This is crazy, but oh well: Grands that cost about the same as Yamaha U3

[invictus]

Does anyone have any suggestions for grands that are not too crappy, but at about an average quality, with price bracket at about a Yamaha U3? Just curious about cheaper and yet great grands.

Preferably with stiffer action too

[zheer]

You will get what you pay for. The more you pay the better the piano.

[deja vu]

Invictus. You took the name before I could! I wanted to be "invictus". it's latin for "unconquered". Which I suppose you must know.

Did you get it from the poem? or are you just well versed in latin?

[invictus]

Its from the poem and from latin

most other forums have invictus used (damn)
so I just use a variant, Invictious on several other forums, which you guys might recognize.

I don't think that the more you pay for, the better you get. It is especially true for some cases, like yamahas, you dont pay a lot, but you still get a piano that you can use for the next 10 years which you can bear with, besides the amzingly light key action

[gorbee natcase]

https://www.markgoodwinpianos.co.uk/piano/mg144-bechstein-v-grand-piano.php

take a look here 

[jolly]

You get what you pay for.

No, in many cases you don't, IMNSHO.

Pianos are manufactured products. If you are wise enough, and lucky enough to catch a less well known product on it ascension curve, you can many times buy more piano than you can with a mature brand...an example would be Estonia, or perhaps Vogel at the present time.  Conversely, a manufacturer can sometimes take a well-known design and do a crappy job of building the piano...an example would be the Aeolian M&Hs.

The question posed is a very good one, considering the old equation of 1:3 in terms of build equality and cost in pianos (to get an equivalent build grand, you have to pay 3 times as much). I don't think the old equation applies to the burgeoning market of Asian pianos.

Look at the Chinese, and look very hard. Nordiska is doing some very interesting things in its entry level grands this year after NAMM. Look at the Indonesian products, especially some of the Samick stuff. 

[yoshiki]

Invictus, you live in Hong Kong right?
I am also from Hong Kong and I only have a Yamaha U1. I personally doesn't like it, i want a grand too
But I have no choice, this was the piano my parents bought me.
Furthermore, you wouldn't have space for a grand piano in Hong Kong (i assume you live in appartments as well unless you are very rich) and a grand piano will be way too loud for your neighbours too!
I guess to answer your question, you need to consider a pearl river.
I wish i live in the US.

[invictus]

Heh, pearl rivers, i guess i can make a better one by hand making
some are an exception though

Yes i do live in an apartment, sadly, wish I was in canada, where i used to be.

[jolly]

How about a very small grand, albeit with a very good action?

There is a new Petrof coming out, the VI...if rumors are true.

https://www.armleg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=790&mforum=pianosinc

[invictus]

Well for such a small grand, the volume and sustain is obviously going to suffer.

I just want a cheap, average grand at the cost of U3 (sounds simple huh). How good are Steinbechs? They seem pretty cheap and great.