Baby Grand

[jenfa]

Hi there,

I have my Yamaha U1 for over 3 years.  I am now looking for a baby grand.  I used to love Yamaha because of it's brightness....now, I am looking for a more mellow voicing.... not as mellow as Petrof.... I tried Vogel (made by Shimmel) and I liked it....but my piano teacher recommend a Yamaha Baby grand....has anyone used a GC1 or GB1? Or any other baby grand???...such as Kawai, Boston, Yamaha, Samick, Vogel....etc.?

[jamie_liszt]

I like Kawai baby grands they are good, the only yamaha baby grand ive played on is at a competition and yes it was also good, i prefer kawai though.

[giuseppe1]

I have  a Yamaha GC1 Disklavier. This is my first acoustic piano, because in the past I have had only digital pianos. I think that the action is very good, not too heavy and not too light, the bass and the treble are satisfactory for a baby grand (better than digital one ofcourse), only the top two octaves are a little bright and thin (compared with digital samples of my old piano). This are my considerations, but I dont have a great experience with acoustic pianos.

[jenfa]

Which Kawai model have you got? What is the price range?  And where it's made?  Thanks!

[intermezzi]

my piano teacher recommend a Yamaha Baby grand....has anyone used a GC1 or GB1? Or any other baby grand???...such as Kawai, Boston, Yamaha, Samick, Vogel....etc.?

If you're looking for a more mellow sound, I might suggest a Yamaha C1 rather than the GC1 or GB1. It's the same size as the GC1, but to me the C1 sounds much more mellow, at least comparing the ones I tried. I think it might be the thicker rim. However, since Yamahas are known to be more on the bright side in general, you may still find a sound you prefer elsewhere.

[Waldszenen]

I'd try to avoid the C1 - they tend to deteriorate faster than other baby grands, at least in my experience.

[quantum]

I'd try to avoid the C1 - they tend to deteriorate faster than other baby grands, at least in my experience.

Is this in regard to a particualr C1 or have you observed this in numerous pianos of this model?

[gruffalo]

how many grands do you get through?

[Waldszenen]

Is this in regard to a particualr C1 or have you observed this in numerous pianos of this model?

Many of them - they're really popular because they're cheap and so I've played heaps of them at school, teacher's houses, conservatoriums and so on.

[jolly]

1. There is no such thing as a baby grand. There are small grands and large grands, but they are all grands.

2. The sun does not rise and fall only on Yamaha. Most, and I do mean most, piano teachers are either ignorant about what all is available on today's market, or they are taking backdoor money and perks from the dealers.

3. In your price range, Eastern European, and Kawai. That's where I would look considering your preference for tone, the former being Vogel, Estonia, Petrof and Bohemia.

[pianorama]

1. There is no such thing as a baby grand. There are small grands and large grands, but they are all grands.

  Small grands are called baby grands. Yes, they are all grands, but a small grand is called a baby grand. A Baby Grand is still a grand, but are called Baby Grands to be more specific.

[jolly]

Small grands are called baby grands. Yes, they are all grands, but a small grand is called a baby grand. A Baby Grand is still a grand, but are called Baby Grands to be more specific.

Please delineate what constitutes a baby grand. Baby grand is simply a selling tactic, much like the term boudior grand. Is it a sub-five footer? Sub-six footer?

And where did the term originate?

[pianorama]

Please delineate what constitutes a baby grand. Baby grand is simply a selling tactic, much like the term boudior grand. Is it a sub-five footer? Sub-six footer?

And where did the term originate?

It doesn't have a definate boundary, but most people (including me) think it's less than 5 or so feet. I don't know where the term originated. I do think it partly is a selling tactic, but wouldn't you rather call smaller grands "baby grands" than a "small grand" or "short grand"?
What's a "boudier grand"?

[alzado]

Jolly writes--

1. There is no such thing as a baby grand. There are small grands and large grands, but they are all grands.

This is just silly.  Take most books describing pianos as instruments and there will be definitions of such terms.

The many small grands, such as a 4' 10" or a 5' 2", would be termed baby grands.

There are obviously going to be mid-sized grands, often referred to as "parlor grands," and so on.

These terms CAN be misused.  For instance, some people will call any grand in a person's private home a "baby grand," even up to 6' 0" or larger.  But this is essentially just ignorance.

Get a book and read the descriptions. 

This isn't rocket science, Jolly.
 

[pianorama]

Jolly writes--

This is just silly.  Take most books describing pianos as instruments and there will be definitions of such terms.

The many small grands, such as a 4' 10" or a 5' 2", would be termed baby grands.

There are obviously going to be mid-sized grands, often referred to as "parlor grands," and so on.

These terms CAN be misused.  For instance, some people will call any grand in a person's private home a "baby grand," even up to 6' 0" or larger.  But this is essentially just ignorance.

Get a book and read the descriptions. 

This isn't rocket science, Jolly.
 

Exactly. That is exactly how I feel too. I assume now that a boudier grand is a larger grand. Am I right?

[pianorama]

I just re-read my 2nd post and I realised it was a bit confusing. I worded it slightly differently now to make it clearer.

[gfiore]

 The French use the term Mignon for a baby grand, and Boudoir for a drawling room, or mid sized grand.