Piano Brands – Where to start? Piano Buyer’s Guide Pt. 2
When you begin looking for a new or pre-owned piano, the number of options can be intimidating. Owning a piano is an investment, and you want to make sure you pick the right model.
Before entering a piano store, knowing what size of piano your home can accommodate is important. Walking in with measurements and constraints is an important first step. If you’re low on space, consider looking at upright pianos.
Next, think about your price range. Below you’ll find a price range to expect for popular consumer grade piano brands.
CONSUMER-GRADE PIANOS by Price Range
Professional
Verticals: $12,000–$21,000
Grands 5′ to 7′: $30,000–$65,000
Baldwin (Professional/over 6′) grands
Boston (Japan)
Cunningham (grands over 6′)
Emerson
Hailun (grands over 6′)
Hupfeld (Europe) grands
Kawai (GX) grands
Kawai (Japan) verticals
Kayserburg (Artists/Master)
Wilhelm Schimmel
Schulze Pollmann (Academy)
Seiler (ED) grands
Charles R. Walter verticals
Wendl & Lung
Yamaha (Japan) verticals
Yamaha (CX) grands
Premium
Verticals: $8,000–$15,000
Grands 5′ to 7′: $15,000–$40,000
Baldwin verticals
Baldwin (Academy) grands
Baldwin (Professional/under 6′) grands
Boston (Indonesia) verticals
Brodmann (PE)
Cunningham (except grands over 6′)
Fandrich & Sons
Wilhelm Grotrian verticals
Wilhelm Grotrian Studio grands
Hailun (except grands over 6′)
Hupfeld (Europe) verticals
Hupfeld (Studio) grands Irmler (Professional)
Irmler (Studio) grands
Kawai (GL) grands
Kawai (ST-1) verticals
Kayserburg (Excellent/Heritage/Nuovo)
Wm. Knabe (Concert Arist)
Ernst Krause Berlin
Mason & Hamlin (Artist)
Perzina
J.P. Pramberger (Platinum)
Ritmüller (Premium)
Samick (NSG) Fridolin Schimmel
Gebr. Schulz (G)
Schulze Pollmann (Studio)
Seiler (ED) verticals
Johannes Seiler
Wilh. Steinberg (Performance)
Story & Clark grands
Albert Weber
Yamaha (GC) grands
Yamaha (P22D) verticals
Zimmermann
Mid-Range
Verticals: $5,500–$10,000
Grands 5′ to 7′: $12,000–$25,000
Brodmann (CE)
Cline
Essex
Wilhelm Grotrian Studio verticals
Hupfeld (Studio) verticals
Irmler (Studio) verticals
Kawai (Indonesia) verticals
Kingsburg
Wm. Knabe (Academy)
Wm. Knabe (Baltimore)
Mason & Hamlin (Classic)
Palatino
Pearl River
Pramberger (Signature)
Pramberger (Legacy)
Ritmüller (Classic/Superior)
Samick
Weber
Yamaha verticals
Yamaha (GB) grands
Young Chang
Economy
Verticals: $4,500–$6,800
Grands 5′ to 7′: $9,500–$16,000
Cristofori/Paul A. Schmitt
Geyer
Hallet, Davis & Co.
Hardman, Peck
Schumann
Story & Clark verticals
Visit us to discuss ideal piano brand and style for your specific needs!
Piano manufacturing is, by its nature, a materials-intensive craft. A modern grand piano contains roughly 12,000 individual components. It requires carefully selected hardwoods — spruce, maple, beech, walnut — sourced from forests in multiple countries. It uses felt, leather, metal alloys, and chemical finishes. Building one well takes skilled labor spanning months.
In January 2026, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas included something that would have seemed out of place a decade ago: a piano technology exhibit generating genuine buzz alongside the televisions, smartphones, and AI gadgets that dominate the show floor. The products on display — connected instruments, app-integrated learning systems, multi-device MIDI setups — weren't novelties. They were the direction the piano industry is heading.
For years, the piano world operated on a fairly clean division: acoustic instruments for those who could afford the space and maintenance, digital pianos for everyone else. That division has been eroding steadily, and by 2026, it has given way to something more interesting — a category of instruments that refuses to sit neatly on either side of the line.
