Good type/price for upright piano to teach on?

[lagin]

Hi, I have a good grand piano for when I start teaching advanced students or do recitals.  The problem is, is that it's right in the middle of my living room, and I'm getting new carpet soon.  So to avoid, little kids tracking in dirt, especially in the summer, and having to clean everytime I teach , I'm thinking of buying an upright and setting up a more studio-like environment downstairs.  This would be less distracting for the kids too I think, and then my material can be closer at hand.  So I'm wondering what type/price I should be looking at.  I want it to be fairly good, as I'm teaching on it, but it doesn't have to be incredibly fancy because I have the grand upstairs if I need to go fancy for whatever reason.  What would be a good teaching piano, and what would be a good price?  I realize this might turn into a highly opinionated thread, but I could use some (oppinions that is).  Thanks.

[jeremyjchilds]

First of all what price?

I have good answers for you for

$1000
$3000
$5000
$7500
$10000

I just don't want to do all the typing untill I know...

[lagin]

Under $3,000 would be good.  Under $2,000 would be better .  I am open to spending more if I have to as I'm planning to make teaching my life-long career.  Someone is offering me a 43 inch Kawai in excellant condition for $1,600, but 43 inches seems a little small?  Oh, and I was wondering, Jeremy, since you know about this stuff, if the sound board (whatever that is) is cracked, is that really bad?  And how much does it cost to fix it if it is?  (Don't worry, it's not the Kawai--it's another I'm looking at).  I read the "good upright for teaching" thread and found it very imformative, too, btw.  Should I get one from the paper?  Is that a dangerous way to go, or is it an okay way to make a good find?  I was in a music store yesterday and all the new uprights were around $8,000!  Is that alot?  They were mainly Yamahas.  When I played the used uprights, it sounded like the strings were rattling around and there were lots of overtones which turned me off.  I'm not sure which route to go--used or new?  Yamaha/Kawai or german make?  Music store or private home?  Whatever route I do go, I'll be in debt to my parents, so I'm definately looking for the best deal for the cheapest price, but I am aware that "the best deal" might not be able to come with a cheap price.  Really, any information you have for me would be welcome, from anyone who knows a thing or two.  Thanks.

[ranakor]

all over 8000? i'd think only the hightest end yamaha (U5) actually sells for that much (& theyr lowest models prolly start at  <3000 so if everything was >8K it was prolly msrp & they prolly only show highter end pianos

edit : as for the soundboard being cracked i don't even own an accoustic piano (stuck on digital for now due to $$$) so take my advice for the little it's worth but from what i've read yes it's a big problem if it actually is cracked (not micro crack but actual big visible cracks) dunno on the repair costs tho but if it's ruined i think you need to change it & that costs quite a lot

[jeremyjchilds]

Under $3,000 would be good.  Under $2,000 would be better .  I am open to spending more if I have to as I'm planning to make teaching my life-long career.  Someone is offering me a 43 inch Kawai in excellant condition for $1,600, but 43 inches seems a little small?  Oh, and I was wondering, Jeremy, since you know about this stuff, if the sound board (whatever that is) is cracked, is that really bad?  And how much does it cost to fix it if it is?  (Don't worry, it's not the Kawai--it's another I'm looking at).  I read the "good upright for teaching" thread and found it very imformative, too, btw.  Should I get one from the paper?  Is that a dangerous way to go, or is it an okay way to make a good find?  I was in a music store yesterday and all the new uprights were around $8,000!  Is that alot?  They were mainly Yamahas.  When I played the used uprights, it sounded like the strings were rattling around and there were lots of overtones which turned me off.  I'm not sure which route to go--used or new?  Yamaha/Kawai or german make?  Music store or private home?  Whatever route I do go, I'll be in debt to my parents, so I'm definately looking for the best deal for the cheapest price, but I am aware that "the best deal" might not be able to come with a cheap price.  Really, any information you have for me would be welcome, from anyone who knows a thing or two.  Thanks.

If you want the cheapest possible, then go with a massive old moster upright from the 1905-1915 period. Here is what I previously wrote about these pianos...:

For under $1500, your absolute best bet is to buy a huge old upright built between 1905-1915, provided it is in good shape. Having said that, keep in mind that there are also a lot of deteriorated pianos (these are worth 150-250 dollars) Some things to keep in mind when trying some pianos out
1) owned in a consistent climate
2) Make sure that it has not had a poor re-keytopping job. if the tech was careless, the keys were probably not surfaced properly, and the thicker plastic tops will make the keys too tall (check for proper key dip, black keys should not dip below white keys)
3)Strike the low octave firmly. A wooly muffled sould indicates tired old strings (you do not want to pay for a re-stringing)
4) run your hands over the tops of the hammers with light pressure, feel for any side to side play which indicates loose center pins.
5) If possible, look for cracks in the  pinblock (very serious)
6) play a high reble note repeatedly (40-60X) quickly to check for pin bushings that swell with friction heat (repitition will be compromised)
7) Have a tech come with you if the piano has passed all of these tests, for a finaltest to check for regulation progblems

If you want to spend more...then the next thing I would recommend is a Yamaha upright (probably a U1) from 15-25 years ago. You could probably get something in this range for about 2-3k. Just know that the sound quality will leave a lot to be desired (in general...Don't flame me all you Yamaha lovers) You can use the same basic checks on a piano from this era.

As for your cracked soundboard concern...it all depends on how much money the piano is worth. On any piano under 2000 dollars, I would consider it a non issue, unless the crack is either very wide, interfering with bridge function, or rubbing the adjacent side and producing annoying vibrations or buzzings. On a cheap piano, I usually advise to buy a roll of high quality clear packaging tape, and tape the crack together from the least visible side. (or both)

I think people are so hung up on cracked soundboards because they confuse it with a cracked pinblock. A cracked pinblock is very bad news, and usully spells the end of the life of the instrument.

My advice is to play as many different instruments as possible to see what you like and dislike. You cannot simply make judgements based on brand, as there has been so much variation between production runs. You need to make judgements based in the particular.

Hope this helps, If you have any other questions, please just ask!