Suggestions on a good upright

[tsagari]

Hi I have a Yamaha U1 30years old. We bought it three years ago second handed. The problem I have with this is that although it has brilliant sound from the middle C onwards bass is awful, very lound. I struggle for pp play. In general its a very lound piano. Nice to play contemporary music but I want to replace it. Any ideas having in mind that there is no space for a grand. 

[heha]

Hi, if you have no constraints in budget then take a look at this

https://www.sauter-pianos.de/english/pianos/122klasse.html

It is one of the best upright pianos I have tried, the touch is like a grand, and has a rather sparkling sound

[richard black]

30 years ago Yamaha was making some pretty good pianos (not all models, though). You might consider having yours serviced by someone really good. Otherwise, if you want quality uprights German is the way to go. There used to be some good British ones too, until the entire British piano industry (except a major action manufacturer) packed up a few years ago.

(I don't know much about American uprights, never get to see them here really.)

[tsagari]

30 years ago Yamaha was making some pretty good pianos (not all models, though).

I agree with you. This piano is realy good made in Japan and the man that comes for the regular service says that is much better than a new Yamaha in many ways. This is makes me wonder what would be a good choice. Can you change the sound of the bass? The piano has a very crispy sound overall. What I like to grand pianos is that you make the sound. With mine I have to try hard to control the volume and with pieces like Chopin it makes my life difficult. Even when I practice scales my ear suffer. There is no pp sound or if you manage to produce pp sometimes there is no sound at all. My theacher says that this never happens to a grand because the functional logic is completely different. I am wondering if there is an upright good as a grand. Sauter might not be an opion because I think there is no deller in my area. My opions are Yamaha, Kawai (which I do not like), Bluther, Grotrian Steinway, Ronish, Pleyel, Petrof, Young Chang (no way) Bosendorfer (but I thik these are only grands) and Stanway and Sons

[db05]

I study at a Yamaha school, some pianos are good, and some are exactly like you described. (Wonder why they don't just fix them/ buy new ones??  ) The good pianos are usually occupied with lessons, so I have to adjust. Either use the felt mute inside or what I do often, wear earplugs while playing. Despite the volume, they're much better than what we have at home - a unevenly loud old piano which is 1 1/2 tones out of tune!!

pp on a good piano is not that delicate. I recommend getting earplugs and focusing on a full tone with regards to touch instead of apparent loudness. I have little problems adjusting to the better pianos at school now. 

[richard black]

My opions are Yamaha, Kawai (which I do not like), Bluther, Grotrian Steinway, Ronish, Pleyel, Petrof, Young Chang (no way) Bosendorfer (but I thik these are only grands) and Stanway and Sons

First, yes, it will be possible to adjust the bass tone of your Yammie to some extent, though a lot of it is down to finger control. Practising really quietly is good discipline for any pianist! Of the makes you mention, avoid Steinway - their uprights are good but they're not _that_ good and they're horribly overpriced, new and second-hand. Bösendorfer uprights are very good but rare and also rather expensive. Young Chang I'd avoid too, Pleyel pianos I've played from the last 50 years all seem very disappointing, current Petrofs are nice instruments that seem well made, Ronisch I just don't know (about current ones), Blüthner and Grotrian are both very nice. Those Sauters look interesting. For what it's worth, the best upright I've ever played was a Steingraeber - second best is the Ibach (about 20 years old) that I own.

[tsagari]

Thanks for the advice. By the way what you mean by practicing quietly? To be honest sometimes I am wondering if my finger control is the problem with the bass. To a certain extent I think this might be a part of the problem but whenever I've tried a grand (two diffirent Yamaha and one Young Chang - although YC has other problems) my sound is so different  and that makes me wonder.

[heha]

I agree mostly with richard that the Steinway uprights are not that great and Pleyel will not really be an upgrade for you quality wise. The second best upright I've played on is the Steingraeber 130+ cm model, if there are no official dealers you may want to look out for second hand ones - they are still quality. As for Kawai, I have one at home and it is so bad in both touch and sound that I don't bother to touch it.

[tsagari]

Thank all so much for the information
I Know it will not be easy.

[aewanko]

It should make good firewood.

[genaa]

Hiya,I have just taken delivery of a Sauter Masterclass 130. I have posted some pics and details on it at this link:

https://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/1/24587.html

I am hoping to be able to post a recording in the near future. It's a beautiful piano

Good luck in your search!

[tsagari]

Good luck in your search!

Thanks 

[thierry13]

Hi, if you have no constraints in budget then take a look at this

https://www.sauter-pianos.de/english/pianos/122klasse.html

It is one of the best upright pianos I have tried, the touch is like a grand, and has a rather sparkling sound

I second this. My chamber music teacher has two of those in his room and they are AMAZING!

[Petter]

Hiya,I have just taken delivery of a Sauter Masterclass 130. I have posted some pics and details on it at this link:

https://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/1/24587.html

I am hoping to be able to post a recording in the near future. It's a beautiful piano

Good luck in your search!

Wow those designed models looks sexy...

[tsagari]

Hello

Sauter looks very nice but there are no dealers in my Country . What about Essex and Boston?

[michel dvorsky]

I recommend Cialis, Viagra, or Keeley Hazell.

[richard black]

What about Essex and Boston?

Just avoid. They are using the Steinway name, it seems to me, to disguise the fact that they are cheaply made and really quite unspecial. You'll be better off with something obscure like a Tonica or an old Yamaha.

[tsagari]

Just avoid. They are using the Steinway name, it seems to me, to disguise the fact that they are cheaply made and really quite unspecial. You'll be better off with something obscure like a Tonica or an old Yamaha.

I am more comfused now

[amelialw]

Just avoid. They are using the Steinway name, it seems to me, to disguise the fact that they are cheaply made and really quite unspecial. You'll be better off with something obscure like a Tonica or an old Yamaha.

this is not true at all. bostons are actually a high end kawai and they are wonderful piano's. I know quite many who have boston pianos at home and are happy with the instrument. i myself recently got one as well. these pianos are made in japan and that is nothing to sneer at , in fact japan makes excellent pianos.

[richard black]

bostons are actually a high end kawai

I'm sorry to argue, but in my experience they are rather poorly made and finished. At the two colleges in London where I have done quite a lot of work in recent years, there are a few Bostons and the only one that is at least mostly satisfactory is the one that was very thoroughly serviced by a good local technician shortly after it was delivered. Of the rest, I have had to repair several myself when they are only about a year old. In one case, the screws holding the action to the main support rail were loose on every single one of the 88 notes - one was so loose that the note had ceased to play properly, which I why I noticed.

Call me cynical, but I can't help feeling that while Boston is happy to use the Steinway name in promotion, and many people know the pianos are actually built by Kawai, at the end of the day they are neither Steinway nor Kawai pianos and therefore neither of those highly reputable brands is responsible for quality control. As a result, there isn't much QC going on with Boston.

these pianos are made in japan and that is nothing to sneer at

Absolutely, I have no problem with Japanese manufacture in general and would never sneer on that specific ground: but it just happens that quite a few of the pianos I've encountered that have been built by Japanese manufacturers are not very satisfactory in terms of build quality. I've been quite impressed by recent Kawais, by the way.

Of course I am talking about the pianos I've seen in the UK. I imagine these are representative of each company's production as a whole but I can't guarantee that!

[tsagari]

30 years ago Yamaha was making some pretty good pianos (not all models, though). You might consider having yours serviced by someone really good.

Well you were  wright. I've called another tequnician for service the piano. And now it is like a new one . First the piano although we had it tuned in September it was completely of tune. Even my six year old daughter could tell. Secondly he did something to the keys and now they return faster I have a better control now. The bass is softer he did something to right pedal aswell etc. His opinion is that the piano is excellent. We have to monitor if it needs frequent tuning due to weather change and he said no upright will give me the sound quality I want, I need a Grand, but for the moment this is out of question because there is no space.

[richard black]

We have to monitor if it needs frequent tuning due to weather change

Yes, no piano is immune to that. Funnily enough, large upright pianos like yours are often more sensitive to temperature and humidity changes than smaller ones.

[dkainoa]

i'm doing some searching myself lately and have read good things about Brodmann pianos...

https://www.brodmann-pianos.com/