Need advice on choosing between a Boston GP163 or Yamaha C1M, thx

[iamgoobie]

Hi everyone,

Having done mths of searching and trying out several brands of grand, I have come to the final stage of deciding whether to go for a Boston grand GP163 or Yamaha C1M (it's a newly refined model of C1L). As both are just small enough to fit into a corner of my house, I can't opt for one that's larger than 5'5. Hence, I'm left with these two choices also because the piano company I'm going to deal with allows me to trade-in my digital piano for a grand. I've been all over the net searching for info and people's comments on these two brands but didn't really find much. I wonder if anyone who have any ideas about these two brands and with only these two brands to opt, which one would you go for? Please advise and thx sooooooo much in advance for taking the time to share your views here.

iamgoobie

[iumonito]

What you like should govern, of course.  IMO, the Yammie is hand down the better of these two, although by no means my favorite in its class.  I am assuming the Yammie you are talking about is this one:  https://music.yamaha.com/products/specifications.html?productId=562339&hierarchy_id=16170_16277

If you have them around, you should check a used Mason A, the smaller Estonia (I think it is around that size), Bohemia and my new favorite Chinese piano: Brodman.  Brodmans are REALLY nice.  https://www.brodmann-pianos.at/grand_piano_1620.html

Or perhaps you like your pianos is the bright bright side (the two you picked would need a lot of voicing for me to play them with enjoyment.  Way too bright for my taste).

It all comes down to taste, but bear in mind that if you have a concept of what you want, a knowledgeable tech can coax a sound different from what you hear when you first try a piano, if the piano has good bones.

Good luck.

[iamgoobie]

Thank you for your advice, iumonito ! As I live in HK, I don't have much choice that's within my budget and size.  As far as I know, the Yamaha is a more popular brand and the resale value is definitely higher than the Bostons. To be honest, I don't fancy pianos with a brighter tone but the dealer told me that the new C1M has a less brighter tone than the older versions. Thank you sooooo much for taking the time to offer your advice! I look forward to hearing more of others' comments here if there's any. Thx again!

iamgoobie

[iumonito]

Goobie, nice to hear you are in HK.  Lots of good pianos there.

Find out who carries Brodmann there, they have to be available - you will be surprised how good they are, and your budget will be grateful. 

Also, I have heard that in HK you can get surprisingly good prices on good German pianos, like Sauter, August Foerster (Lubau) and even my beloved Steingraeber (those are more expensive but boy are they good.  Also smaller, the 158 is really a thing to behold for its size, it sounds the 209 is too big for your plans).

Yammies can be made nice and mellow, it is just that it takes a lot of voicing to keep them there.

have you also considered Kawai?  I like those better than Yamaha.

[iamgoobie]

Thanks again for your great advice, iumonito! I've tried the Brodmanns and as you have said, they are surprisingly impressive. But the piano company that sells Brodmann pianos only have the uprights in stock. The grand will need at least 3 to 6 mths to arrive, which I can't wait that long. Same goes to the Sauters and Seilers....a little out of my budget plus need pre-ordering.

I've double-check the Yammies - C1M (a very new model). It's in fact the same as C1 or C1L. The only difference between C1M and C1 or C1L is the  material used in the white and black keys.

Kawai grands are great but the company that sells Kawai grands doesn't offer trade-up and there are too many additional charges involved.

I will wait a couple of weeks and see and will also return to try both brands again to see which one is better.  Thanks soooo much again for taking the time to advice, iumonito! All the best!

iamgoobie