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Home of the one and only Fandrich Vertical Action that plays like a grand.

The Fandrich Vertical Action has been:
  • Featured in a 10 minute spot on CNN in 1992, broadcast 26 times.
  • Featured on Paul Harvey News.
  • Recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as a significant improvement to the piano action.


Fandrich & Sons grand pianos have been chosen:
  • Since 1997 as the piano for the Earshot/Seattle Art Museum "Art of Jazz" concert series.
  • By George Shangrow to sponsor the "Live by George!" show on King FM.
  • By the Garfield High School Jazz band for their concert performances.
  • By the Seattle Center Space Needle for the Bi-Centennial New Year's Eve party.
  • Since 2002 by the Seattle Center House for the Winterfest "Seattle's Best Jazz" concert.
  • By Dave Peck, local jazz pianist, for his first solo CD release party (1998).
  • By Aaron Parks, Northwest "jazz prodigy" (now performing with the Terence Blanchard Quartet), as his personal piano.
  • By Bishop Blanchet High School (Seattle) and Rogers High School (Puyallup) for their performing arts centers.
  • By the Mason County Community Concert Association for their performing hall in Shelton, WA.
  • By The Amadeus Project performance venue and music school (Bellingham, WA).
  • By Skagit Valley College for their performance hall and practice rooms.
  • By the Washington State Music Teachers Association for their annual conference classroom piano (2009, 2010).
  • By Dave Frishberg, internationally known jazz pianist and lyricist, as his personal piano (see comments).
  • By the Anacortes Jazz Festival for their wharf and port warehouse stages.
  • By the following churches:
    • Lakeview Free Methodist (Seattle, WA)
    • Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church (Seattle, WA)
    • Atonement Free Lutheran Church (Arlington, WA)
    • McKenna Community Church (McKenna, WA)
    • First Presbyterian Church (Ellensburg, WA)
    • Trinity Community Lutheran Church (Point Roberts, WA)
    • Maltby Congregational Church (Maltby, WA)
    • Christ Episcopal Church (Seattle, WA)
    • St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Walla Walla, WA)
"When I started looking for a vertical piano I set out to get a good one. First, I read Larry Fine's book cover to cover. Then I went to 15 piano shops in the San Francisco Bay Area and played about 50 pianos from 14 different piano manufacturers. I also used the Internet to ask questions of registered piano technicians on their opinions of the tuning stability, manufacturing quality, serviceability and general opinions of the pianos I had played. Finally, I retained a consultant, the president of the local piano technician's guild, to supplement my musician's-ear approach to evaluating pianos. He told me not to make a decision before going to see Darrell Fandrich's pianos. By far the single most important factor, however, was my own ears. I played many vertical pianos that were over $20,000 that were uneven across the scale. I played many others that, despite the illustrious name on the fallboard, had part but not all of the tonal qualities I was seeking. Basically, at a premium price I could find brightness and tonal clarity or I could find warmth and richness. But I couldn't find both these qualities in one instrument. Until I visited Darrell Fandrich. I chose the 49" Wilhelm Steinberg vertical piano outfitted with the Fandrich & Sons action. I found this piano to have a superb action, very smooth scale and a sound that integrated the best of the European clarity and American warmth that I had been seeking. I didn't make this decision on price, but I was pleased that the piano that really made my heart sing was less than half the price of what the instruments I was comparing it to sell for. I was also very impressed with the 6'11" Fandrich & Sons grand. I have played many, many Steinway B series grands over the years. (In fact, it has also been 20+ years since I played a really good New York Steinway.) But the Fandrich & Sons grand had it. It had the same kind of singing lyricism as a really good New York Steinway prepped right. I was thrilled. And to think that this piano sells for $26,000! If I had the room in my house for a grand I would have taken the piano home with me right then. My advice to other piano shoppers is that Fandrich & Sons pianos are targeted at a particular segment of piano buying population; Those that:

1. Have good enough ears to recognize a really good instrument when they see it
2. Are driven more by musical considerations than those of status aka 'fallboard fixation'
3. Are not sufficiently wealthy to eliminate price from being an issue to which they pay attention

If you find yourself in the same category as I then you owe it to yourself to try out Fandrich & Sons pianos and let your ears be the judge. I flew all the way from San Francisco and am delighted I did."


-- Terry Tippie
Contact information available upon request.