Upright Finishes -- Blond Oak and Others

[alzado]

I got an idea to post this when looking at a showcase piano at the local mall.  It was a nice upright in a blond oak finish.  It was a Yamaha.  I did not care much for the look.

Others I have seen are "walnut finish," which is some other wood stained to look like walnut.  Some of these finishes look better than others, but -- alas -- some don't look that good really.

I do tend to like glossy black uprights.  The Yamahas with the big brass brand-name on the fallboard -- in glossy black -- look elegant to me.

Seems to me that the beauty of uprights can vary greatly depending on the finish.

Do the finishes start to differ as one goes to more expensive lines of uprights?

Any opinions or comments?