Detroit Free Press - Surviving and thriving

June 05, 2023

Detroit Free Press  - Surviving and thriving

By Columnist Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, USA Today Network. 

The Piano Place sits in a rectangular tan building on Maple Road that also houses a printing firm and a company that creates audio visual systems for boardrooms. 

It's unusual for piano stores in that it still sells more pianos than digital keyboards and it's expanding, turning a former embroidery shop into a recital room. 

"We're doing pretty well" says office manager and salesman Scott Blackett, 66, "because there's not that many dealers left." 

Store manager Grant Wolach used to own one of the competitors, Piano Works, in Ferndale. Then his landlord died and the building was sold. Wolach, 74, remembers Grinnell Brothers building pianos in Holly, warehousing them near Tiger Stadium and opening more than 40 stores in Michigan and Ontario, with an outlet in every major mall. 

The warehouse is now lofts, the stadium was torn down and Grinnell, according to local historian, Dan Austin, went bankrupt three times before it liquidated. 

In the glory days, Wolach says, there were more than 400 piano manufacturers in the United States. Now there's Steinway & Sons, Charles Walter and Mason & Hamlin. 

Go back to 1905 and there were more pianos and organs in the U.S. than bathtubs, says American Heritage magazine, but that was before the Model T, radios, movies, phonographs, the internet, video games and the $879 Casio keyboard on which Blackett almost absent-mindedly plays a one-handed bass riff. 

It sounds fine. 

The he sits down at an Italian-made Fazioli 9-foot grand piano, yours for $267,000, and it's majestic. 

Prices and sounds are available at most any point between the Casio and one of the only 140 Faziolis manufactured each year. 

To Taylor's surprise, the price tag and receipt for the Estey were in the piano bench last week, atop a stack of sheet music. In 2023 dollars, it cost $5,460. 




Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in The Piano Place Blog

The Joys of Owning a Piano
The Joys of Owning a Piano

September 20, 2023

Pianos are one of the most versatile and beautiful musical instruments in the world. They can produce a wide range of sounds, from soft and soothing to loud and dramatic. They can also play different styles of music, from classical to jazz to pop. But did you know that owning a piano can also benefit you in many ways? Here are some reasons why you should own a piano.

Continue Reading

History of Steinway & Sons
History of Steinway & Sons

September 13, 2023

Steinway & Sons is a famous piano company that was founded in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in New York City. He and his sons developed the modern piano by making many innovations and improvements in piano design and construction. Steinway pianos have won many awards and patents, and are widely regarded as high-quality instruments.

Continue Reading

Kawai vs. Yamaha Pianos
Kawai vs. Yamaha Pianos

September 06, 2023

Yamaha and Kawai are two of the most popular and reputable piano brands in the world. They both have a long history of producing high-quality acoustic pianos with different features and characteristics. Choosing between them depends on your personal preference, musical style, budget, and other factors. Here are some of the main differences between Yamaha and Kawai pianos:

Continue Reading