like it is worth understanding these things to ensure that you select an appropriately sized piano for the space and acoustics in your home. You should also ensure that it’s an instrument of high enough quality that you’ll love it as much in 20-years as you do now. It’s also important that the piano looks good in your home and that it will retain its value if you choose to upgrade in the future.
We simply believe that a piano purchase based only on these secondary factors without first trusting your instincts about what sound you like can lead to regrets in the future.
Parents:
“our goal will always be to build the best pianos in the world”
We understand the importance of this investment
We absolutely agree that selecting the right piano can create a life-long love of music for your children, bringing them priceless memories, helping to build self-confidence, and supporting their social and intellectual development.
Price-point
We can appreciate your frustration when your child is no longer able to progress to the best of their abilities due to an inappropriate practice instrument. It doesn’t matter whether that takes the form of an inherited piano a bit past its use-by-date, a cheap electric keyboard or simply a piano with a limited tonal range that cannot match the level that your child has achieved already.
We hope that by offering these instruments at such an exceptionally competitive price-point we are able to encourage families to invest appropriately and ensure that your children have access to a quality piano to practice on. We hope that it helps to keep them motivated and enjoying music and also that you get the most possible benefit from the energy you constantly pour into driving to their music lessons, paying for new books, and encouraging their practice.
Quality
To appreciate the level of quality achieved at this price point, it is worth understanding a little more about where these pianos are being made. Pearl River has more than 60-years of experience building pianos and they are now the best-selling piano brand in the world. They have been operating a European company headquarters in Germany since 1995 and Pearl River has a global share of more than 25% of the piano market. They are definitely not a new-comer and they understand a thing or two about consistency.
World-class research
Most significantly, Pearl River began constructing a new factory (with more than a 300,000 square-metre footprint!) which includes some truly state-of-the-art facilities as well as world-class research and development labs. The transition to this new facility was completed in 2018 and from the pianos we have been receiving, it is obvious that the quality of production has only improved.
The scope of their investment in piano research covers initial wood processing, material analysis, acoustic analysis, right through to analysing piano assembly processes. It is their continued focus on research that has allowed Pearl River to become such a strong contender for quality on the world stage.
Pearl River at this point have 151 technical patents, including 36 invention patents and 328 corporate technology secrets. They are genuinely working to produce pianos to a high quality-level and not just an accessible price-point.
20-years guaranteed
For peace of mind and to preserve your investment, our Pearl River pianos come with a full 20-year warranty that simply covers everything. This makes these instruments a safe option for your children to progress through their lessons with confidence.
The new Pearl River factory covers 3.5 MILLION square-feet and is the most advanced piano factory in the world employing more than 4,000 staff!
Pearl River have achieved an enormous range of expression in these pianos, allowing subtle 'pianissimo’ and intense ‘fortissimo’ playing. One of the benefits of their updated European and American design is that performers are capable of expressing more nuanced and varied tones compared to the typical bright and one-dimensional sound of other pianos in this price-point.
The AEU and NEU series feature a light and balanced touch which helps to develop correct piano technique and offers exceptional control to support playing with musicality rather than merely hitting notes.
Teachers:
Be sceptical
We know you care about the quality of pianos available to your students. If you are not familiar with Pearl River’s pianos - especially with what they’ve been achieving since the company went public in 2012 - then we welcome you to come and try these instruments in our Vermont South showroom before making any recommendations. We hope that you’ll be as impressed with their quality as we are.
Fully-wooden action
Your students won’t have to adjust to the lighter plastic piano action that comes with Japanese pianos. As is typical of more expensive German pianos, the AEU and NEU Pearl River pianos do not use any plastic components in their piano actions in order to avoid any ‘brittleness’ in the touch and to support the development of a more nuanced and lyrical piano technique in your students.
What about me?!
When it comes to your own teaching studio, we believe that Pearl River pianos are built to withstand the heavy use and demands of an institutional environment (both due to production quality and their unique design - please contact us for more information). We also encourage you to consider the Ritmüller or RÖNISCH pianos depending on the needs of your studio.
