www.musictrades.com
The Synergy Of
Old And New
Connecticut retailer Shawn’s Piano blends repairs, restorations, and
new instrument sales into a distinctive and flourishing business
I
Photo by Paul Aresu, New York, NY.
ndustry pundits exhort retailers to “be different, be better” than their competition. At once obvious and vague,
this counsel is often frustratingly harder to execute than
it seems: better and different how? Located in West
Hartford, Connecticut, Shawn’s Piano provides a compelling
example of how one retailer parlayed exceptional talents and
a strong, distinctive identity into a highly profitable business
strategy.
Tucked into an unassuming industrial park, Shawn’s Piano
occupies three buildings: a 4,000-square-foot piano restoration workshop; a 4,500-square-foot warehouse for vintage
instruments; and a 4,000-square-foot two-floor showroom. Its
retail operation is anchored by a large selection of Ritmüller
and Pearl River pianos, but it also typically offers more than
two dozen vintage Steinways and Mason & Hamlins and a
handful of other used instruments. Piano repairs and restora-
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM SEPTEMBER 2006 ISSUE OF THE MUSIC TRADES
THE PIANO MARKET
sundry collectibles
tions account for
including a 1954
25% of Shawn’s
Mercedes 300B, a
revenue, but they
1939 La Salle, and
play an even larger
a painted wooden
role in the busicarousel
horse,
ness’s appeal to its
circa 1904.
customers,
even
In 1981, two days
those
interested
before
Eddie
only in purchasing
DiPillo died, Hoar
a new instrument.
had suggested that
The first step on
their
business’s
Shawn
Hoar’s
future was in makcareer path—and
ing their own
coincidentally
a
soundboards. In
formative early lespursuit of this
son in customer
vision, Hoar tapped
service—came
the knowledge of
when, at 17, he
soundboard spesought to buy his
cialist
Wally
first piano. “When
Brooks, “another
the salesmen determined I didn’t have A separate restoration facility includes a humidity-controlled work area, a great craftsman.”
much money, they state-of-the-art paint booth, a custom glue press, and a heat/convection room He later designed
to “cure” newly constructed soundboards. Above, owner Shawn Hoar shapes
and built custom
didn’t want to talk the ribs for a 1903 Steinway. Photo by Paul Aresu, New York, NY.
tooling, and proto me,” he recalls.
duced his first replacement soundboard in 1986.
But then Goss Piano owner Eddie DiPillo recommended a
Time, dedication, and an insatiable passion for pianos transwell-worn Baldwin Howard grand and even granted his young
formed Hoar into an internationally known expert on piano
customer’s request to watch him work on the instrument.
restoration. It was at a 2001 Piano Technicians Guild confer“Hanging around” DiPillo’s shop evolved into an apprenticeence, where he’d been invited to conduct a class on tools and
ship. Five years later DiPillo died suddenly, leaving four distechnology in piano rebuilding, that he became acquainted
assembled grand pianos to Hoar, a still-green apprentice with
with Ritmüller pianos. “I didn’t know anything about the
no mentor. Ignoring a lawyer’s advice to “lock the door and
brand or even the instruments’ country of origin,” he says.
walk away” from the business, Hoar gave the customers a
“But I was instantly impressed with the attention to detail—
choice of having their instruments returned to them—in
the outstanding finish on the cast iron plate, the plating on the
pieces, in a box—or paying him to complete their restoration.
bolt heads, the precision of the bridge and the bridge notching,
All four took their chances on the apprentice-cum-craftsman,
the stringing, the finish. When someone told me it was made
and within a year Hoar had justified their trust.
in China, I was amazed.”
Hoar launched Shawn’s Piano in
Initially interested in selling only
1981. While his technical skills
the Ritmüller line, Hoar learned that
were still developing, his knack “All new pianos need a little
another Connecticut retailer had lost
for customer relations, already
honed by handling all of DiPillo’s love. Selling pianos out of the its Pearl River dealership, so he took
on the Pearl River line as well. “I
calls, began paying off as he start- box is selling merchandise. I
was happy to get it,” he says. “It’s a
ed buying and selling used pianos.
different price range that compleAfter expanding the original Goss sell musical instruments.”
ments the Ritmüllers really well.”
Piano location into a custom
After uncrating his modest first order of two grands and three
rebuilding shop, Hoar moved in 1989 to its current, much
uprights, Hoar examined the instruments “top to bottom,
larger, Newfield Avenue location, which is staffed by three
inside and out.” Once again amazed at their quality, he envifull-time and five part-time employees. A $10,000 German
sioned that the brands could open the door to a new set of cuschandelier dominates the elegant main showroom. Smaller
tomers. “Most of the restored Steinways we sell are $55,000
main- and mezzanine-level showrooms allow Hoar to demonto $80,000,” he notes. “How many customers can afford
strate pianos in spaces acoustically comparable to the music
them? I was walking in circles for months, thinking about how
room in each customer’s home. Paintings and a few antiques
this line was going to change my life.”
provide tasteful accents throughout. The separate restoration
Although Shawn’s was doing well with a subsequent order of
facility includes a humidity-controlled work area, a state-of20 pianos, Hoar’s wife suggested that he might be “getting a
the-art paint booth, a custom glue press, and a heat/convection
little excited” when he ordered 50 more. “But you have to
room to used to “cure” newly constructed soundboards. The
make a statement,” he stresses. “You can’t sell out of an empty
vintage warehouse accommodates venerable older instrucart. Also, when a discriminating customer is looking at [for
ments, mostly Steinways to be restored by Hoar, along with
come from Pennsylvania and
example] 7' Ritmüllers, I feel
New England, but some have
like I have to have at least five
come from as far away as
instruments for them to choose
California. He does special
from.”
soundboard work for a couple
Are customers looking at
of longtime out-of-state retailbrands known best for their
er clients, but no other repairs
affordability that discriminator restoration for local coming? Hoar, without hesitation,
petitors, retaining that distindeclares, “My customers are.
guishing service exclusively
Ritmüller and Pearl River
for Shawn’s Piano.
pianos are not entry-level
In a business where the cusinstruments. They’re much,
tomer’s trust is key, his
much better than their price
renown as a restorer and
suggests. I don’t know how
craftsman lends enormous
Pearl River does it...but I have
authority to his judgment of
an idea: They’ve adopted all of
the new pianos he sells as
the best technology in piano
well. “My workshop can also
making. For example, they’ve
be my showroom,” he says.
engineered a straight damper
wire system, which is fantastic. Shawn Hoar demonstrates the magnificent tone of a “Some of my customers
aren’t interested, but a lot of
In a piano factory, damper newly restored 1914 Steinway A.
them want some kind of a tour
bending is one of the most
of the workshop and the vintage wareword of mouth from satisfied cusdemanding, highest-paid jobs. The use
house as well as the showroom.”
tomers, some result from networking
of straight damper wires eliminates the
Back in the showroom, Hoar points out
with other members of the Piano
need for that relatively expensive manPearl River’s construction and quality
Technicians Guild. One particularly
ufacturing process. And beyond a numcontrol details that customers may not
memorable restoration project involved
ber those kinds of design choices, [the
otherwise notice. “I’ll try to explain the
a 1913 Steinway Duo-Art pneumatic
company’s] execution is fantastic.”
more complex concepts, but I’ll start by
player grand with a Circassian walnut
When word got out that Hoar’s retail
showing them the things they can see
cabinet. When Hoar took the restored
operation was thriving, he received
and easily relate to—the plate work, the
instrument “on tour” as a Piano
offers from several major manufacturers
finish quality, the screw heads, the
Technicians Guild exhibit, colleagues
to carry their lines. “It was flattering,”
stringing. I’ll say, ‘You may not know
told him he’d never sell it, but he got a
he admits, “but I didn’t want to be comwhat you’re looking at, but I’m a
call from the CEO of the Discovery
peting against myself, since I was
stringer; look at how neat all these coils
Channel, who wanted something spealready very successful with Pearl River
are…’ Then I’ll move on to
and Ritmüller. Also, a number of
the notched bridges and pull
veteran dealers have come to see
out the actions.”
what I’m doing, and they admitHoar has found that encourted that they regret having too
aging his customers to closely
many lines.” Another facet of
inspect the pianos helps offset
this focus is a relative freedom
seeds of doubt planted by
from head-to-head competitors.
some of his competitors.
Though there is one other Pearl
“They warn customers to
River dealer in Connecticut,
beware of pianos from China,
Shawn’s Piano is the state’s only
but they don’t tell them that
Ritmüller dealer.
many of the parts in so-called
At Shawn’s Piano, old and new
American-made pianos—not
instrument worlds don’t merely
to mention full instruments
co-exist; they interact, in different ways, to benefit both the In addition to a variety of restored Steinways, Mason & with famous brand names—
owner and his customers. On the Hamlins, and other instruments, the vintage warehouse are also made in China. All
most basic level, repairs and currently accommodates a 1954 Mercedes 300B, a 1939 pianos need work, but somerestorations provide a steady La Salle, and a turn-of-the-century painted wooden times the more expensive ones
need more work, because their
source of revenue. “To be a suc- carousel horse.
manufacturers rely on the
cessful piano retailer,” Hoar
value of their brand to sell their instrucial for one of his new homes. “Once he
explains, “you can’t have to sell a piano
ments rather than true quality construcdetermined that he could get a library
every day. Working with my hands, I
tion and materials. Pearl River and
for it,” says Hoar, “he bought it.”
can always make a living.” Also, though
Ritmüller tend to have far less material
Most of Hoar’s restoration instruments
most of the store’s sales begin with
THE PIANO MARKET
Shawn’s Piano owner Shawn Hoar in his elegant two-level showroom.
substitution than some more familiar,
more expensive brands.”
Some aspects of his new instruments’
perfect set-ups reflect Hoar’s care and
attention. “All new pianos need a little
love,” he says. “Sometimes I go into the
most upscale piano dealers and I get nauseous; their pianos are out of tune, their
action is sluggish, they’re out of regulation, they’re not voiced right…. Selling
pianos out of the box is selling merchandise. I sell musical instruments.”
Hoar has a great respect for Steinway
pianos, especially the older ones, and he
lavishes great attention on restoring vintage instruments’ faded glory. (Hoar’s
local piano business friends say, ‘Once
Shawn rebuilds a Steinway, it’s no
a
longer
a
Steinway—it’s
“Shawnway.”’”) However, he recognizes that there are many people who
simply can’t afford a Steinway but
want—and deserve—to play a high-
quality instrument. Moreover, his reverence for great old instruments doesn’t
cross the line into generalizing that all
old instruments are great or, conversely,
all new instruments are inferior.
“Paying $50,000 doesn’t guarantee that
you’ll get a great piano,” he says. “The
recipe for making a great handmade
piano is very difficult. The great chefs
do it right every time; the good ones do
it only some of the time. I see something special in many pre-war instruments that I don’t see in most new ones.
But I also see something special in the
current Pearl River and Ritmüller
instruments, a special attention to detail
and quality, a passion.”
The unique character of Shawn’s Piano
is defined by the daily interaction of
new piano sales and restorations. As
further testament to the appeal of his
new piano lines and his ability to represent them, Hoar can cite numerous
cases of customers trading in a vintage
Steinway for a new Ritmüller. One he
recalls with particular fondness was an
89-year-old woman whose piano technician told her that her 1915 Steinway
A, resplendent with a Circassian walnut
cabinet, would take about a year to
rebuild. “She said she might not have
that long, so she traded it for a new
Ritmüller grand. When her family got
upset with her decision, she decided
they were so greedy, they weren’t even
going to inherit the Ritmüller!”
“Restoring a piano is a labor of love,”
Hoar says. “A [full] ‘beam-up’ restoration takes 700 to 1,000 hours, but I love
it. I’ll never give it up. But all of my
customers are of the same importance.
I’m as excited about selling a Pearl
River piano to a family as I am about
selling a fully-restored Steinway,
because in some cases it will be the only
piano they ever own.”