Right time for grand opening and pianos

A trio of Glendale musicians and business people are hoping to make some money from pianos, but not by playing them.

The three owners of the Central Piano store in Glendale officially opened their doors for sales on Sunday.

“We offer best product, best service and best price,” co-owner Nick Martin said.

Those prices can range from $1,000 to $80,000 depending on the piano maker and the size of the piano. The store carries baby grand to concert size.

For Central Piano owners Vigen Hovanessian, Juliet Ayvazian and Martin, strings and polished wood have been their respective livelihoods and loves for years.

They have over 70 years combined knowledge of the instrument and the business.

“Everybody loves their job,” Hovanessian said.

He’s been tuning and fixing pianos since 1971. After 35 years of working on his feet for four different stores in the area, he said he wants to settle down and be his own boss.

Ayvazian has been in the piano sales business for a little over six years and Martin has been a singer, piano player, teacher and salesman as well as a Glendale resident for over four decades.

“I met Nick, I can’t think of how many years ago,” said Larry Fresch, district sales manager for Geneva International Corp., the main supplier of Central Pianos stock.

Martin worked at a music store in Glendale and became the No. 1 national seller of Petrof pianos, a brand Geneva International Corp. supplies.

“So when things were changing at the store he was working at I really encouraged him to open his own store,” Fresch said.

So he did, and he took his friends along with him. The co-owners of Central Piano have known each other for over 10 years, Hovanessian said.

“It happened that this beautiful store was for lease,” he said. “That’s it. Right time, right movement. I’m very happy because it is a very good location. “

The Central Piano showroom has over 90 pianos in it. If nothing strikes the customers’ fancy, the owners can arrange for it to be ordered.

“We have much more than this,” Martin said. “We can get any piano.”

Central Piano is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at 333 N. Central Ave., Glendale.