Skip to content

Home › Insights

PIANOLOOKUP INSIGHTS

Piano market insights & guides

In-depth analysis from PianoLookup: the acoustic piano market, Chinese manufacturing, and what European brand names mean today.

Market analysis · 2026-09-15 · MOST READ Why Acoustic Piano Sales Crashed 95%: The Complete Market Analysis Why acoustic piano sales declined from 364,500 annually in 1909 to 17,294 in 2024 — and what it means if you own or want to buy a piano. Industry guide · 2026-09-16 Chinese Pianos with European Names: A Guide to the Global Piano Market Transformation How Chinese manufacturers acquired European piano brands. Explore rebrand, European-affiliated, and OEM models reshaping the global piano industry since 1990s. Ownership models · 2026-09-16 Full Rebrand Model: When European Brand Names Move to Chinese Factories How prestigious European piano brands were rebranded and relocated to Chinese manufacturing. Feurich, Grotrian-Steinweg, Wilhelm Steinberg case studies. Quality model · 2026-09-16 European Affiliated Pianos: The Quality Model European-Affiliated piano model explained. Design remains European, components European-sourced, production in China. Quality standard endorsed by Piano Buyer magazine. Components · 2026-09-16 OEM Model: European Components in Chinese Pianos Understanding OEM piano model. Renner, Röslau, Mapes, Bolduc components in Chinese-made pianos. Component quality doesn't guarantee overall piano quality. Timeline · 2026-09-16 Chinese Piano Manufacturers Timeline: Pearl River, Hailun & Major Acquisitions Complete timeline of Chinese piano manufacturers. Pearl River acquisitions (Ritmüller 1999, Essex production), Hailun growth, Parsons partnerships since 1956. Soviet pianos · 2026-10-04 Soviet Pianos: Factories, Brands & Serial Numbers (1935–2011) Thirty-six Soviet piano brands charted from factory records — from Krasnyi Oktyabr (Leningrad, 1935) to Lira (Moscow, 2011). The factory map, how Soviet serials work, and how to date yours. Data verification · 2026-10-09 Can You Trust Piano Serial Number Tables? Two standard atlases checked against ten factory tables, anchor by anchor: where serial references agree, where they quietly diverge, and how to date a piano with confidence. Global map · 2026-10-12 Where Pianos Are Made Today: The Complete Country Map Where are pianos built in 2026? A country-by-country map of working factories — from China and Japan to Germany, the US and Indonesia — and the famous names that no longer build at home.