July 30, 2021 •Stephen Reed
If you are in the market for a piano, you will want to review your best options before making your final decision. Buying a piano is a major purchase and one that can last for decades. Being informed as to one’s choices is paramount in making this significant investment.
In an effort to be as transparent and helpful as possible to our customers, we are going to respond to this very common piano-shopping question: “If M. Steinert & Sons isn’t the right fit for me, which are the other best piano stores in Boston?”
Here is our list of the Top 7 piano stores in the Greater Boston area (in alphabetical order):
Caruso Piano Gallery (New London, CT)
Caruso’s main showroom is in New London, Connecticut.
They sell used pianos, with a heavy emphasis on Steinway and Yamaha, and specialize in “sight-unseen” and online purchases. They also feature the Roland line.
Darrell’s (Nashua, NH)
Founded in 1969, Darrell’s sells the following brands: Seiler, Schimmel, Yamaha, and Roland.
New Hampshire has no sales tax.
Note: You are required to report your piano purchase to your state of residence when you file your taxes.
East Cambridge Piano (Somerville, MA)
Owner James Nicoloro has been in the piano business for over 40 years.
He started out reconditioning older used pianos but has adapted his business model through the years to feature a variety of used and new pianos.
He sells rebuilt Steinways and Yamahas, and new Casio digital pianos.
Falcetti Pianos (Springfield, MA and Natick, MA)
Falcetti Pianos was founded in 2016. They opened a store in Natick (near Roger’s--see below) and added the Yamaha line which they took on after the prior Yamaha dealer closed.
They promote and sell Yamaha brand pianos, including the Yamaha-owned Bosendorfer.
They offer Mason & Hamlin and Estonia pianos, as well.
Piano Mill (Rockland, MA)
Piano Mill is Massachusetts’ exclusive Baldwin dealer. Most Baldwin pianos are now manufactured in Zhongshan, China (since 2008).
The iconic Baldwin brand name still has nostalgic value for many American families.
At Piano Mill, you will also find used and rebuilt pianos. Piano Mill also has a refinishing/restoration shop.
Roger’s Pianos (Natick, MA)
Roger’s Pianos offers many different brands of pianos. With showrooms in Burlington and Natick, they have carried these brands: Kawai, Baldwin, Samick, Bluthner, Bechstein, Fazioli, Pramburger, Stahler, Kurzweil, Ritemuller, Perzina, and others. For a short time they were the Yamaha dealer as well.
They sell player pianos and hybrids, and usually have used and rebuilt Steinways for sale, as well.
They also sell some lesser-known European brands.
Williams Piano Shop (Brookline, MA)
Another Yamaha dealer, Williams Piano Shop, is a family-run business.
Located in Brookline, they began as a service shop in 1927 and have continued in that tradition.
They also specialize in special event rentals.
Piano shopping tips and insights
As an aside, every piano buyer should know that it costs money to deliver a piano to your home, even if the delivery company is owned or partly owned by the dealer, although some dealers will tell you it’s “free”.
In other words, piano buyers always pay for the dealer delivery cost whether the dealer builds it into the priace of the piano or not. Nothing is truly "free."
Dealers who routinely offer free delivery include the cost of the delivery in the pricing of their piano, rather than presenting it as a separate line-item on your sales agreement. Trust us on this one... delivering a piano isn’t easy and definitely requires a paid professional!
Hopefully, with this basic information about piano stores near Boston, you will be in a better position to explore your piano-buying options within the Greater Boston region. And hopefully we have saved you some precious time.
Regardless of the brand or dealer, these three steps should be kept in mind:
1. Determine the right balance of price and quality for you.
2. Choose a manufacturer and seller you trust.
3. Play the actual piano before you buy.
Ready to schedule a piano consultation?
M. Steinert & Sons understands that it would be easy to choose a different piano store than us. Competition has always been brisk, ever since Morris Steinert started our company all the way back in 1860.
Our philosophy has never really changed in all these years: To earn the trust of a customer, provide good service and the best quality pianos.
If you would like to learn more about our company and pianos, you can easily schedule an appointment using our Calendly link to either our Newton or Boston locations.
Playing a piano before buying it is not only common sense--it gives you a chance to test a variety of pianos to determine which is the one for you.
“We’re not good because we’re old. We’re old because we’re good!”
- Brendan Murphy, President (4th generation)