It's official now - Yamaha buys Bosendorfer

[PT6.7UZR]

Here is yesterday's announcement from Yamie:

Yamaha Reaches Basic Agreement with Austrian Bank to Purchase All Shares of Bösendorfer

I sure hope Yamaha keeps their hands off and allows Bosendorfer to keep making pianos the old fashioned way in Austria.

If word gets out, or even rumors, that corners are being cut Bosie is doomed.

Bosie buyers pay a huge premium for that "The best regardless of cost" approach.

[blaugruen7]

NOOOOOOOOOOO

[Plush]

At first I was shocked at how low the purchase price was---about $23M.
Then I began to think about Bosendorfer's prospects for survival after they are losing so much money each year.

I see it as a cash infusion that will allow Bosendorfer to survive and Yamaha to incorporate some good build techniques into their top line of instruments.

[Jim vanBergen]

Ouch!


Well, would we rather see them be bought by a Japanese conglomeration, or....Disney?


I hope the quality of the instruments does not suffer, and they continue to put out great instruments. Fingers crossed!

[dementedchord]

hey they survived being owned by kimball... how bad could yamama be if the (as agreed) let them operate autonomously????

[Bryan Talbot]

Originally Posted by Plush

At first I was shocked at how low the purchase price was---about $23M.
Then I began to think about Bosendorfer's prospects for survival after they are losing so much money each year.

I see it as a cash infusion that will allow Bosendorfer to survive and Yamaha to incorporate some good build techniques into their top line of instruments.

Good take on it - let's hope you're right.

[John Brook]

You all might be interested in reading comments from the musicians and dealers' point of view:

Piano Forums at Piano World: Sale of Bosendorfer final

Piano Forums at Piano World: Bosendorfer has been sold!

[klaukholm]

Not good!

one can only hope this will teach yamaha how to make decent grands.

Horrible news for the business!

[blaugruen7]

maybe its not a bad thing.

for example for steinberg its much better that yamaha owns it and no longer pinnacle.

[klaukholm]

Maybe yamaha's extensive sales network and pr machine can take market shares from Steinway.
Personally I would like all great concerthalls to offer both a first rate steinway (or two) plus a top Bösendorfer.
We have Two steinways and a Bosy here, but unfortunately the elevator does not fi a grand.... and we do not have room for more than one by the stage.

[Just Dan]

I don't think things will change. Or at least, change much. Piano manufacturers haven't made many good pianos lately anyway. Granted, the European makers have been doing better than the likes of Steinway USA.

Some of my piano friends say that Steinway hasn't made a good piano since the early-mid 1900s, and the Europeans have been doing a bit better, but that American piano techs don't know how to work on them and usually ruin a good Bosendorfer.

I'm no pianist, I never made it past class piano skill. But I have to admit, I haven't heard a modern piano that I like. Even when played by fabulous pianists.

[Remoteness]

Well, at least Bosendorfer has chance to keep the name brand going.

Lets see what develops over the next few years. I wish them the best!

[klaukholm]

Originally Posted by Just Dan

I don't think things will change. Or at least, change much. Piano manufacturers haven't made many good pianos lately anyway. Granted, the European makers have been doing better than the likes of Steinway USA.

Some of my piano friends say that Steinway hasn't made a good piano since the early-mid 1900s, and the Europeans have been doing a bit better, but that American piano techs don't know how to work on them and usually ruin a good Bosendorfer.

I'm no pianist, I never made it past class piano skill. But I have to admit, I haven't heard a modern piano that I like. Even when played by fabulous pianists.

Do you know who does the work on the 1852 Bösendorfer and the 1810 Rosenberger over at shepherd?
Dean Shank did great work on the Steinways, but is he also doing the work on the bosy?

[joelpatterson]

Keep your eyes peeled for the roll-out of the "iDorfer," whatever in God's name that turns out to be...

[blaugruen7]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

Keep your eyes peeled for the roll-out of the "iDorfer," whatever in God's name that turns out to be...

they already have a digital piano in their catalog. :-)

joking aside.
i find it very sympathetic, that boesendorfer, a brand with that heritage and name is making advertisement with pop musicians and not only doing this "serious classical musician" thing...

[Remoteness]

It's also a jazz musician brand.

[Kees de Visser]

An Imperial can be yours for just € 265. (fits in any elevator) :)

With the support of “Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik” we have developed our first sampled grand piano software instrument, a true recreation of a Bösendorfer 290 Imperial that was tuned and regulated by the piano manufacturer’s best engineers and piano technicians.

[mpdonahue]

Originally Posted by Kees de Visser

An Imperial can be yours for just € 265. (fits in any elevator) :)

Ahhh, but you should really take a listen to the Ivory sampled Bosendorfer.
It was recorded on a hand picked instrument that was regulated and tuned by Gerhard Feldman of Bosendorfer NY.
We spent over 50 hours of tape time (2 weeks session time) recording these samples and I must say that I was pretty impressed with the final outcome. (Being a sampled piano skeptic from way back)
For an even more interesting sampled piano you should check out the "Italian Grand". It is a Fazioli 360 that we recorded at SUNY Purchase. At just shy of 11' it is the biggest concert grand around. Some of the Bass strings ring for almost 3 minutes!
All the best,
Mark

[ajfarber]

Originally Posted by Just Dan

I don't think things will change. Or at least, change much. Piano manufacturers haven't made many good pianos lately anyway. Granted, the European makers have been doing better than the likes of Steinway USA.

Some of my piano friends say that Steinway hasn't made a good piano since the early-mid 1900s, and the Europeans have been doing a bit better, but that American piano techs don't know how to work on them and usually ruin a good Bosendorfer.

I'm no pianist, I never made it past class piano skill. But I have to admit, I haven't heard a modern piano that I like. Even when played by fabulous pianists.

I must say that Grotrian in Germany and Mason & Hamlin in the US are making top-class pianos these days.

The Bosendorfer is to me "the rich man's Yamaha". Just to my taste, of course. Yamaha won't phuck it up, I'm sure.

[Kees de Visser]

Originally Posted by mpdonahue

Ahhh, but you should really take a listen to the Ivory sampled Bosendorfer.
It was recorded on a hand picked instrument that was regulated and tuned by Gerhard Feldman of Bosendorfer NY.

Impressive sound indeed and nice demos. Much of the final quality lies in the hands of the programmer/"pianist".
The samples of the Steinway D from our (Galaxy) studio are also well done IMHO. I didn't do the recording of the samples but did select the piano at the Hamburg factory some time ago.
Piano samples are getting very good these days, but I still prefer to record the real instrument (so does our tuner) ;)

[ARude]

Around here piano stores are almost completely gone. At the turn of the century there were literally dozens within easy driving distance of my apartment. Yamaha buys Bosendorfer? Yet another sign of the apocalypse...

[ajfarber]

Yamaha owning Bosendorfer is like Ford owning Jaguar!

[chetatkinsdiet]

Even if yammy doesn't really disrupt the manufacturing for the bosendorfers, get ready for the knife in the heart to all you piano lovers. I can see it now...the bosendorfer name on budget pianos as well. They own the name, why not?

It kills me to see Gibson on cheap Japanese Epiphones and worse...other Baldwin products. That has nothing do do with the regular Gibsons, but still, cheapens the brand.

Yammy recently purchased another of my favorite brands, the Rogers drum company. Even though Rogers has been away since the 80s in a real capacity, the name has been used recently on cheap, import drum kits...using the 60s logo....and that just makes me crazy. I'm hoping that soon Yamaha will bring back some of the great Rogers designs of the past and reissue them. Please make a real dynasonic snare.

Sorry to get off of the piano focus here, but the topic is a broader one of larger companies buying old, distinguished brands and the outcome.

m