Musings from Colin Makin

We have all heard of Beethoven and Mozart, and many of us have even played the great music that they have created. However, did you know that these musical geniuses had a more than interesting career in their short lifetimes? Here are some interesting facts about our classical pianist heroes you might not know. Beethoven Beethoven’s birth year is...

This is what I think you need to know before buying a new or used piano. Try, Try and try as many pianos as you can. Discover your own musical heroes before deciding on a piano - try different piano brands, test out the various styles, sizes, and ages to appreciate the different timbres. Take your time and don’t buy the first piano available,...

Mass-produced pianos sometimes come in for criticism, and often with good reason. As with most generalisations though, there are exceptions to the rule. We first began to stock Kawai pianos in the 1970s and hold them in high regard. They offer an excellent performance to cost ratio; in other words, they are great value for money. The company was...

I mentioned previously that we had acquired a beautiful old Blüthner grand piano which originally belonged to the musical Hess family. For aficionados of Blüthners, it was a ‘style 8’ in rosewood from around the year 1904. The grand piano was much loved and had consequently received a huge amount of use over the years. We had earmarked this...

‘Lads, build good pianos and the rest will take care of itself’ This was the advice given by Wilhelm Grotrian to his sons when considering how best to secure the future of his fledgling company of piano builders, Grotrian-Steinweg. It was certainly sound advice, and has seen the company thrive since its foundation in 1835. We are great fans of...

I’ve previously mentioned my tremendous appreciation of Steingraeber pianos - I rate these instruments very highly indeed. I recently received a visit from the owner of the piano company, Udo Steingraeber and chatting to him about the history of Steingraeber pianos was fascinating. I thought this might be a good opportunity briefly to outline...

I often receive visitors from overseas, and showing them around Edinburgh is something I really enjoy. There are so many things of interest to show them, it’s difficult to know where to start. A particular favourite of mine is the National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street. I recently had the pleasure of a visit from Udo Steingraeber, the...

Makin Pianos business has been active on the piano scene in Edinburgh since 1931. The city has changed a great deal over the years, and continues to do so. It’s also become very much busier. Back in 1973, we moved the piano business from a small basement premises in Dundas Street to our present location in Summer Place in Edinburgh. Although only...

Kawai’s flagship upright, the K-800 AS has arrived at Makin in Edinburgh! We’ve been patiently waiting for it to arrive ever since we first saw it in Frankfurt in March. Frankfurt is home to the annual “Musikmesse”, one of the world’s largest musical instrument fairs. That’s where Kawai chose to unveil their finest upright pianos. I was knocked...

Pianos have taken me to some fairly far-flung places over the years. This is absolutely fine by me, because travel is something I really enjoy. Most of my trips have been within the UK of course, particularly in the years when the UK still had a piano manufacturing industry. I know the town of Milton Keynes rather well, for example! Possibly the...

Born and bred in Edinburgh, it’s a city I’ve come to love. One of my favourite places to visit is the Royal Botanic Garden, usually referred to by regulars as the ‘Botanics’. The garden was established in 1670 and is as relevant in today’s world as it was then – perhaps more so. It truly has something to offer at any time of year and is a...

I mentioned recently that Petrof were currently celebrating their 150th anniversary of manufacturing upright and grand pianos. To mark the occasion, the company has produced a special limited edition run of 50 instruments. It’s based on the Model 125, probably their most popular and successful upright piano. The piano was introduced to the trade...

I’ve just returned from a very interesting trip to visit the Petrof piano factory in the Czech Republic. The factory is situated in the historic city of Hradec Králóve, around 70 miles east of Prague. The occasion was Petrof’s 150th anniversary of manufacturing upright and grand pianos. To have reached this milestone is a considerable...

Before heading to Frankfurt, we’d heard good things about Kawai’s new flagship upright piano, the K-800 AS. So much so, we decided to take the plunge and place the first UK order for this model before even trying it out. It’s being launched here at Frankfurt, and now that I’ve seen it “in the flesh” I am delighted to report that everything I’d...

It’s March, and I’m on a Lufthansa Airbus at 31,000 feet out of Edinburgh. Is it really twelve months since I last visited the Frankfurt world fair for musical instruments – the Musikmesse? Apparently so… I love to keep up to date with what’s going on in the world of musical instruments (particularly pianos, of course.) This means I can keep my...

We’ve just taken a new Grotrian-Steinweg grand into stock and it is awesome! It’s the Model “Cabinet” which is 192cm (6’3”) in length. I saw examples of this instrument when I was over visiting the factory in Braunschweig, Germany. It’s the most popular of the range as it offers probably the best trade-off between size and cost – it’s certainly...

Mention upright pianos, and for many people thoughts turn to that old wooden box situated in a corner of their grandparent’s home. Often little used, but always much loved, pianos are frequently handed down from one generation to the next. It’s not surprising then that the piano is often looked upon as a member of the family. When making home...

Last week, I received a telephone call from a charming lady looking to sell an old Blüthner grand piano in Edinburgh. A suitable viewing time was arranged and I thought no more of it. On the day, I felt foolish when I realised I had been speaking to Andrea Hess, daughter of the late Günter Hess. This old Blüthner belonged to the highly musical...