28.5.12

Which piano is best suited for my children?

...this is a question which we get asked often at Lewis Eady Ltd.






























Whilst Grandma Dawn’s 100 year old upright piano might make an attractive proposition both cosmetically and financially, it may not necessarily be the best option to learn on.
Firstly one needs to understand that pianos - like humans - have a lifetime. The average upright piano action is made up of over 8000 moving parts which are subject to wear and tear. Furthermore the tension created by the strings of a piano can be in excess of 15 tonnes per square inch which over time fatigues the soundboard causing it to loose tone and power.
In a nutshell after 100 years most pianos are dead and gone, and should be given a suitable burial (there are of course always exceptions to this).

So what options are there?

Keyboards are a cheap option starting at around $400 but have a lightweight touch derived from Organs and are really only suitable for the very early stages of learning. Furthermore they tend to have truncated keyboards of either 61 or 76 notes as opposed to a piano which has 88. If you must go down this route choose one which is ‘touch sensitive’ and make sure that you have a plan to upgrade to something better within a year.

Digital Pianos are more expensive but a more preferable option to keyboards. These have a full 88 note keyboard and a weighted action which - in the best brands - will closely resemble that of a piano. Be aware though, these to will have a lifetime. If your little Johnny has aspirations of becoming the next Ashkenazy, even the best digital pianos will only see him through to around grade 4 level (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music).

Acoustic Pianos obviously the best choice but these can be a real mine field as there are so many options.

In my next blog I will go into more detail on these in particular and will look at the options with new versus 2nd hand, and the difference in qualities available.

Lewis Eady blogs about pianos in general and in particular Steinway pianos are our passion.  New Zealand Pianos specialist Lewis Eady have been passionate about pianos since 1884.

23.5.12

Here's to the next 10 years!


Well, 2012 is panning out to be a big year for David Love – Lewis Eady Ltd store manager.
He will have been married 10 years…
His wife turns 30...
But most importantly he has been at Lewis Eady Ltd for 10 years (please don’t let David’s wife see this).

A big thank you to David for all his hard work and support.
We are a very small tight knit team and here’s hoping that you enjoy the new Martin guitar!

All the best
John


14.5.12

The LE Acoustic Series - two years on

The Lewis Eady Acoustic Series started off as a flicker of an idea 3-4 years ago. That idea gestated for a while, grew, changed shape, and then gave birth to something simple – LE Acoustic Series – 6 May, 2010 with The Glory Sea, Mali Mali, and Lydia Cole. We stumbled from this ‘humble’ beginning, through 7 gigs in 2 years to see the return of Lydia Cole (now with band) and Luke Thompson, and LE newbs, The Right Ones.

It was a beautiful, intimate night, with 150 of our collective nearest friends. Necks craned, personal space was shared, and new friends were made. Thank you doesn’t seem to cover the level of respect and gratitude for what the bands shared with us. Check out the beautiful pictures from the night below (thanks Kelley Eady). Please feel free to share your favourite memories. Mine was the spontaneous jam at the end of night of Dylans, We shall be released.

So what’s next? Friday 25th May we do it all again with Alaska, The Paper Cranes, and the return of Strahan. http://www.facebook.com/events/311082252302334/

And then? Let’s just say we’re working on a couple of new things. Watch this space.    




Best Festival Ever


Well that was the feedback anyway and I would have to agree! What a wonderful week of performers and piano repertoire.

I thought as a wrap up I would put a link through to the ‘Upbeat’ interviews. Have a listen when you get a minute.

Thank you to all that came along and we look forward to seeing you again next year... yes, NZIPF 2013 is happening - watch this space!.