Welcome
to the wonderful world of Estonia pianos -- the "Golden Child" of
the piano industry.
Estonia
pianos are being praised by musicians worldwide as having a sound
quality and action response competitive with any of the finest European
makers, yet Estonia pianos are currently a fraction the cost of
Hamburg Steinways, Bosendorfers, Bechsteins, Bluthners and Faziolis.
For a piano manufacturer to have cause for any sort of worldwide
press is a rare occurrence. In 2004 alone, over 200 newspapers worldwide
reported on Estonia's rapid rise to the very top of the piano world.
There must be something very special happening in this beautiful
little country.
Estonia pianos come from Estonia - a country located at the Baltic
Sea, and 50 miles south of Finland. A European nation of only
1.5 million people, the country has its own language and cultural
traditions. The Estonian language, described as a singing language,
is part of the Finno-Ugric languages and is very close to Finnish.
One
of the most interesting musical events in Estonia is the Song and
Dance Festival, where over 25,000 choristers sing together in a
huge stadium directed by one conductor. The singing language and
Estonia's love for music is relevant in connection with Estonia
pianos, since it is at the factory where these elements are pursued
further. As no other piano company, Estonia instruments carry its
nation's name and are presented as its cultural ambassadors to the
world.
City of Tallinn,
where every Estonia piano is handcrafted.
The
Estonian culture has one of the richest piano building histories
in the world, dating back more than 200 years - much longer than
America boasts. Estonia Piano Factory also has the most unique product
line and history in today's piano industry.
Most
companies make vertical pianos and small grands, establish themselves,
then build larger grands, ultimately earning the right to build
a 9' concert grand model. Estonia ONLY made concert grands
for the first 50 years of existence, serving the concertizing
pianists in the Baltic States, Finland, Russia, Japan, Germany,
Ukraine, Belorussia, Armenia, and many other countries since World
War II. In time, they made two smaller versions of it.
That's
it -- no vertical models, no different grades of quality, no fancy
cases. Estonia also does not use their factory to produce pianos
for other companies, which is a manufacturing practice that proves
to be penny wise and pound foolish, as it invariably dilutes the
value of the brand name in the marketplace. (Click
here for "What's in a Name?" )
Estonia
pianos are available in three sizes 9', 6'3" and 5'6". All models
are completely hand made and have Renner actions assembled at Renner
in Germany. This is a distinct feature which carries a value of
thousands of dollars over pianos which claim to have a "Renner action"
-- assembled outside of Renner's German factory. Other features
include birch rims, Delignit pin blocks, premium Renner blue hammers...among
other desirable technical features, which in turn create the tone,
touch and stability that is Estonia. The pianos are priced with
a high-quality artist bench (while other pianos in this category
are often priced without benches) and they carry a factory warranty
of ten years parts & labor -- twice that of pianos which are
often compared to Estonia. Unlike other "premium"
brands they do not source ANY of their components or materials from
China – or anywhere outside Europe for that matter. It is
a hand built European piano from top to bottom.
For those who recall Estonia's of the past, be assured these
are vastly different than those made during the years under the
Soviet Union's rule. as Estonia country gained its independence
in 1991.
In
fact, one of the most beautiful aspects of the Estonia Piano is
how it emerged as a very improbable industry leader. In
the months and years following Estonia's independence, companies
throughout the country were being privatized and bought. Many
Estonian companies were being bought by foreign corporations and
the Estonian government feared that a foreign piano company
may end up owning the Estonia Piano Company (Tallinn Piano
Factory).
To
prevent the disgrace of having their country's name emblazoned pianos
owned by a foreign company – or worse yet to see the company
get dismantled for its parts, the Estonian government had a plan.
The Tallinn Piano Factory was deemed a National Treasure in order
to thwart being purchased (and possibly exploited) by foreign conglomerates.
The act secured that ownership must forever remain in Estonian hands.
Shares were then distributed to the employees of the company, some
of whom are 3rd, 4th and even 5th generation employees.
One such employee is Indrek Laul, who at the time was earning
his doctorate degree at the famed Juilliard School in New York City,
studying under Peter Serkin. A concertizing pianist, he used his
income as a concert artist to slowly acquire a controlling interest
in the company.
The
new President of Estonia Piano Factory (and New York resident) is
responsible for bringing these remarkable pianos to the United States.
He is also responsible for the changes (over 300 documented changes
since 2001) that have brought these pianos to a competitive level
with all of the great treasured European brands which are literally
several times the price. Dr. Indrek Laul is so accomplished that
the famed Juilliard School of Music in New York named him as one
of the top 100 Juilliard graduates in the 100 year history of Juilliard.
These
redesigned models are being DIRECTLY IMPORTED to the United States
so there is a tremendous value available to American consumers.
Without having a U.S. distribution company where the giant overhead
of a corporate headquarters, district sales managers, a national
sales manager, the savings is tens of thousands of dollars per piano
when compared to the pianos of almost every other foreign piano
company who relies on such a distribution channel to pursue the
North American market. The president and owner of the Laul-Estonia
Piano Factory lives in the U.S and only has roughly 400 pianos to
sell each year. He can do so alone and pass an incredible savings
on to 400 fortunate customers every year.
With
this paltry but calculated production schedule (some manufacturers
can build 400 pianos in a DAY), the biggest problem our company
faces with Estonia pianos is that they are extremely difficult
to get. Cordogan's is only one dealer...in one state...of one
country (to be read "frequent back orders"). Estonia has elected
to concentrate only in major market areas -- Chicago, NY, LA, London,
Toyko...to better serve markets that are important to any "boutique"
type purchase. Cordogan's has been able to receive close to
50 Estonia pianos a year to serve the midwest market, but that doesn't
come close to what the market demand supports.
In
keeping with the marketing efforts of an artist, Dr. Laul has
very little interest in making Estonia a household name. He
would prefer that his instruments fall into the hands of aspiring
pianists and not necessarily purchased as a trophy. The methods
by which his pianos are marketed -- or lack thereof, all but insure
it. Estonia's efforts came to the U.S. market with no trace
of an advertising budget or a public relations firm. The web and
the press in the U.S. took care of that in short order.
Although
most customers would recognize a "grass roots" rise to the top as
that of a highly desirable cost-savings, Estonia's anonymity might
be a bit unsettling to a layperson and/or non-player who may be
compelled to buy a more familiar name. That is just fine with Estonia.
Then again, established in 1893, Estonia pianos are hardly new,
they're just relatively new to the U.S. An Estonia buyer is
perfectly comfortable with the notion that these pianos are only
known and cherished in musical circles. In fact, Estonia owners/enthusiasts
are now known as "estoniacs". The day that it becomes as recognized
as a certain piano that begins with an "S" and ends in "way", is
also the day that Estonia will be priced like one.
If
you are searching for that European, warm, rich and romantic sound,
that German touch and/or the unique, investment-grade pianos, welcome
to the world of Estonia pianos.
