Hello everyone, I hope you are all ok.

Music is of course a wonderful form of expression. It makes for a wonderful profession and a fantastically absorbing hobby. We might be just a little biased at Pianolobby, but we think that pianos are THE best musical instruments.

Pianolobby has for a while now been a London agent for Danemann Pianos and we have enjoyed seeing the rebirth of this brand under the watchful eye of Glenn Morris at Broughton Pianos. He and his team have been working tirelessly to create a range of pianos that is relevant to the modern world but sympathetic to the heritage of this once illustrious brand. The range has grown in the variety of models available and more importantly in the quality of the instruments. I can honestly say that I would choose some of these models over those from other bigger brands in the same market segment.

The original Danemann pianos were known for their exquisite sound quality, robust construction, and the unique character that each instrument possessed. They were known for their innovation and focus on quality; the modern instruments certainly do have a strong focus on quality. Tonal range is also superb.

Historically there have been around 11,000 names of pianos listed, which were manufactured by about 1,000 pianos makers. Companies were building pianos under different names, a process that called stencilling. Many names have come and gone and today there are about 50 global brands of pianos.

Where does Danemann fit in all of this? Its brand history is well documented elsewhere, and I won’t discuss it here. Danemann were very well respected as a purveyor of excellent instruments in the UK and abroad. The latest generation of instruments are once again gaining a foothold here in the UK, the EU, China and the USA, even in these troubled times. Or maybe because of these troubled times! Danemanns are very well built, there is a high level of craftsmanship, and they use high quality materials as they always did. They make a strong case for themselves by being a brand with strong heritage, beautifully made, great component parts combined with offering really great value. These modern pianos are often better equipped and cheaper than direct rivals. It strikes me that they are the right instruments for our times, a really tempting proposition.

Who are the other main piano brands today? Ask anyone to name a company that builds pianos, and the Yamaha name will come up. This is an incredible company who have done so much to improve what is possible in our ‘everyday’ pianos. Steinway are similarly recognisable but for being considered the best high-end pianos in the world. All the very best concert halls must have a Steinway!

There are many wonderful piano builders to consider, such as Kawai, Bosendorfer, Fazioli, Bechstein and Bluthner. Look out for Sauter in Germany and Petrov in the Czech Republic. There are more affordable but still very good pianos from Hailun, the various brands owned by Pearl River in China and Samick in South Korea. Of course there are many more….

What do we notice about these brands? None of them are British. Some of the most prominent piano makers throughout history were British. These include Broadwood, Chappell, Challen, and Welmar. Other notable names include Bentley, Knight and Kemble, Brinsmead, Collard and Clementi to name but a few. At the peak of production there were around 200 British piano makers. Of the British names above, it strikes me that Kemble have been better at retaining a business by forming a partnership with Yamaha in the 1960s Eventually Yamaha bought the company later moving production away from the UK, but Kemble production has continued. Other brands have not fared so well.

Here is a brief rundown of some of best-known British piano makers.

John Broadwood & Sons is one of the oldest and most prestigious. John Broadwood & Sons were stablished in 1728, they are known for their high-quality pianos and have a Royal Warrant as manufacturers of pianos to the Queen. They were highly innovative and even Beethoven had a Broadwood.

Chappell, Challen and Welmar were top quality and known for their modern and forward thinking as well as for their high quality and craftsmanship and were prominent in the first half of the 20^th century.

Bentley, Cramer and Rogers were well-regarded makers with very good reputations. These brands pianos were also relatively common in their day.

Knight and Kemble were also leading lights in the British piano building landscape. They were also companies known for their innovative and modern instruments. Builders of pianos that were modern with a warm, rich tone with a superb dynamic range.

Coming back to today, for most people, Yamaha is an obvious and sensible way to go. They are great at what they do, offering a wide range of pianos that are fairly priced and hold their value. The downside is that other equally good manufacturers do sometimes struggle to break through. For example, Kawai can get overlooked, and for some players Kawai may well be the better choice of instrument. Either way, both brands are wonderful choices new and second hand.

The next level up are the German brands of Bechstein, Bluthner, Sauter, Schimmel and all are wonderful. Don’t forget the wonderful Czech company, Petrov. Heading up from there, go to Steinway, Bosendorfer or Fazioli. These are all stunning pianos….

What else would I consider at a less elevated price point and still be happy? I have to say that I do like Haiun pianos very much. They are still a family business that love pianos. Their sound seems to me to be modelled on a ‘European’ sound, well-built and good to play.

Oh, and Danemann? Is there space and a place for this once great company in the current market? For sure! Yes, a very good option! They have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. They are razor focussed on quality in                                                                                                                                  materials and production, understand their history and                                                                                                                          really should be on your shopping list.