Because of their durable finishes and lower production costs (thanks to computer automation), foreign manufacturers put many of the American piano builders out of business. By the end of the 1970s, piano sales in the US were again approaching pre-war levels with nearly 290,000 pianos sold – thanks to the influx of brighter, shiny-black pianos mass-produced in Japan and South Korea.
Two world wars took their toll on the American piano industry, but sales peaked again in the 1950s with over 240,000 pianos sold. American demand for pianos was at its highest point with over 350,000 pianos sold each year. If we go back to the early 1900s (during what many call “The Golden Age of the Piano”), we would find nearly 400 piano builders in the U.S. In the early 1900s, America was home to over 400 piano builders.
