After decades of waiting, I finally became able to purchase a piano a little over a year ago. I thought the decision would be fairly straightforward - I basically only knew of Steinway in the high-end market and figured I'd simply choose the biggest piano I could afford. I became quickly frustrated by the industry's absurdly opaque pricing and flabbergasted upon realizing just how expensive new instruments are. I was also initially blind to the significance and complexities of dealer preparation. The combination of poor dealer preparation and comically high prices had me questioning my sanity and made me realize that this would end up being a much more complex and difficult decision than I had originally imagined.
It's now been over a year, and I've only just settled on a rebuilt instrument (at a much higher price than I initially envisioned). I'll find out in a few months, once the rebuild is complete, if I made the right decision.
How long did it take you to find your instrument?