What kind of piano do you have?

[janice]

Hey everyone!  I'm curious, what kind of piano do you have?  I have a Kawai grand (I love it!!!)  Before that, I had  Mason & Hamlin console (loved that too!!!)

I know that I've asked this question a week or two ago, but I wrote it in with a bunch of other stuff, so it's in a different category.  So I'll do it right this time!

[MzrtMusic]

Well, I have a 6"1' Young Chang grand piano. Before that, I had a very nasty Bachmann digital thing that was ancient, and only good for getting sounds out of. You could forget about dynamics and phrasing, etc. It was ASFUL

[dinosaurtales]

Well, you lucky dogs!  I currently have a small 35-year-old Baldwin acrosonic (not sure what that means, really - just the model name I guess).  I guess it's a spinet size - small for sure.  Decent little action, tolerable sound.  It's looking like it's going to need some work, though - keys lay somewhat unevenly, could be a bunch of things.  I am shopping for a grand piano.  House was designed for it.  It's on the lifetime list.  Must be time.   I've been posting on the 7-foot grand topic to get input, but replies here would work. I don't mind spending money on it, but there are SO-O-O  many to choose from - and good ones, too!  I'm having a blast (meanwhile I save $) trying them out, and it wilkl be difficult to actually pick one.  But I guess that's the problem to have, right?

[ludwig]

Recently I bought a K.Kawai KG-6C. I don't know much about this kind of grands, but it sounds really good. Is this a good piano anyone know? Before that I had a little upright that was a German+Chinese piano. It was cheap but sounded okay too.

[MzrtMusic]

DinosaurTales, if you are really looking for a top of the line piano, then go for a Bosendorfer!!!!! Man... I've shopped in 7 states for my piano, and that was by far the nicest!!! I little out of my price range.... Anyway. As far as what kind of piano to buy, I love the yOung Changs, and the Webers are also nice. If you like older pianos, then Baldwin made a nice piano, but I don't like the action on their newer ones. I played a couple of nice Samiks, but they were kinda pick and choose, and I don't really like the Yamahas unless they are the conservatory models. Anyway. There is my bit of advice based on a year of piano shopping!!!

Good luck!

Sarah

[sary2106]

Well, I used to have Baldwin Acrosonic spinnet too. Coincidence, DinosaurTales?!   Maybe you bought my old piano!!! It needed serious work, like the piano tuner said there really wasn't a point in having it tuned, because the pins needed replaced or something.... Anyway, now I have a Yamaha 5'2 baby grand... I really like the sound and the action. I like a few Baldwin's and I like the concert grand Steinway's. I've never played a Kawai, as far as I can remember, but I'm applying to a college that has a lot of Kawai's. Can someone give an in-depth idea of what it's like to play one? Thanks!

Sarah  

[janice]

This is SO awesome!  Sary 2106, you were wondering about Kawai pianos (I still adore mine!) and you said that you have a Yamaha.  Well, I found an article just the other day that compares Kawai's to Yamaha's!  It's a great site.  It's really neat, because it is written in terms that non-musical people understand, which describes 99% of piano buyers, right?!  Anyway, go to www.pianofinders.com/index.  Scroll dowm to 'Japanese Pianos', then go to the article 'Yamaha & Kawai' (it's at the top).  It is really detailed.  Hop you enjoy it!  
Peace,
Janice
                                             

[robert_henry]

I own a Baldwin upright.  

I also have a kimball upright for sale on ebay.

Robert Henry

[dinosaurtales]

Okay I need help.  I went to pianofinders and got a heading but no detail on the page.  If I click on any of the options on the header I still get a blank page.  Is there a trick to this site? :-/

[janice]

Ok, Dinosaur Tales, hold on about 10 minutes or so and I'll try to find it again myself, ok?  Hang on!--Janice

[janice]

 Thanks for waiting!  go to:  pianofinders.com/index.html

(Here's the part I left out)
there is a row of words at the top.  Click on word 'index'

There will be a long list--click on "Japanese Pianos"

This will take you to a new page.  Now click on "Japanese Pianos:  Kawai and Yamaha"

Don't be offended because I spelled it out like you are a two year old or something!  I finally broke down and got a computer about a year ago, and I truly needed people to spell it out for me.  I mean, I didn't even know what a 'monitor' was!  I made everybody call it a 'screen' so I wouldn't get confused!  Write back if you still have trouble, ok?--Janice

[dinosaurtales]

Ah ha!  I think it was a browser issue.  I bomb out toally on Netscape, but MS internet explorer seems to get me there!  Thanks for the help!  I'll see what they have!

[phykell]

I have a Steinway Model D circa 1920, in rosewood, built in Hamburg.

Yesterday it was taken away to be fully restored and I'm expecting it back in no less than 3 months!

It's taken a while to find someone that can do the work to the necessary standard and the type of finish I require. I love modern acrylic high-gloss finishes but I felt it wouldn't be appropriate for a piano like mine becasue of the age. To me they tend to look like they've been "dipped" in plastic. For this reason, I've chosen to have the piano finished entirely in French Polish just like it was from the factory all those decades ago.

I'm now suffering a sort of emptiness because my piano's gone away for so long, but I'm really looking forward to having it back as it should potentially be one of the finest instruments around.

[Fotios_Darcey]

I have a Yamaha grand C5 and its very nice to play.
The only piano I would rather have is a Bosendorfer
Concert Grand which is in my opinion "the bees knees"
of pianos.

Some of you who love Steinways etc will always beg to differ with me but just try a magnificent Bosendorfer Imperial (extra octave in black on your left) and you will be converted.

Yours Sincerely

FD

[SteveK]

Hi Everyone!  I have a boston-Steinway upright! It's 3 years old. I heard they were made by Kawai under Steinway specs!  My next piano hopefully will be the Steinway grand!!  Of course, Bosendorfer, Yamaha, Baldwin, and Bluthner pianos are okay too!!!    

[dinosaurtales]

Hey, man!  How do you like that Boston?  I am dying to know if the ones in the PSU practice rooms suck because they get treated like hell, or if they just suck.  On these the actions are so bad, the key return is S-o-o-o-o slow that the keys stay down too long to do any repeated notes or even trills!  Is yours like that, or did we get a bunch of duds?

[SteveK]

Hi there!!

I practice at least 3-5 hours a day on my Boston upright!     It's not a dud!     The action is great, and the only thing I wish I would have is more sound!  For now it's OK because I can not fit a bigger piano ,I have a SMALL room!!!!!!!    
I have broken a few strings and they needed to be fixed, but Steinway was very nice about it and replaced them in the beginning!!!  The last string they told me I had to pay for!!!!      The tuner I have is very nice and also reasonable!    

[SteveK]

BTW: what does PSU stand for?

[dinosaurtales]

Portland State university.  They are in downtown Portland, Oregon,  They have a music department and a bunch of practice rooms.  Since I work downtown I took oiut a practice room key to practice on my lunch hours.  We are between terms now - no more key.  

[SteveK]

Oh I see !!! I live in NY

[dinosaurtales]

I have heard from several people now that like their Bostons, so I suspect that these folks just let theirs "go".  They love to tout "budget problems" out here, so it's probably another excuse for not taking care of them.  What part of NY are you from?  I went to school in Syracuse. I've always wanted to go to the city, but never got there.

[SteveK]

Hi DinosaurTales!

I'm from Ellenville NY! It's between Kingston and Middletown! I'm in the Catskill/Hudson Valley area! We also have some family in the New York City area! I was in Westchester County yesterday! The last time I was in Manhattan was July! We saw someone important who I played for! Hopefully, something good will come up from it!! I've never been to Syracuse, but I've been to Lake George and Albany!

[STS]

To reply to FD,

I have a Yamaha grand piano that is 6'.  I like the sound overall.  I have, however played the Bosendorfer Imperial 9'6" grand piano, and while it is has a decent sound, it lacks in dynamic range and the tone, isn't as full as the Steinway D.   I have played on Bosendorfers from time to time on many occaisons, so I can attest to the greatness of the Steinway piano, which I love, particularly most of the New York models.  

But I can understand that there are those who like Bosendorfer.  It's really a matter of personal preference.  I do note that most people who like Bosendorfers are used to the Yamaha sound and love it.  

I think Bosendorfers are solid pianos overall.  I just have much more affinity towards the Steinway piano.

HC

[dinosaurtales]

Where on EARTH do get opportunities to play on Bosendorfers?  The ONLY reason I got to play on one was bvecause I am actually shoppiong for pianos and one of the dealers in town has them.  They are goofballs, though, and the only major dealer in town is a Steinway dealer.  Problem is they don't deal.  They tend to get full retail price because nobody shops around.  They all just go to Moes and order a Steinway.  Don't get me wrong, I like Steinways, they are just way more money out here than other high quality pianos that I might like just as much.  I know what you mean about the Bosendorfers.  I don't play much Mozart and Haydn any more, or I would probably like it better.  I like a slightly darker tone, stronger bass.  

[mahavishnu]

Hi!  My teacher (PhD) has a August Forrester (Sp?) and says he likes it better than the Steinways.   They are an European high-quality piano and because of the exchange rate if you live in Canada or U.S. you can probably get them alot cheaper than they are worth!  

[STS]

There is one dealer within reasonable driving distance that sells Bosendorfers and Faziolis.  And a Steinway is a real bargain compared to the Bosendorfer.  The Bosendorfer is almost twice the price of a comparable Steinway in size.

Plus, I know places that have Bosendorfers, so I have plenty of experience on them to comment about them.  But you should just follow your heart.  Most people prefer Steinways, but some like the Bosendorfer.  I happen to prefer the Steinway.  

[dinosaurtales]

well, the short list is:  Fazioli, Forster, Bluthner, and, of course, Steinway.  Don't know how the sroty will end, though.  Depends on how prices land, and whether I stay employed !  Ha!

[Colette]

woo hoo! I got a brand new steinway b. i've been waiting forever for it. i'm putting it in my bedroom and playing it constantly. i'm sure my neighbors will just love me. it's an amazing piano, and technicians will make it perfect....hey, i paid 60 grand so i'm making them work on it just as long as i want. just thought i'd share, cause i'm so excited.

[Pianorak]

Colette: Congratulations on your new Steinway B. I hope it will give you years and years of pleasure. I am considering moving up from my Model O (5 ft 10 in) (I believe it's the equivalent of the US Model L) to a Model B. However, what size room does it demand so as not to deafen the poor pianist? Are you going to have it voiced?
Regards
Green-With-Envy!   :-/

[dinosaurtales]

Make that PEA green!  Boy!  I am still fussing (and saving $) over what piano to get.  You should love that Steinway!

And definitely make them work on it till you are happy!  That's the big deal they say about those - they can "be" whatever you want (the hard part is deciding what you want, I suppose)

Congratulations!

Mindy

[Colette]

yes it will be voiced, and regulated, etc.  i mean the piano is new from the factory so it's almost perfect as it is, but i spent 2 hours playing up and down marking every single note that was a bit uneven, bright, dull. i hired (not really legally) this famous steinway technician who doesn't normally deal with reg steinway clients, so my piano is in some of the best hands in the business....hey, you've gotta do it right the first time out. the room it's going in is quite big, and has wooden floors, so the piano will sound even brighter than it is. i'll have to get a carpet. do you know any other methods of absorbing and rounding out sound? good luck with your piano search!

[Richter]

So you decided to get the new B, Colette. Congratulations. I hope it gives you decades of musical pleasure. I myself have a Hamburg Steinway C (7 foot six inches), a glorious piano with incredible singing tone and seemingly endless sustaining power. Although it's only seven inches longer than the B, it plays and sounds much more like a D, probably because it has the thicker rim and soundboard of a D, and the longer keys. Basically, it's sort of a "short-wheelbase" version of the D.  

It's sort of a mystery to me why they stopped making the C in the US. Maybe because of smaller residences and the concommitant increasing demand for smaller pianos.  I personally find it to be a wonderful size, a "concert grand for the home". Incidentally, Larry Fine (the Piano Book guy) once told me  that he thought the C was the best designed of all the Steinways, had the best scaling and balance between bass and treble etc.  Trouble is, you pretty much have to go to Germany to get one, they're so rarely available over here.  

Anyone else have experience with the Steinway C, either older New York ones or Hamburgs?

[Pirate]

My wife just purchased a piano for me from an old lady that had to be put in a nursing home.  She had bought it new when she was young and paid $150 for it.  She's at least in her 80's so this is not exactally new.
The name on the key lid is "Offer and Wyatt..... London".
I'm a guitar player that knows nothing about pianos but have always wanted to learn.  It's an upright with 85 keys and about 48-49 inches tall -  floor to top of the lid.  It's badly in need of some TLC.  I love restorations so this was a great early X-mas gift.  I don't know much more about it but I'll be taking some pictures of it if any of you are interested.  I'll be in the field for the next two weeks so it'll be the weekend of Thanksgiving that I get the pics taken.

Take care,
Chris

[martin_s]

Yoohoo!!! My piano arrived today. A brand new Bluthner model 6!! Pity I am away from home for another week though...

"...my precious..."

hehe  

[dinosaurtales]

You lucky dog!!!   Congratulations!   I am considering a Bluthner myself, just haven't decided yet - have you played it yet?  How do you like it?  Where did you get it?  Do tell!

Mindy

[aerislanne]

I play a 5'8 Petrof. It seems nobody's ever heard of Petrof, but I love the way it sounds... except the action is pretty heavy compared to other pianos; it's Renner, I think. I used go to a piano shop for piano lessons and I banged around on almost EVERY brand of piano now, I think Steinways, especially very old ones have a very soft mellow tone. It's beautiful, but no good when you're playing something militaristic. Young Changs I haven't had much experience with, but I liked the Pramberger Signature Series of Young Changs, ~6'5- 7 foot and up. My piano teacher says Bosendorfers are quite expensive, but "most expensive doesn't mean most good." He claims the best piano ever made is a 1940s Steinway 9' grand. Never played one of those, but if he speaks so reverently of them...

[markjpcs]

I purchased a 6'3" Estonia Satin Ebony about 6 weeks ago. I played many many pianos before making the decision to go with the Estonia. I played new and vintage S&S, M&H, Baldwin, Charles R. Walters, Weber, Bosendorfer, new Shigeru Kawai, Yamaha S series and owned a 1.5 year old Yamaha C2 at the time. I did not play a Petrof but have heard very good things about them from others.

The Estonia to me represents unequalled value in the industry. The sound is warm and very controllable. Much more control  is available than I had on the C2. The action is a Renner with Abel hammers. The Rim is thick. much thicker than on other pianos in it's price range.

The action is wonderful and this combined with the warmth and consistency of the sound to me, rates this piano up there with pianos that cost 2 to 3 times what I paid for the Estonia. I used to have a very intense desire to own a Steinway. I no longer have that desire.

I had a Dampp Chaser system installed. I just had the "free" store tuning done last week.

I am extremely pleased with the Estonia.  

[Babcock]

I have two grands; a 7'2" vintage Hardman that I have had totally rebuilt including a new board and action,and a 6'1" Pramberger.  Students play the Pramberger, I play the Hardman, but I'm looking to replace it with a Steinway D.  Both pianos are great, musical, and durable.

[franklindriessen]

i have a petrof grand too!  i love it!  

[rachfan]

Hi,

For the last several years I've owned a Baldwin Model L grand (6' 3") bought new.  Previously, I had a pre-owned (American) Steinway Model M grand (5' 7").   It's really hard to say whether I prefer Baldwin or Steinway, as I've played both all my life.  It really depends on the repertoire.  The Baldwin absolutely sparkles when playing French impressionistic music.  Steinway, however, owns the heavier Germanic romantic literature.  For Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninoff, both pianos deliver a gorgeous sound.  My dream would be to have both a Baldwin SF10 Steinway B and to switch off according to what I would be practicing or playing at that moment.  Both pianos offer a brilliant treble.  The big difference is in the bass.  The Steinway has the famous thundering bass.  The Baldwin offers a darker, profoundly deep, deep tone.  Both are most pleasing.

I've tried many of the other comparable length grand pianos.  Young Chang is too clangy for me.  As to the Yamaha, although I like the touch a lot, I dislike the woody bass and the brittle treble.  (Tecnicians fall over themselves in praise of the rollout action, but of what possible importance is that feature to the discerning artist?)  Kawai offers a neutral, colorless sound to my ear.  Despite its legendary status, Mason & Hamlin's sound strikes me as the American counterpart of the Kawai--sound without much character.  Borsendorfer sounds great up to a point, but at triple forte the sound seems to break and shatter apart like glass.  One piano I did like and that fascinated me was the Falcone, although the upper octaves were a bit thin, but pure.  Similarly, I much prefer the American Steinway to the German, as the latter emphasizes the fundamental tone rather than the overtones, creating a thin, tinny sound at louder volumes in my opinion.  I realize sound perception is subjective, and that many here will disagree.  But I do enjoy my Baldwin L grand and recommend it to others.

         

[G.Fiore]

Rachfan,The Hamburg Steinway does not emphasize the fundamental tone,Its strike-points are set at the same distance as it's  New York counter part.The difference is in the hammers .New York instruments use a cold-pressed hammer,Hamburg uses a hot pressed Renner hammer.If you were to put New York hammers in a Hamburg instrument,blind-folded you would not be able to tell the difference.Although those that play both frequently would be able to tell by the slight difference in action set-up.

[rachfan]

Hi, G. Fiore--

I stand corrected on the Hamburg Steinway.  You learn something new every day!  I never knew about the difference in hammers between the German and New York models.  It certainly does produce a distinct difference in sound.  My first teacher had a Hamburg B, probably built around 1900, which I played for 10 years.  Its sound was more mellow than what you hear in most Hamburg Bs today.  Given your information, my guess  is that probably she either bought it as rebuilt by M. Steinert in Boston, or had it rebuilt later.  Either way, probably cold press hammers were installed and voiced accordingly, giving it the more woolly sound of the American B.  

[Le-ackt]

Kawai Crystal Grand Piano









Transparent Piano indeed
such beautiful insrument you wont believe your eyes

[amee]

I have got a 5'7" (I think?) Yamaha grand.  

[frederic]

Some of you might have read my post on a Lipp piano.
Now i am proud to say that i am a happy owner of a Lipp grand.
I used to have a upright Bentley and it sometimes gave me hard time but it does have its moments.

[tosca1]

I have a Boston GP 178 or 5' 10" grand which I have had for five years from new. I see that there are a few other members who also have a Boston piano. It would be interesting to share our opinions about this relatively recent piano company.
Regards,
Robert.

[dinosaurtales]

Got a Fazioli 6'11" being delivered this weekend!  Oh boy!  and FREDERIC - I forgot you had that Lipp!  How old is it - does it have ivory keys?  

Mindy

[PoSeiDoN]

I have a CLP-model Yamaha Clavinova.  These babies used to be pretty chinsy and sorry, but I would highly recommend them now!  The action is totally weighted like an acoustic grand.  Plus, no need for tuning and there is a headphones jack for those midnight practices!  

[Qsilver8713]

I am have a brand spanking Boston UP-118S. It is an upright and I got it in Black Oak.  I love it, it has a richer, nicer tone then many other uprights that I tried.  It was a very nice action too.  Another good thing is I got a big discount on it because I brought it from a liquidation sell.  But I am very pleased and happy with it.  Another good thing is if I want to I can trade up to a Steinway and they will refund me the purchase price of the Boston towards the Steinway, within an alotted time.  So one day I hope to trade to a Steinway grand.  Before I got my new piano I played a Baldwin Acrosonic; two words "BIG DIFFERENCE."

[Chiyo]

I have Gordon Laughead Spinet and Yamaha Digital piano. I used to have Daewoo studio upright piano for 15 years but I sold it when I moved.

I dearly want a gand piano, cuz I don't like my piano sounds...